Shane McGrath has reminded Dónal Óg Cusack that Cork have gone 21 years without winning an All-Ireland SHC title after he questioned Tipperary’s ability to defend the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

"I think of Tipperary as All-Ireland champions and nobody rising or falling as fast in my experience of being a hurling person,” the legendary Cork goalkeeper said on RTÉ’s Allianz League Sunday ahead of Sunday week’s Munster SHC Round 1 clash between the fierce rivals.

But former Tipp midfielder McGrath hit back by saying during RTÉ's Championship preview: "Twenty-one years is a long time for a fall, not to win an All-Ireland. We've won a few since then.

"In 2010, everyone thought we were going to take over the world, because we won the senior and the U21s. They thought this is it for the next few years. But we didn't.

"We lost a manager in Liam Sheedy and that's a factor as well. People forget that. If you look at Kilkenny winning all the things, it was the same manager all the time.

"When Limerick have been winning, it's been John Kiely at the helm. Losing Liam was a big thing.

"The 'rise and fall' thing, I wouldn't agree with it. I think we've been fairly consistent. We might not be winning them every year, but we're chipping in every few years with them.

"We're not doing too badly at U20 level, U21 level and minor level. While we rise, I don't think we fall as dramatically as Dónal Óg is saying.

"But I understand what he is saying, because I think some people think that when we win an All-Ireland, we should be winning the next two or three in-a-row.”

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