Shefflin's Ballyhale stand alone after cruising to 21st Kilkenny title
NO STOPPING THEM: Eoin Cody of Ballyhale Shamrocks in action. Pic: INPHO/James Lawlor
Henry Shefflin’s Ballyhale Shamrocks claimed sole spot at the head of Kilkenny’s roll of honour with a comfortable nine-point win over Brian Hogan’s O’Loughlin Gaels in the Marble City on Sunday afternoon.
This was their 21st title and they had plenty of time to enjoy it long before the final whistle against an opponent that played the last few minutes with 14 men. It takes them above Tullaroan and leaves them at the summit alone for the very first time.
The subplot on the sidelines, where Shefflin and Hogan, two legends of the county and the game at large, were facing off before teaming up with the Kilkenny U20s in 2026, was just one area of interest ahead of this decider.
This was the third final meeting between the two teams in the last five seasons, Ballyhale getting the better of the city side in 2021 and then falling shy of them two years later when chasing a six-in-a-row of SHC titles.
Top inter-county talent littered the field.
Fionan Mackessy and Ronan Corcoran swapped opening points for their sides within the blink of an eye. If that promised a fast and furious final then the reality was starkly different with both sides failing to back up those efforts.
The Gaels were struggling mightily for any ball to stick in their forward ranks in the opening quarter. The problem for Ballyhale was that a surfeit of possession was being squandered with some terrible shooting and poor options.
They had eight wides and another shot fall short in the first 20 minutes. Typical of their experiences was Eoin Cody who did a tonne of work, got on any amount of ball, but was responsible for five of those inaccuracies.
And it was Cody whose shot after brilliant tee-up work from Paddy Mullen was rushed and body-blocked by Stephen Murphy in the Gaels goal 24 minutes in. The result was a Gaels lead for most of the half and parity at the end of the first half-hour.
TJ Reid was ticking the board over for Shamrocks, from frees, 65s and one sublime sideline cut, with Mark Bergin popping over four frees for the city side that would turn into the wind and occasional rain on the restart.
More damaging for them was the 34th-minute goal coughed up to Eoin Cody who found the net after Jordan Molloy’s attempt to mop up the danger was interrupted by a terrific hook from Niall Shortall. That three-point lead was soon pushed out to four.
Then five, then… Gaels managed just the one point in that quarter, by the end of which Ballyhale had a 1-14 to 0-9 lead and with Darragh Corcoran having a shot saved by the onrushing Murphy. It was almost all one-way traffic and the game was all but over.
But not the drama.
Two off-the-ball melees near to the sideline, the first drawing in the majority of players, ended with O’Loughlin Gaels’ Conor Kelly seeing red. If that kept some heat in the occasion then it was the last of the dying embers.
Ballyhale’s day. All day.
M (0-4 frees); F Mackessy (0-3, 2 frees); J Molloy, O Wall C Heary, M Butler (all 0-1), C Kelly (0-1 free).
TJ Reid (0-11, 0-6 frees, 0-2 ‘65s, 0-1 sideline) E Cody (1-1); R Reid (0-2); D Corcoran, R Corcoran, L Barron, N Shortall (all 0-1).
S Murphy; T Forristal, H Lawlor, M Butler; R Buckley, P Deegan, J Molloy; J Nolan, E O’Shea; L Hogan, C Kelly, C Heary; O Wall, F Mackessy, M Bergin.
R Buckley for Mackessy (8-9) and Bergin 39); J Ryan for O’Shea (44); G Kelly for Hogan (51);
D Mason; K Corcoran, J Holden, B Butler; P Mullen, R Reid, D Corcoran; E Kenneally, R Corcoran; A Mullen, E Cody, TJ Reid; L Barron, B Cody, N Shortall.
Dara Mason for Butler (51); M Fitzpatrick for B Cody (56); S Byrne for Mullen (59); F Shefflin for Barron and C Walsh for R Corcoran (both 62).
C Everard.
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