BALLYHALE SHAMROCKS COUGHED up their Kilkenny, Leinster and All-Ireland club titles when they lost to O’Loughlin Gaels in yesterday’s county semi-final at Nowlan Park.
But Michael Fennelly, man of the match in the All-Ireland final against Galway in September, believes that Ballyhale’s defeat could prove a blessing in disguise in the long run.
It’s been a punishing campaign for Ballyhale’s Kilkenny stars over the last year and a half, with three All-Ireland finals with the county team (including last year’s replay against Tipperary) and a club decider last March sandwiched in between.
And Fennelly admits that some time out is needed.
“We’re on the road a long haul after the All-Ireland,” he told Oisin Langan on the Newstalk rewind podcast.
“It is hard to keep the hunger and appetite there.
“We had a few injuries during the whole year after the All-Ireland.
“A lot of us are over 30 at this stage so there’s a lot of miles on the clock, unfortunately.
“O’Loughlins were the better team on the day to be fair.
“We had a few sloppy passes and parts to our game that we don’t normally do so when you make those mistakes, you pay and O’Loughlins got the one or two chances and they put them away.”
Fennelly, 30, also admitted that the Shamrocks hunger was blunted somewhat after they gorged on success in recent months.
“The League games and our last two (championship) games, we haven’t performed like we did last year.
“But we were hoping that we could get it together and gel at the right time.
“It didn’t really happen for us – maybe it’s miles on the clock.
“I’m 30 and some of the lads are 34, 35. They’re great men for the club and still going to be fair but fresher, younger lads are a massive help these days.
“We have a few coming but it will be another couple of years before they can get up to that level.
Fennelly was joined on the successful Kilkenny panel this year by his brother Colin, Joey Holden, Hurler of the Year in waiting TJ Reid, and Richie Reid.
Now they can enjoy a well-earned break and Fennelly, who’s suffered with injury this year, reckons it will do them the world of good.
“Rest is important,” he conceded. “To get that hunger back again. But it’s massively disappointing.
“You don’t get too many chances to come to the semi-final stage and to lose by a couple of points, you need to win these but mentally and physically, we could do with a break for a while to freshen things up – and refresh the body, hopefully.”
