‘Im not nervous’ – Colin Fennelly on the task awaiting Ballyhale Shamrocks in the AIB GAA Club Championship final

Kilkenny side on verge of Toughest ever triumph

Kevin McGillicuddy

‘Im not nervous’ – Colin Fennelly on the task awaiting Ballyhale Shamrocks in the AIB GAA Club Championship final

Five years.

The most successful Kilkenny side in the All-Ireland Club Championship series have not appeared in a club final since 2010.

For a team that contains the talents of multiple Celtic Cross holders holders in black and amber its a famine. Every time over the last half-decade they were just about to go on a run of success fate intervened.

Injury robbed them of Henry Shefflin while in Kilkenny the heavy duty nature of the local championship, or life in the wilds of Leinster, saw their dreams of further March success flounder in the mud. It’s something that forward Colin Fennelly admits was a concern within the dressing room at the start of the season:

‘Definitely because you’re always thinking the team is getting older. It’s a long time and Henry is in his last few years and Michael Fennelly there as well is struggling with injuries the whole time. It’s a big thing getting to an All-Ireland final. The first job is to get out of the county and we’ve been struggling to do that the last couple of years.’

Regardless of what happens on Tuesday the questions will keep coming for the team’s iconic forward Henry Shefflin. The 10 time All-Ireland senior winner is yet to make a definite announcement on his future. Can we expect some news on March 17th?

‘We’d good banter over Christmas but we don’t even look at because we don’t know the answer ourselves or just in case it’s bad news. It’s the last thing you want to see but whatever he chooses, he chooses. It’s nothing to do with us. It’s to do with his family and stuff.’

Somewhat bizarrely it is two Tipperary men that have reignited the spirit within Ballyhale this season. Colm Bonnar and Andy Maloney have been widely praised by the players for their input and fresh approach which Took Ballyhale to their first county title since 2012 in November.

Bonnar was also part of the WIT set up that lost last week’s Fitzgibbon cup replay. What’s the secret behind the double-act from the Premier County.

‘You wouldn’t notice too much that they are Tipperary men, they don’t bring it up too often. We have a bit of banter every so often. The way they take to the game is brilliant. Andy Moloney has a lot of experience between colleges and club, county, the whole lot. Their commitment and enthusiasm is fantastic and you can see that when you see things like that. It gives you a bit of a boost as well.

‘I didn’t know either of them before they started and TJ said they are absolutely brilliant and we need to have them in the club. TJ was probably the driving force there, and he got his reward being captain!’

AIB GAA Senior Club Championship Finals - Media Day

Ballyhale are in the final stages of their preparation for Tuesday’s All -Ireland final with Kilmallock of Limerick.

The Munster champions disposed of Portaferry to qualify for a first ever club finale last month as ballyhale beat Gort. Limerick along with Galway are one of the few counties that seem to really get under the skin of Kilkenny sides at club and inter-county level.

Last year Limerick came within a handful of points of beating Kilkenny in an epic All-Ireland semi final. The game had a number of flash-points amid the torrential rain, especially one incident with Gavin O’Mahony and Shefflin.

Fennelly admits their well prepared for what the Shannonsiders may throw at them

‘The Limerick lads are a tough, physical team. They always have been and going back to the All-Ireland semi-final it was a tough game but there wasn’t one bad pull throughout the game and you look forward to a good game of hurling.

‘You’d actually be looking forward to it. You wouldn’t be too nervous because there are two good teams and whatever team plays better that day will win. You have to accept that.’

If you want to see Ballyhale take on Kilmallock in the AIB GAA All Ireland Club Championship final at Croke Park on March 17th tickets are available here