A cut above: Tipp fan salutes Limerick’s Munster win

IT IS hard enough to get most men to cut the lawn not to mind this work of art by Davy Ryan in Bruff.

Over three days he created this tribute to the Limerick hurlers for their performance in the Munster final last Sunday. It is about a third of an acre in size.

“It is just my little way of saying thank you to the team for the display they gave and our local lads Sean Finn and Paul Browne, to John Kiely, Paul Kinnerk, all the management and sponsors. When you type words on a computer screen it only takes a couple of seconds but it kind of focuses the mind when you see it written in grass,” said Davy.

And the funny thing about it is, he has been following Tipperary all his life.

“My father’s from Twomileborris but I was born in County Laois. From the time I was four or five I loved hurling and Laois are not great at hurling so I supported Tipperary. I had three cousins – the Bourkes – who hurled for Tipperary.

“I was shouting for Limerick because I wanted to see Limerick getting the three titles in the one year. I am an adopted Limerick man, I’m down here 36 years. My wife Claire is from Bruff. We were in Caherdavin before that. I was a member of Na Piarsaigh for 14 years,” said Davy, who turns 60 in August. 

After he left the LIT Gaelic Grounds, he came home, had his dinner and went out with his lawnmower at 5.40pm.

“I finished at 10.40pm. I went at it on Monday during my break and on Monday evening. I finished it on Tuesday. It’s like icing a cake - you put a bit on here and cut a bit off there. I’ve no measuring tape or anything like that. Just my feet and my lawnmower. It is a hobby and a bit of fun,” said Davy.

Jack O’Shea took a photograph with his drone and it has been shared on social media.

Davy only lives a couple of houses up the road from Sean Finn’s homeplace.

“I know Sean since he was a baby. He’s a lovely young fellow but sure he’d have to be – all the Finns are lovely. They’re a big GAA family,” said Davy, who was mightily impressed with Limerick.

“They epitomised what hurling is about last Sunday. I’m following Tipperary a long, long time, since I was a child. I’ve never seen a good Tipperary team blown off the field like they were blown off the field in the last 20 minutes,” said Davy.