Medal count won’t deflect final focus, warns Delaney

For many heading to the All-Ireland senior hurling final, one of the major side-attractions is the possibility of seeing history being made if Henry Shefflin wins a ninth medal on the field of play.

Lost in all the hype about that, however, is the fact that several more on this Kilkenny team are themselves hot on Henry’s heels and also on the verge of history.

Should Kilkenny win, then Noel Hickey will join Shefflin on nine while Tommy Walsh and JJ Delaney will both be on eight. With Noel and JJ, however, there is that little caveat — one of those medals was won from the bench. Asked how many All-Ireland medals he has won, Delaney has no qualms. “I don’t know where they are but I’d say seven, you take everything you get!” He does have one proviso though — the medal from 2006, when injury kept him from playing in the All-Ireland final, is not as valued as the other six. “I would swap the one you’re talking about for a county senior medal — I don’t have any.”