Cha won’t make Cats return as Ballyhale duty his total focus

“I’m gone to stud,” is how James ‘Cha’ Fitzpatrick put it when asked might he like to return to the Kilkenny panel.

Brian Cody, who is shortly expected to be confirmed as staying on asmanager next year, has never been known to ask a player back to a panel after they left of their own volition. But the Ballyhale Shamrocks man has saved his old mentor the bother anyway.

Beaming a wide smile after claiming a fifth county title on Sunday, theformer young hurler of the year, still just 27, hasn’t given a thought toplaying for his county again.