Confusion Over Croke Park Scoreboard Emerges After Tipperary Win Over Kilkenny

Tipperary have booked their spot in the All-Ireland final, with there being no shortage of drama during their victory over Kilkenny at Croke Park this afternoon.

The second half of the game was a particularly spicy affair, one not without controversial moments. Tipperary were reduced to 14 men for the final ten minutes after a second yellow card for Darragh McCarthy, while Kilkenny probably should have followed suit after a poor challenge a few minutes later.

While those were obvious incidents, it was one more subtle potential error that may have had a larger impact on the game.

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Trailing by three points in the dying moments, Kilkenny were forced to go for goals in an attempt to rescue this game. They came close on a couple of occasions, only to be denied after some heroic defending from Tipperary.

In saying that, there are some lingering questions about the actual scoreline in the final minutes of the game.

The scoreboard in Croke Park read 4-21 to 0-30 at the time, although many who were at the game felt that Tipperary actually led by two points and not three as was stated.

It seems as though the confusion may stem from a Noel McGrath shot late on, one which appeared to go wide. However, it was marked down as a score on the stadium scoreboard.

It in the footage below, you can see the shot being waved wide, only for a point to be added to the television scoreboard.

Maurice Brosnan of the Irish Examiner and Cahair O'Kane of the Irish News both summed up the confusion towards the end of the match.

Significant growing disquiet in Croke Park over the scoreline. We were confused in the press box, we all had a two-point margin but a Noel McGrath shot that went wide was given as a score on the board. Kilkenny spent injury time hunting goals when points might have done

— Cahair O'Kane (@CahairOKane1) July 6, 2025

There was a lengthy discussion among officials after the game. Stadium scoreboard had it Tipperary 4-21 pic.twitter.com/H9gsOR8z5H

— Maurice Brosnan (@m_brosnan) July 6, 2025

RTÉ had initially said that the game finished 4-20 to 0-30, only to clarify the official scoreline live on air a few minutes after the final whistle.

Of course, this could have had a big impact on the closing stages of the match. Had Kilkenny been two points behind instead of three, they may have felt less urgency to go for goal when a couple of long range scores would have been enough to draw level.

The officials felt that the scoreline was a correct one, although not everyone present in Croke Park is convinced by their claim.

It will be interesting to see if anything more comes of this over the next 24 hours or so.