On this All-Ireland Hurling Final week, we are taking a look back at some of the personal favourite pictures of our photographers from finals past. Today it’s the turn of Stephen McCarthy.

My most memorable picture from a GAA Hurling All-Ireland Championship Final was taken back in 2009. My position on the day was in front of Hill 16, sitting in tight to the goal.

Kilkenny and Tipperary contested the year’s showpiece event and with the Cats leading by just two points at the break, the game was nicely poised. I had Kilkenny shooting into my end in the second half and after the opening 10-20 minutes of the second half I felt I was at the wrong end as Tipp dominated and went ahead by two.

A ‘controversial’ Henry Shefflin penalty put Kilkenny right back in the game and then moments later the defining moment of the game came when substitute Martin Comferford found himself in space and got his side’s second goal of the game.

Comerford wheeled away in celebration towards my camera as Tipperary’s Brendan Maher lay prone on the ground. This summed up the game in one picture, Kilkenny’s celebration, Tipperary’s dejection.

The picture went on to be one of the standout images of the season’s hurling championship featuring on a number of back pages and gracing the cover of the 2009 edition of ‘A Season of Sunday’s’ a particular proud moment for me.

 

You can follow Stephen on twitter here, and Sportsfile here.