TJ Reid believes that no other club could have rallied like Ballyhale Shamrocks have in the wake of recent tragedies.
Captain Michael Fennelly dedicated last Sunday’s Kilkenny county final win over James Stephens to teammate Eugene Aylward, who died following a car accident earlier this month.
It came a year and a half after Eugene’s cousin and another Ballyhale panellist, Eoin Doyle, was killed in a motorbike crash.
Ballyhale went on to win county, provincial and All-Ireland titles after that and retained the Tom Walsh Cup on Sunday, just weeks after the latest tragedy had struck the community.
“It was emotional, it was emotional,” said Reid, speaking after Sunday’s final. “There’s no other words that can describe it.
“Seeing the parish of Ballyhale, three or four weeks ago, all gathered on the street, players with tears in their eyes and friends and families with tears in their eyes, it was very hard. It was unbelievable.
“It was one of the toughest things that we went through over the last four weeks and Henry [Shefflin] just told us over the last four weeks to just enjoy hurling because that’s what hurling’s all about, you enjoy what you’re doing and the last three weeks that’s what we did, against Clara, against O’Loughlins and [on Sunday].
“We played with a smile on our face because that’s what hurling’s about, it’s about enjoyment, that’s the whole reason you play hurling.
“It’s a spirited parish, I’ve never seen it before because I don’t think any other club would have got here with the tragedy we had this year and last year so to do back-to-back, win a club All-Ireland in March and come back again in Nowlan Park with what we’ve been through, it’s a testament to what we stand for.
“It’s a lovely way to finish the year with a county final medal.”
Reid explained how the throwing themselves back into training with their busy fixture schedule was therapeutic.
“For us it was to try and stay together for those couple of days and the last three weeks, it helped, it massively helped, that’s why sport is so good because it kept us all together for the last three weeks and now, it’s hard. Do you celebrate after what happened?
“It’s a strange one but today is just an unbelievable day and we can have a smile on our face and enjoy the next two days.”
The games keep coming too with Clonkill next up in the Leinster quarter-final this Sunday and though Reid, Joey Holden, Colin Fennelly and Adrian Mullen have had little respite between club and county over the past 12 months or so, he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Ah no, it’s great, it’s great! It’s unbelievable, I wouldn’t say no to it.
“Player burnout? I suppose your head will go before your legs. This is what we do, this is what we train for. Myself, I have a few more years left in the tank so these days and playing in Croke Park, playing here, this is what you do.
“This is life, this is what you dedicate your life for, to have these days and with Ballyhale Shamrocks there’s a great tradition there of club championship with Kilkenny and going on representing Kilkenny then in Leinster and in the All-Ireland stages.
“Going training with Ballyhale, this is where you can go and meet your friends, this is where you can come together and socialise together. Without hurling you’re on your own to be honest, it’s a different world out there.”
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