By John Harrington

The poster the Ballyhale Shamrocks players posed with after winning their fifth Kilkenny SHC title in a row spoke volumes about the club they are.

In the last five years they’ve achieved historic things on the pitch but sadly lost some great people off it.

Former players Eoin Doyle and Eugene Aylward died in motor vehicle accidents in 2018 and 2019 respectively, and 2022 was an even blacker year.

Former player Paul Shefflin died at the age of just 41 while former club chairmen Bobby Aylward and Patrick Holden also passed away.

All five were pictured on the specially made poster along with five words that sum up what Ballyhale Shamrocks are all about – Family, Community, Together, Friends, Club.

The mixture of triumph and tragedy the club has experienced in the last five years has been jarring at times, but according Ballyhale forward, Eoin Cody, a nephew of Paul Shefflin, it has brought everyone in their community closer together.

“Yeah, it's been a tough year,” he says. “It's been a tough number of years the five years we've won Kilkenny on the trot. There's been a lot of tragedy in the club. Obviously this year it was something personal for me and it was tough.

“It's probably something that has brought us all together in the club. It brings families together because everyone knows each other and we're all there for each other. That's something I don't think will ever change in Ballyhale. Everyone is there for one another and they know how much everyone means to each other.

“The people we've lost haven't just been anyone. They've meant everything to everyone, they've been really big characters in the club. Yeah, it's been a tough year, but hopefully we can do them all proud, all the families proud, the whole parish proud.

“For those that aren't with us, we know they're there with us in the Ballyhale crest and in our hearts. We're hoping to do them proud as well.”

Maybe because they’ve had to deal with so much adversity off the pitch, Cody is philosophical about the manner in which Ballyhale lost last year’s All-Ireland Club Final to Ballygunner.

They looked set fair to win a historic third All-Ireland title in a row when they led by two points deep into injury-time, but then Harry Ruddle struck for a dramatic winning goal for Ballygunner in the final minute of injury-time.

"It was a massive sucker-punch for us and the team and the parish,” says Cody of the defeat. “It was something we hadn't experienced in a long time.

“We were on the edge a couple of times last year but got over the line when we probably didn't even deserve it. But the All-Ireland was probably one of our best performances all year and they nicked us at the very end like we had done to so many teams before.

"It brings you back to reality that it's only hurling. You win some, you lose some, and we've been on the right side of a few of them. We were on the wrong side this time and you take it gracefully.

“You don't go off and sulk. You go with the head held high and we're on the road again, hoping to get back as far as we can. This weekend is the next step."

It says a lot about this Ballyhale Shamrocks team that they've bounced back from last year's All-Ireland Final defeat and will try to win a fourth Leinster title in a row on Sunday.

It's hardly suprising either when they have players of the calibre Cody. He speaks with a lot of maturity off the pitch and plays with the same quality on it. He only recently turned 22 years of age, but the two-time Young Hurler of the Year is already one of the best forwards in the country.

He feels like there’s still more to come from him because he’s learning all the time from one of the greatest forwards of this or any era - his club and county colleague TJ Reid.

“It’s a gift,” says Cody of hurling with Reid. “I’m so lucky that way. It’s an education really. You’re going training and learning so much, day-in and day-out just watching TJ.

“Whether it’s taking frees, catching ball, head-up hurling, his 20-yard passing, his work-rate, attitude, work in the gym. It’s unreal.

“Then it’s a bonus when you’re a clubmate, you’re obviously closer. The whole family know TJ personally. He has tips for me if he thinks I can improve some way. Or he thinks I’m not going well he’ll focus me or drive me on. He’s brilliant that way.

“I think that gives us an extra edge in Ballyhale. You’re going to the pitch training as a 16-year-old and TJ is there, Michael Fennelly, Henry. You learn looking at these lads.”

Helping the next generation along is a proud tradition in Ballyhale that has already borne some spectacular results.

TJ Reid once revealed he was close to quitting the Kilkenny panel early on his career until his club and county team-mate, Henry Shefflin, took him aside and convinced him he had what it took to be one of the best forwards in the game.

Now Reid is offering the same sort of mentorship to Cody, who himself is a nephew of Shefflin.

So you see, in Ballyhale Shamrocks it all goes back to those five pillars that were emblazoned on that poster - Family, Community, Together, Friends, Club

“Absolutely,” says Cody. “That’s the way Ballyhale is. We’re a heap of families. The team is full of brothers, cousins.

“It was Ballyhale’s 50th anniversary this year, if you go back to the team that hurled the first game I would imagine you’d see Holdens, Shefflins, Codys, Corcorans, Reids. At one stage, I think there were seven Fennelly brothers there.

“The Mullens and Fennellys are cousins. Myself and Evan are cousins. The Corcorans are cousins, the Butlers. We’re a team and a tight-knit family.

“That’s the tradition put down through generation to generation. We learn from TJ, TJ learned from Henry, Henry from the Fennellys.

“Hopefully we can pass it on to the next group of lads, the likes of Niall Shortall and Killian Corcoran, who made the step up to senior this year.

“That’s what it’s about in Ballyhale. Leaving the jersey in a better place than you got it.”