Black and amber house gives green light to Cats

‘BEWARE of the Cats’, the sign on John Delaney’s double gates warns!

The hurling-mad father of eleven has taken his allegiance to Kilkenny hurling to a new height this year — by also painting his roof and the chimney of his home in black and amber.

Even the family dog, Rose, a hardy Alsatian, has her very own Cats jersey.

The freshly-painted, three bedroom bungalow at Kilrush on the Freshford to Urlingford road in the county has become a bit of a magnet for tourists, such is their interest in and curiosity over his devotion.

“I like to try to make things a bit different every year,” John, a 57-year-old roofer says.

“It’s all a bit of fun. And it’s attracting the attention of people from all over the world who stop here to read the names of the 30 panellists who are painted on my walls.

“I wish the very best to the lads.

“And my effort is just a little push for them to do that little bit more this year,” he added.

Painting the house for the championship each year takes up to 40 hours on and off. This year, John’s laborious labour of love began after the Leinster Final.

“Once the championship is over, the house is repainted from the ground up.

It would lose its impact every year otherwise. Repainting is the toughest job. It takes four coats of paint to paint over.”

Up to now, paint for the annual black and amber challenge has been sponsored by Cork-based paint chain, Pat McDonnell. Although it has nothing do to with any Rebel/Cats head-to-head, that association has now ended.

Anyone who wants to sponsor the paint job for next year should contact John.

And he’s also looking for a shop dummy in the coming days so he can display a jersey work by Christy Heffernan in the 82 final outside his house.

“I was offered one by a shop. But it is a porcelain one and I’d be afraid it would shatter. Maybe someone has plastic one somewhere. I’d give it back after the match.”

And his verdict for Sunday’s game: “Even though the team has lost a few players through injury, I still think we can do it. But we need to play throughout the game like we did in the last 20 minutes against Clare.”