Henry raises the bar

WHAT a joy, what a naturally human and uplifting thing it is to be able to celebrate magnificence in any field of endeavour.

Tomorrow morning, if all goes according to the New Zealand script, decades of waiting will end for the All Blacks if they manage to beat France and lift the William Webb Ellis trophy. If they do win they will have done so without the services of Dan Carter, regarded by many as the best rugby player in the world. Last night Ireland honoured a sportsman whose pre-eminence in his sport — our national sport — is on a par with Dan Carter’s.

Kilkenny’s Henry Shefflin, when he was awarded his tenth All Star award, set a benchmark in hurling greatness. That his achievement surpasses those of Pat Spillane and DJ Carey — nine awards each — puts Shefflin’s career in a category very few can aspire to imitate much less outdo.