The dust has barely settled on their victorious All-Ireland SHC campaign and already Tipperary All-Star defender Cathal Barrett has turned his thoughts to next year.

Speaking to The Irish Independent, the first time Celtic Cross winner from Holycross-Ballycahill explained: "After winning an All-Ireland you'd think you'd be happy enough to have a break but after a couple of weeks, nearly a month, you'd be hungry enough to go again.

"You want to keep that winning feeling if you get me. But it's no harm really, even for the mental side of things, just to let the body rest, not to be draining yourself because you'd be wrecked.

"It does take its toll, it's a long year, October or November through to the following September, so you'd need your rest after it.

"It was my first (All-Ireland win) so it was a bit special for me. The pictures said it all, there was over 34-35,000 people in the stadium, the place was buzzing for weeks and still is. Everyone is still talking about the All-Ireland. It's fantastic for Tipp."

The celebrations that followed the county's first Liam MacCarthy Cup success in six years lived up to celebrations as the Brendan Maher captain outfit laid the ghosts of past final disappointments to rest.

"We'd been close enough, a point or two on a couple of occasions, and they're hard to take. When you finally get over the line it's a sense of relief at the final whistle. The following few weeks after it are great, go to meet your family and friends and have a bit of craic and the homecomings.

"I suppose it was a six-year gap. In Tipperary you want to be winning it every year so six years is a long time so I think this year they really hit home how these things don't happen very often.

"There's a great maturity in our panel, we're not resting on our laurels after one year. We're parking this year and looking to next year and giving it another rattle again."

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