The Tom Walsh Cup made the familiar journey back to Ballyhale on Sunday evening after the Shamrocks had withstood a massive second half effort from James Stephens to land their third successive Kilkenny county title. The club may only have been formed in 1972 but Sunday’s victory lifts them to joint second with Bennettsbridge and Mooncoin in the roll of honours list. They will have to add eight more to catch up on the mighty Tullaroan club, mind you, they have had a head start on the Shamrocks’ club considering that they won their first title back in 1887.
Last Sunday’s game was definitely no classic, however this won't bother the Ballyhale men because at the end of the day it’s all about getting the job done.
James Stephens played with the aid of the breeze in the first half, they came with a game plan. Peter Barry dropped back as an extra defender which was a strange tactic to employ considering they had the breeze at their backs. This negative tactic made life very hard for the remaining five Village forwards. To make matters worse, they pumped high ball after high ball into the spare man, at one stage I thought I was watching a tennis match as Peter Barry and Paul Shefflin seemed content to have a game of their own, much to the amusement of the spectators. David McCormack gave the Village men the perfect start with a well-taken point from an acute angle out under the new stand. TJ Reid soon got the red hot favourites off the mark with a similar effort from the opposite wing. The game was only settling into its pattern when a wel-constructed move that involved four Shamrocks’ forwards, resulted with poacher supreme Eoin Reid finishing to the net after his brother Patrick’s shot had been partially blocked. The teams exchanged points over the next fifteen minutes; mind you it was quite apparent that the Shamrocks’ machine was moving up through the gears. Messrs Shefflin and Eoin Reid were almost telepathic at times with some of their passes. When they run at defence they are almost impossible to stop. The Shamrocks enhanced their advantage in the 22nd minute when Patrick Reid cut through the Village cover and slammed past Francis Cantwell, this major score left Ballyhale in a commanding lead as halftime approached. Most of the spectators, myself included, thought it could be a tough second half for the Village men considering the Shamrocks would have the aid of the breeze in the second half. Referee Eamon Mansfield won't be on too many Village people’s Christmas card lists this year...one or two blatant decisions didn't go their way at vital stages when they should have.
James Stephens’s champions in '04 and '05 didn't delay too long in the dressing room at half time. The Shamrocks may have eventually won their 12th title but nobody could fault the effort of the city men in the second half. Driven on by man of the match and in my opinion Kilkenny club hurler of the year 'Jackie Tyrrell', they gave it one hell of a lash for the second half. They tried their damndest in the early stages of the new half to breach the Shamrock cover knowing too well that a goal would put them right back in the game, some of the Shamrocks’ players, especially in the forwards, became anonymous on resumption, perhaps complacency had set in. Their backs were under severe pressure but coped admirably when James Stephens were at their best. The Village now resigned themselves to the fact that goals weren’t going to be got too easy, they started to chip away at the lead via some good point taking by David Walton and Donacha Cody (frees ).
It was now a case of backs to the wall stuff for the Shamrocks, an Eoin Larkin free left three points between them as the game entered its final stages. The crowd for the first time started to express their emotions, some willing on the Village to go for the juggler, while others tried desperately to wake up the defending champions who had been out-fought for much of the second half. The Shamrocks responded, when you are looking for someone to do something inspirational who better to have on your side than Henry. With the game delicately poised, the next score was always going to be critical and from 90 yards plus Henry dissected the country end post with a brilliant free. It may have been the insurance point but Michael Fennelly wasn't taking any chances, he put five between the sides when he pointed after a great run through the heart of the Village defence. Bob Aylward, one of the unsung heroes over the years, had the honour of lifting the cup and this side has now cemented their position in history beside the great teams of '78, '79 and '80. They represent Kilkenny next weekend against Rathdowney-Erril of Laois in the Leinster championship.
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Congrats to both Tullogher-Rosbercon and Erin’s Own on their junior and minor victories respectively. No-one will begrudge Tullogher this win after losing out in the last two county finals.
If I was a 'Comer person I'd be doing the lotto this week, now don't get me wrong there was no element of luck in Sunday’s minor victory over Dicksboro it's just everything seems to be going right at present. Arguably the club of the year....U16 B champions, Intermediate and now Rionn A champions. They bridged a 21-year gap last Sunday, it may have been a great team effort but one still has to compliment two men- Conor Fogarty and Aidan Moran these two guys were part of the winning intermediate side the previous weekend and both played their part on that occasion. Last Sunday, boxing once again at their own weight, they led from the front and were a inspiration to their colleagues. Happy days indeed for 'Comer people.
