It says something about Ballyhale Shamrocks that their 21st Kilkenny Senior Hurling title, a record-breaking number, felt, in many ways, like a comeback story.

After the heartbreak of missing out on a six-in-a-row in 2023, they had what felt like a drought, two full years without a county title. But Ballyhale’s return to the summit has been anything but routine.

And at the heart of it all, once again, was TJ Reid. Ballyhale manager Henry Shefflin heaped praise on TJReid  in the aftermath.

He’s just a special man. I’m delighted for him to be captain and to lead us up the steps.

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.

The Henry Shefflin Effect

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Henry Shefflin returned to the senior setup this year after his time with Galway, and didn’t sugar-coat the state the Shamrocks were in when he stepped back in.

But Ballyhale Shamrocks regrouped. Shefflin and his selectors prioritised structure, training intensity, and finding form when it counted most.

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.

The return of King Henry and the reappearance of familiar faces like Brian Cody and Ronan Corcoran, reignited the flame. The younger players fed off the older guard’s experience. The club’s culture kicked in.

This latest triumph puts Ballyhale out on their own at the top of the Kilkenny roll of honour. Their first title came in 1978, a mere four and a half decades ago, making the scale of their rise truly remarkable.

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.

With TJ Reid now a 12-time Kilkenny senior winner, and Shefflin back in charge, the hunger in Ballyhale shows no sign of fading.

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