Though it's late July, and the contenders for the All-Ireland hurling title will soon be reduced to four, Eamonn Corcoran talks like it's the start of summer.  Sunday in Croke Park is like the dawn of a new season for the Tipperary defender.  Ian O'Riordan on the defender's lively return from a 12-week suspension

Though it's late July, and the contenders for the All-Ireland hurling title will soon be reduced to four, Eamonn Corcoran talks like it's the start of the summer. Sunday in Croke Park is like the dawn of a new season for the Tipperary defender.

Just over three months ago his mood was a lot different. A relatively harmless tussle in the closing moments of a league game with Galway had resulted in a red card, and with it the nightmare of suspension. Corcoran was reported for a strike with the hurl, and that meant no more games for 12 weeks. His league was finished, and chances were his championship too.

No appeals or votes of support could bring Corcoran any solace, but what got him through it all was the determination to play some championship hurling this summer, even if it all depended on fate. So when Tipperary came through to play Galway in the qualifier series last Sunday week, it was like fate had played him a deserved hand.

"In some ways the whole thing is still fresh in my mind," says Corcoran, but without any bitterness in his voice. "You do have to try and put it all behind you, and the support I got through that time as well was great.

"But I only actually missed a very short time because I was more or less brought straight back into the training with the panel. And I was training very hard during that time. I was missing the competitive games but I was playing in all the practice games with Tipperary and I can tell you they are almost as hard. And that helped keep my hunger for it as well."

For a player with such an immaculate disciplinary record, the 12-week ban was difficult to fathom. Worse though was the knowledge that he would miss Tipperary's opening and all-consuming championship match with Clare. As it turned out other defenders were missing with injury and Clare won well.

"I suppose I did feel then that the whole year was gone from me. And at the time it was very disappointing. But then I wasn't about to dwell on it. I just kept the focus, said I'd get through it, and started thinking about the next game, and talking it one step at a time. And of course I was saying to myself I'd never let it happen again."

As the season turned and Tipperary breezed past Laois to set up their date with Galway, Corcoran realised his chance had come. When manager Michael Doyle sat down to name his team he had little hesitation in restoring Corcoran to his right wing back position.

"Having missed the start of the championship it was like a first round game for me," he recalls. "And I suppose I did feel a bit of extra pressure coming up to that game. First of all I wasn't sure if the game was going to be played on the Sunday (Corcoran's ban ended at midnight on the Saturday), and the fact was I had missed three months of competitive hurling.

"But once I got out there and the first couple of touches went alright I didn't really feel like I'd been away at all. And hopefully on Sunday I'll be even further back up to the pace."

Sunday's game means a renewal of acquaintances with Offaly, the county they played for the first time at championship level in last summer's qualifiers - and beat well. The league meeting this season also fell strongly in Tipperary's favour but Corcoran has been around along enough to know Offaly are never to be discounted.

"We beat them in the league, fair enough, but they were without all their Birr players that day. And watching that game against Limerick it was clear they were far superior, and have a lot more depth in the panel this year.

"So I'd say Offaly were the team we feared as much as anyone. They have introduced a lot of young players who have done well, and of course having a man like Mike McNamara behind them has made a huge difference. We know what happened last year is definitely in the past now. And that we have a very big game ahead of us."

And while Corcoran was absent, Doyle has slightly altered his half back line, and now plays Tomás Dunne at centre back alongside Corcoran and Paul Kelly. So far the transition has been seamless.

"Sure Tommy is such a fabulous hurler he really could play in any position," says Corcoran. "And he's a great man to play alongside. He was superb the last day against Galway and I don't think Tommy has ever played a poor match.

"But the main thing about Tommy, though, is how he inspires players around him. In fact he inspires the whole team, and can have such a big influence on everyone.

"He was a great captain the year we won the All-Ireland and he is still a great leader.

"But David Kennedy played a huge part in there before and he's coming into form again. And I said right after the Galway game that John Carroll's introduction made the difference. And I felt he would come in for the next day. But Denis Byrne has also done great for the last few games and he's still there to come back in as well.

"But we see Sunday as an All-Ireland quarter-final, and as a knock-out game; we're certainly not looking beyond that. But then we reached the semi-final last year, and you always hope to go that bit further every year."