Taking the Tipperary job would have been the more easy option. That's what Waterford hurling boss Liam Cahill said when asked about his decision to turn down his home county in favour of staying with the Deise for 12 more months.
Cahill sat down with WLR Sport exclusively for his first interview since the decision was made, and says that he understands the backlash the move has caused in some circles, but finishing the job he started in Waterford is what he feels compelled to do.
As I said in my statement in the aftermath of making the decision that it would please some and not others and that's exactly as it has been. For me, the ultimate easy thing to do was was to say yes to Tipperary - 100%.
When Liam Sheedy stood aside from the Premier, attention immediately turned to Liam Cahill and Mikey Bevans. The pair came to Waterford at a time when the county had not won a championship game in three years.
Liam Cahill - His Waterford Journey So Far
In their first year in charge, and amid the height of covid lockdown, they guided the team to Croke Park for the All-Ireland final, ultimately falling at the final hurdle against Limerick. They also brought the Deise back to a Munster decider, but again, John Kielys Limerick proved too much for Waterford in their pursuit of provincial honours.
With the agreement made for Cahill and Bevans to stay in situ, the Ballingarry man admits that the longing to manage his own county will always be there, but for the moment, his goal is to finish the job of work that has been started with the players in Waterford.
Now, when I find myself in a position as a manager at intercounty level, my desire to manage my own county is always there.
To be as honest as I can, I'm not the first Tipperary man to say no to the Tipperary senior hurling job, maybe people are not aware of that. I know for certain, a lot more high profile and a lot bigger names than me in Tipperary have been asked to take on Tipperary in the past and have said no, but it doesn't seem to created the same, I suppose, disappointment in Tipperary people. I won't say it bothers me, but people should be aware of that.
New Tipperary Manager
Cashel native Colm Bonnar has been named as the man to take over from Sheedy, and everybody in the county will be hoping that he can provide the silverware they expect. If Bonnar is a success and begins to build something of substance in Tipp, Cahill is aware that the phone might not ring the next time.
Ultimately he has said no when his county called, but the decision was made with loyalty to his players in mind - stating that the players were very hard to walk away from.
When people say that the Tipp job might not come around again, and I mightn't be asked and that's okay, for where I am at the moment in my headspace and where I'm at - If that's not to be it's not to be.
The first half of our interview with Liam will air this evening (Friday 17th) on Lár Na Pairce with Tomás McCarthy from ten past six, while the second half will air on On The Ball (Saturday 18th) with Nigel Kelly from midday.
