Shefflin is ticketed by Tipp Garda
Henry Shefflin was one of the 200 people given a parking ticket during the training session on Wednesday (August 18 ) when 8,000 fans turned up to see his recovery from injury.
It has been confirmed that one of the gardaí who issued the tickets was from arch rival county Tipperary, who they will face in the All-Ireland final this Sunday.
All-Ireland facts and figures:
To date, Michael Kavanagh has played in ten senior All-Ireland finals, winning on seven occasions.
Eoin Larkin, Hurler of the Year in 2008, was substituted in five of his first six championship games for Kilkenny.
The ‘Big Three’ of hurling, Cork, Kilkenny and Tipperary, have won the last 11 senior All-Irelands, 1999 to 2009. The previous longest winning run by these counties was eight titles in a row, 1902-09. Kilkenny won seven of their first 14 senior titles by one point. Martin White, who celebrated his 101st birthday recently, was top scorer in the Leinster finals of 1936 and ’37, and in the All-Ireland finals of 1932 and ’35. James McGarry kept ‘a clean sheet’ in the All-Ireland finals of 1999, 2002 and 2004. Frank Cummins played in All-Ireland senior finals in three decades. Jimmy Langton scored in 41 of the 44 games he played with Kilkenny. Kilkenny are the only county to have won seven senior All-Ireland finals in a calendar decade, the 2000s. Between 1937 and 1959, 23 seasons, Kilkenny won only one All-Ireland Minor title (1950 ). Prior to 2000, a Kilkenny team had not won a senior final in a year ending in 0, 6 or 8. The last decade cleared all three outstanding digits.
Backs to the fore with one point wonders
Four Kilkenny defenders more renowned for preventing scores have managed to raise a single flag apiece at the far end, one point wonders!
Michael Kavanagh 1999 v Laois in Croke Park.
JJ Delaney 2007 v Offaly in Portlaoise.
Brian Hogan 2007 v Wexford in Croke Park.
Jackie Tyrrell 2009 v Tipperary in Croke Park
The debuts with a difference
Martin Comerford is the only panellist not to have made his championship debut on Leinster soil although his 2002 Thurles appearance was a Leinster semi-final.
First taste of defeat
Of the 25 players on the panel who have seen championship action only two – Brian Hogan and Aidan Fogarty made losing debuts, the 2004 Leinster semi-final v Wexford in Croke Park.
Kilkenny and Tipperary
Tipp had won six All-Ireland SH finals before Kilkenny won their first in 1904.
It took Kilkenny until 1982 to catch up when the Cats joined Tipp on 22 titles apiece.
Since then, Kilkenny have won ten finals to Tipp's three and the totals now stand at Kilkenny 32, Tipperary 25. Tipp haven’t always worn blue and gold. In the 1920 Bloody Sunday game, Tipp footballers wore white with a green sash. Since then, Tipp have used the blue and gold. Although Kilkenny used black and amber in various patterns from the time of their first All-Ireland appearance in 1904, it was not until 1911 that the familiar striped jersey was officially adopted. The 1895 final between Tipp and Kilkenny —Tipperary (Boherlahan ) 6-8, Kilkenny (Tullaroan ) 1-0 — was the first All-Ireland to be played at Jones's Road. Tipperary have won finals in all three centuries — 1800's, 1900's and 2000's. Kilkenny in 1900's and 2000's. Tipp have won All-Irelands at 21-a-side, 17-a-side and 15-a-side. Kilkenny in 17-a-side and 15-a-side only.
Keeping it in the family:
Jim ‘The Link’ Walsh, Kilkenny full-back of the 1950s and early 1960s, is a maternal granduncle of current centre-back Brian Hogan.
Kilkenny selector Michael Dempsey is a brother of former Laois football manager Seán Dempsey.
Wattie Dunphy was the first Kilkenny man to lift the Liam MacCarthy Cup. His nephew Joe captained Kilkenny to win the two All-Ireland Minor titles 1961-62. Pa Dillon, Kilkenny full-back of the 1960s and early 1970s, is a maternal uncle of Aidan Fogarty. Three players who started the recent All-Ireland semi-final versus Cork — PJ Ryan, JJ Delaney, Richie Power have a father who also won a Celtic Cross: PJ Ryan Sr (1974-75 ), Shem Delaney (1974 ), Richie Power Sr (1982-83 ). Paddy Grace, Tommy Walsh’s maternal grandfather, won Senior All-Irelands with Kilkenny in 1939 and 1947. John Fitzpatrick, ‘Cha’ Fitzpatrick’s paternal grandfather, had the same distinction 1932-33. TJ Reid’s father, Seán, won an U21 All-Ireland with Kilkenny in 1974. A paternal uncle, Richie Reid, won a Senior All-Ireland with Kilkenny in 1979. Four of Michael Fennelly’s paternal uncles Ger, Kevin, Liam and Seán started on the Kilkenny side defeated by Galway in the 1987 All-Ireland Final.
Henry Shefflin’s father, Henry Sr, hurled full-forward with Warwickshire against Roscommon in the 1966 Junior All-Ireland Final. John Lyng, father of Derek, and Dermot Tyrrell, father of Jackie, hurled for Kilkenny in the 1976 U21 All-Ireland Final, when Cork won. The two men had earlier won a Minor All-Ireland in 1973.
