Time away gave Colin Fennelly the hunger for Shamrocks landmark

The carrot of the five-in-a-row in Kilkenny dangled and Colin Fennelly came home

HUNGER: Colin Fennelly and Joey Holden (3) of Ballyhale Shamrocks celebrate after their side's victory in the Kilkenny County Senior Hurling Championship final at UPMC Nowlan Park in Kilkenny. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Ballyhale Shamrocks were force-fed a spoonful of their own medicine in last March’s All-Ireland final but that doesn’t mean it was any easier to swallow, says Colin Fennelly.

That last-gasp defeat to Ballygunner courtesy of Harry Ruddle’s goal was a sickener, which prompted Fennelly to contemplate his future and wonder if he had the stomach to go at it again. However, the carrot of the five-in-a-row in Kilkenny dangled and he had to grab it.