Get out of Kilkenny and you’ll go a long way.
Kilkenny clubs won the All-Ireland junior, intermediate and senior hurling championships at the weekend as Conahy Shamrocks, Tullaroan and Ballyhale Shamrocks completed a clean sweep.
Conahy hadn’t even won the Kilkenny junior championship, having been beaten by O’Loughlin Gaels second team in the final but they went all the way to Croke Park and had way too much for the Cork champions, underlining the strength of the county’s club hurling championships.
In the intermediate grade, Tullaroan and Fr O’Neill’s played out an enthralling final, with Shane Walsh and Martin Keoghan inspiring their team to a famous and emotional win.
Padraig Walsh and Jack Keoghan were rocks at the back for ‘the Sash’ while Deccie Dalton was unstoppable for Fr. O’Neill’s.
In the senior, Ballyhale made it back to back wins. In the goals, Dean Mason was safe as a house for them while Darren Mullen played a blinder at corner back. His brother Paddy spun over a few cracking scores from midfield while Evan Shefflin is one of the best ball-strikers around.
TJ Reid did what TJ Reid does while Seamus Bourke, Paddy Stapleton, Brendan Maher and Dan McCormack were on form for Borris-Ileigh. As for Jerry Kelly, that man was on a different level for much of the game out there.
Club hurling, you can’t beat it.
