The ties that bind.
Ballyhale went top of the Kilkenny roll of honour with a 1-21 to 2-11 win over James Stephens in Nowlan Park, and all they could think of afterwards was making good on their promise to their people. For such a tiny community, it has been a year overloaded with tragedy – as Ronan Corcoran raised the cup, they held a board remembering five club members who died in 2022.
On Friday night, the squad had a visit from Henry Shefflin. His brother Paul was the most high-profile of the deaths during the year, dying suddenly while out running at the age of just 41. As Colin Fennelly told us afterwards, Henry didn’t mention him. But they all knew.
“I know it happens to other places,” Fennelly said. “But I don’t think it ever happens as big as this when you just lose one after the other. It’s just tragedy after tragedy, not only the two young lads [Eugene Aylward and Eoin Doyle who both died in motoring accidents] that passed away just a few years ago, but for this to happen this year again is absolutely heartbreaking.
“We had Henry in the dressing room talking on Friday night, Pat [Hoban, manager] and Henry would be very good friends. It was a big surprise for us, but just the emotion in Henry’s voice – there was just pure silence in the room and everyone walked out of there just ready, and the hunger there. He didn’t say anything about Paul, but you could see it. You could just see the emotion in him and the hunger that he’d love to be out there.”
At this time of year, you fall back to first principles. Ballyhale conceded the first goal and had the only red card of the day early in the second half but still they came and did their thing. TJ Reid was exceptional, Fennelly stood tall at full-forward. It’s the first five-in-a-row in the history of the Kilkenny championship.
“To get the opportunity to work with this group of players is just a sensational opportunity for anybody who’s interested in hurling,” said Hoban, who caps his first year in charge with a county title.
“You obviously set out hoping that you can achieve something and it’s a real bonus and we’re absolutely thrilled. Look, there’s tragedies in every parish unfortunately when you have high-profile people involved and families and stuff like that.
“But the hurling is what brings Ballyhale together. It’s a very small place. It literally is a country village. The tradition, like they started in 1972 and they won their first junior title in 1973 and we looked at the programme the other night and seven of the names that togged out today started that day as well so that’s 50 years ago, the same families. There’s a huge drive there.”
Right around the country, that drive got its reward in appalling conditions. In Cork, St Finbarr’s closed off a 29-year gap since their last county hurling title with a 2-14 to 1-7 win over Blackrock in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Ben Cunningham put up a barely believable 0-9 in a monsoon and the Barrs kept Blackrock to just two second-half points to see it out. They will aim to do their first Cork double since 1982 when they compete in the football final in a fortnight.
In football, Kilmacud Crokes nailed the first part of their double quest with an 0-11 to 0-10 win over Na Fianna in Parnell Park. They were helped by some wasteful shooting by the Glasnevin side but Shane Walsh was ultimately the difference, scoring four points from play and coming back from an injury that meant he missed the end of the first half. The two clubs meet again in the hurling decider next weekend.
In Monaghan, Ballybay ended Scotstown’s dominance with a 1-11 to 1-8 victory in Clones. Dessie Ward put up a match-winning total of 1-3 from play and the eternal Paul Finlay winning his second county medal at the age of 39.
Tourlestrane made it seven-in-a-row in Sligo, beating St Mary’s 0-15 to 0-13 after extra-time. The Louth replay went the way of St Mary’s Ardee, a 1-18 to 1-15 win over Newtown Blues.
