By Michael Devlin

Driving through his home village of Ballyhale, only when Michael Fennelly saw the faces of the seven Shamrocks’ men, printed large and mounted high, did he fully realise the huge role his club would be playing for Kilkenny this Sunday.

Reigning All-Ireland Club Hurling champions of course with Fennelly as captain, a septet of his team-mates are on Brian Cody’s panel that go up against Tipperary this weekend, specifically brother Colin, and their cousin Adrian Mullen. TJ and Richie Reid, Joey Holden, Darren Mullen and Evan Shefflin are the other Ballyhale men on the wider 44-man squad.

“It actually only hit me when I saw the pictures, like, 'Jaysis!' There's a good crowd, that's a massive chunk from one club.

“We had decent numbers, we had five or six but I don't think we ever had seven. I think that could be the most now. Definitely always consistently five or six lads, seven now at the moment. Even Eoin Cody next year maybe he could be in there. He's a talent from U20.”

Adrian Mullen was just nine-years-old when his big cousin Michael was lifting the Liam MacCarthy in 2009, one of eight All-Irelands during his gilded Kilkenny career. From his debut in 2006 to his retirement in 2017, Fennelly won nine Leinster titles, five National Leagues, three All-Stars and the Hurler of the Year award in 2011.

“The fact that myself and Colin have been through it before on a number of occasions is great. It's new for Adrian but at the same time he's been around and he's aware of us being in the finals, he's gone to the finals.

“Funny enough someone asked him lately, 'Do you remember the finals?' He was like, 'I don't remember too many of them'. I was like, 'It's not that long ago!' When I was captain in 2009, he was nine years of age. Then I was like, 'Okay, he was still quite young' and that kind of hit home.

“But yeah, we've been through it so it's not a massively new experience for the family or the club or anything. Whereas let's say Limerick last year, the years since they had been in a final and then obviously to try and win one; it was a new experience for families down there more than anything. For us, it's normal, routine business to a certain degree.”

Routine business is an apt phrase. Fennelly featured in 11 finals, and so knows all about the rigmarole of All-Ireland final week, and what’s best for a player to focus on going into the game. This week, chat with Colin is kept to a minimum, who he says will be concentrating on getting on with his routine as normal without any superfluous distractions.

“I wouldn't want people bothering me with that when I was playing so I wouldn't be bothering him. He'll just be getting on with his normal weeks' work and hopefully he'll turn up Sunday and play well, fingers crossed.”

For star rookie Mullen though, it will be a whole new experience. The hype is one thing, but there is also the particular nuisance of the commotion around securing tickets for all the loved ones, something Fennelly says requires a degree of ruthlessness.

“I'd be chatting to him a bit, just giving him a small bit of information really. Again, he's a good fella, keeps his feet on the ground and just gets on with business. He doesn't get caught up in the hype or anything. He's very firmly grounded which is good. You don't have to be saying much to these lads, like.

“Everyone just wants to concentrate on their hurling and nothing else. Even tickets, it's get them out of the way as quick as possible. That can be a nightmare. If it's your first year or two, you're trying to help out as many people as you can.

“It's hard to say no to people for tickets but it comes to a stage where you have to say, 'Look, tickets are sorted. They're done and dusted. I have more of them and that's it'. You have to be nearly ruthless and selfish that way, look after yourself. When it comes to the day itself you have to be playing well and that's your business really.”

With Fennelly only out of the Kilkenny scene for two seasons now, there are still close ties with much of the current squad. Will seeing them march behind the band for another crack at the big prize on Sunday evoke a sense of jealousy though for the 34-year-old?

“I'm not too bad,” he admits. “You'd think I'd be a bit jealous, probably envious maybe of the lads in terms of being there.”

Fennelly had a catch up with several of his former teammates on a night out after the Limerick semi-final while out celebrating his son’s Christening that day. There’s no doubt he’d love to be in among them revelling in victory and aspiring for glory, but those days are over for him. It did give him an opportunity though to impart some advice, and underline that nothing is won yet.

“That kind of hit home a bit, you still felt nearly part of it in terms of seeing all the lads,” says Fennelly. “I hurled with them a couple of years ago and the core is nearly still there of the team. That was nearly a bit bittersweet, to be honest.

“I was kind of saying to them, 'Look lads, there's no point beating Limerick and losing the final, you have to go the whole way at this stage'. That wasn't their All-Ireland in the semi-final.

“I had a good 12 years, my body couldn't take any more. I think for me to go, it was taken out of my hands to a certain degree as well. Life has moved on for me with a wife and a baby and stuff, I'm very busy with that.

“I don't know how players with kids play to be honest. Even the club, we obviously won the All-Ireland this year and even that alone was very difficult. To put in the effort, commitment, the gym, you're trying to rehab, get yourself right, the nutrition; your life is taking a beating in terms of sleeping and that. That can't last for me. I'm happy with where I'm at in life.”

“I'm delighted we're back in the final. I didn't think we would be back in the final, to be honest. It's a bit surreal that we are back in the final so quickly. And coming through that route of Cork and Limerick... when I heard we were playing Cork and then Limerick if we win, I was like, 'God, this is next to impossible here in terms of our pathway.'

“But the lads have just went about their business in a serious fashion. They've out-performed I suppose and they've maxed out, and hopefully they can finish it off now on a massive note on Sunday.”