Tipperary will have to beat Limerick for a third time this year if they are to be crowned All-Ireland minor hurling champions, with the Treaty seeking to buck that trend to snap a 42-year wait.
A repeat of the 2016 showpiece was confirmed by Tipp scoring a five-goal victory over Cork and Limerick steamrollering Leinster winners Galway in the semi-finals.
Chris Dunne bagged 3-5 (3-1 from play plus two sideline cuts) as the Premier staged a three-goal final-quarter comeback to reach their third decider in five years, beating Cork by 5-18 to 2-19.
The final scoreline was deceptive as the provincial title-holders trailed by four after 46 minutes before outgunning the Rebels by 3-8 to 0-5 down the stretch in front of 2,505 fans at the TUS Gaelic Grounds.
Backed by the wind, Cork soon summoned a 1-3 burst, with Bobby Power, who compiled 2-8 (2-1 from play) across the hour, blasting to the net.
Their four-point lead would flip as Tipp blitzed Cork for 2-2 between the 21st and 24th minutes.
Éanna Tucker tapped in a rebound after KJ Dunne was denied by Marley Walsh, and when Chris Dunne’s bouncer was saved, he robbed the sliotar back to spark the vocal Tipp crowd to life again.
Within a matter of seconds, Conall Morrisson had added the next two points for 2-7 to 1-6.
They led 2-8 to 1-9 at half-time and Chris Dunne’s second sideline cut helped Tipp push three clear.
His next free, a close-range goal effort, was saved by full back Finn Cahill and Cork countered for a Sam McCarthy point. That proved a turning point as they fashioned 1-4 without reply, with Power firing a rocket into the far top corner. McCarthy made it 2-10 to 2-14 at the three-quarter mark.
Tipp substitute Josh Moroney revived his side with an unstoppable strike to the net and goal-hungry Tipp found the lead in the 52nd minute. Chris Dunne somehow magicked up a bullet finish from the tightest of angles for 4-10 to 2-15.
Dunne then robbed a Cork defender and rifled his hat-trick goal to the far corner; 5-10 to 2-16 after 54 minutes.
They hadn’t scored a point for 23 minutes, but Tipp would fire the last six in a row, with three in quick succession from Tucker taking his tally to 1-4.
Later on Saturday evening, Limerick made it back to their first national minor final in a decade with a 1-26 to 1-15 cruise past Galway in Ennis.
Midfielder Xavier Neligan scored a wonderful individual goal in the eighth minute, slicing through on a 60-metre solo run and bouncing the sliotar off the turf before his finish.
Captain Shane Waters scored five points in the opening quarter to forge a 1-6 to 0-3 lead. After splitting the next 12 points, that would remain the gap at the break; 1-12 to 0-9.
The lead only grew from there as Waters ended on 0-9 (six frees), Neligan on 1-2, and Rian Horgan on 0-5.
Limerick, who last lifted the Irish Press Cup in 1984, stretched 13 clear before Anthony Poniard teed up Galway captain Gus Lohan to skittle a late consolation to the net.
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