'We're very fortunate. It's a special place': Shefflin all too glad he went back to Ballyhale

DREAM TEAM: TJ Reid of Ballyhale Shamrocks and Henry Shefflin Ballyhale Shamrocks Manager celebrates. Pic: INPHO/James Lawlor

Never go back. That’s what they all say, right? Henry Shefflin won two Kilkenny titles, a pair of Leinsters and an All-Ireland double during his first stint in charge of Ballyhale Shamrocks. Hard to top that.

Now you’d wonder what he might do second time around having claimed a third county crown at the expense of O’Loughlin Gaels on Sunday afternoon. But hold that thought. If the natural impulse is to look ahead, then the man himself preferred to look back.

“You mightn't know this, but our win ratio last year was 16%. We played 12 competitive matches, we gave a few walkovers in the county league, so it was easy for me to pick it up from the bottom really," Shefflin said. 

“We very much focused on training sessions, games and trying to build a bit of a league. We didn't want to end up in the dreaded relegation of any championship. We got out of that. We had a few hiccups during the league phase, but since then we've been building.” 

Shefflin suggested that losing the 2023 county decider to the Gaels, when Ballyhale had been chasing a six-in-a-row, had knocked the wind from the collective sails. Others echoed that, but his own return clearly helped the rebuild.

He was happy enough to do his bit at underage after the frustrating spell over Galway but couldn’t say no when asked to take the seniors. Youngsters were coming through. Older guys like Brian Cody and Ronan Corcoran came back to play for the club.

“That says a lot for the club.” 

This is a 21st county senior title for a rural club that only won its first in 1978. It takes them onto the roll of honour summit by themselves for the first time having shared it this last few years with Tullaroan. Remarkable.

“It is remarkable. I was talking to Tommy Walsh during the week from Tullaroan," added Shefflin. "Tommy would normally be a country man and would shout for the country teams. He remarked to me that he didn't know who to shout for in this one.

“He didn't want Tullaroan's record being broken.

“It is remarkable. We're very fortunate. It's a special place. It's a special community. They just love hurling. That's what they love. When we spoke at half-time, we spoke about hurling. We hurl. We keep hurling. That's what the lads keep doing.” 

TJ Reid has been there for more than half of them. This was his 12th.

“He's just a special man. I'm delighted for him to be captain and to lead us up the steps," said the manager. "I don’t know how he keeps going. He just loves the game. That's what he does. Just to see some of the things he can do there at his age...

“I don't even know what age he is at this stage because he just keeps going.”