Ballyhale end Kilkenny 'drought' with comfortable final win
CHAMPIONS: Shamrock Ballyhale's TJ Reid and team mates celebrates winning the Kilkenny SHC title. Picture: ©INPHO/James Lawlor
The last of the light fading from the October sky. Players and supporters lingering on the heavy pitch over an hour after the cup has been raised. These are familiar sights on autumn fields around Ireland, but rarely with a side that has won so much.
This was a 21st Kilkenny SHC title for the Shamrocks from Ballyhale, a record made all the more remarkable for the fact that their first didn’t come until 1978. That’s not far off a county championship success once every two years.
So, yeah, this one was, dare we say it, overdue?
“Why is this the sweetest one? We haven’t won one in two years,” Paddy Mullen explained with a smile. “It’s a bit of a drought. It’s good to get back and win one. Every time you win one is a great feeling. Absolutely thrilled.”
Ballyhale’s journey since that 20th title has been incredible. They were chasing a county six-in-a-row when their opponents here bettered their effort in the 2022 decider, and then bottomed out for the next two seasons before rising again.
Henry Shefflin, manager when they won two All-Ireland club crowns to go with various county and provincial honours in his first spell, came back to take over late in 2024 and brought a backroom team of serious operators with him.
David Herity. Eoin Reid. Mark Aylward. And look at them all now.
“The boys are great,” said Mullen. “The management we had every year has been great. We had a bad two years there and we knuckled down a bit more, changed a few things and got back to where we wanted to be and here we are.”
They started this one as slight favourites against the city side but they were far superior on the day. That was despite a start hampered by a woeful spell of shooting that left them with just two points and nine wayward efforts though the first quarter.
They had oceans of possession all day and their defence dominated the Gaels forward line pretty much from start to finish. Level six times in that opening 30 minutes, Ballyhale must have been frustrated at that point but still turned with the wind and rain in their favour.
Stephen Murphy had already rushed from his goal to deny Eoin Cody a Shamrocks goal in the first-half, and the goalkeeper would do similar to Darragh Corcoran midway through the second period, but Cody found the net soon after the restart.
That was the score that broke the game open. The Gaels managed a total of just three points in the second-half , lost free-taker Mark Bergin to injury and then Conor Kelly to a straight red card down the final stretch when the contest was over and a couple of melees took over.
TJ Reid, just a few weeks shy of his 38th birthday, tattooed scores through the game and finished up with 11 points: two from play, six from frees, two ‘65’s and a sublime sideline cut. Richie Reid was another veteran who improved like a fine wine as the game wore on.
“For both teams, the start of the game, both teams were a little bit slow getting into it,” said Mullen. “Maybe holding back a little. Conditions were tough and scores weren’t going over. We hit a lot of wides there in the first-half.
“Greasy conditions, it was tough. A tough, physical game and it’s not easy get those balls over the bar. Thankfully, we went in at half-time and we had a nice talk, got our shape together and our shooting back on top.”
Gaels manager Brian Hogan, soon-to-be coach and selector to Shefflin with the Kilkenny U20s side, cut a disconsolate figure as the remarkable TJ Reid accepted the cup from the steps of the stand. He chose not to share his thoughts afterwards.
In truth, there was little they could say. This was an open-and-shut win for Shamrocks.
: 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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