Kilkenny v Dublin Sunday Nowlan Park 2.30pm
1. David Herity, 2. Canice Hickey, 3. J.J. Delaney, 4. Michael Kavanagh, 5. Tommy Walsh, 
6. Brian Hogan, 7. John Tennyson, 8. Michael Fennelly, 9. Paul Murphy, 10. T.J. Reid, 
11. Henry Shefflin, 12. Eoin Larkin, 13. Richie Hogan, 14. Martin Comerford, 15. Michael Grace
Programme Cover for Sunday

Rt. Rev. Kieron Kennedy (President, St. Kierans College) and John Curtis (Principal, St. Kierans College) 
present GAA President and past pupil Nicky Brennan with a photograph of him when he played on the 1971 
Junior hurling team in St. Kierans College. (Photo: Eoin Hennessy/www.ehp.ie)

GAA President Nicky Brennan presents Bill Carrigan, Michael Shiel, Ricci Drennan 
and Brian O'Carroll with the Bata Beag trophy in St. Kierans College. 
(Photo: Eoin Hennessy/www.ehp.ie)

 Shamrocks keen to hold on to silverware
THE Shamrocks sent out a clear warning to all challengers for their crown of hurling kingpins titles won't leave Ballyhale without a fight!

The All-Ireland club champions started the defence of their county senior hurling league campaign 
in the best possible way, with a gritty win over Graigue-Ballycallan. Much of their success stemmed 
from their ability to find plenty of freedom on the field which, aided by their accurate passing, 
led to fine batches of scores. However, they were also helped by a spell of indiscipline from their opponents. 
Graigue fought hard to get back into game, only to let it slip in a matter of minutes.
Having gone in at the break trailing by double scores (1-9 to 0-6), Graigue-Ballycallan exploded from the blocks in the second half and shook the Shamrocks from their comfort zone. 

Set the tone
A quick point from Eddie Brennan set the tone for the Graigue men, but more was to follow. 
This time Brennan turned provider, winning a long ball and holding off a series of challenges. 
He squared the sliotar to Kevin Cleere, who made no mistake from close range.
When Cleere followed this up with a 36th minute free (won by the hard-working Brennan), 
just one point was all that stood between the teams. 

But, almost as quickly as they had torn into the Shamrocks, the game turned sour for Graigue.
If you had to pinpoint a stage where Ballycallan let the game spill from their grasp, it was between the 36th and 41st minutes, just when they seemed to have their opponents at their mercy. 
They chased and harried for every ball, but in their eagerness to shut down the Shamrocks, 
over-exuberant Graigue challenges gave the Ballyhale side three frees in a row, all within striking range.
They were like food and drink to Henry Shefflin, who converted all three to leave four points 
between the teams. 

The champs had been reeling, but now they had some extra room to catch their breaths.
Powerful start keen to show their strength, Graigue made a powerful start to the game in Callan. 
Two Kevin Cleere points, each one wrapped around a long range Ciaran Hoyne free, lifted their supporters from the off. The Shamrocks looked a little sluggish, but once the rustiness cleared they were lethal.

Their first real attack showed how dangerous they were. A good catch from a long Bob Aylward clearance allowed T.J. Reid to set up his brother Eoin Reid. He powered through the Graigue backs then lashed the sliotar to the net, squaring the game after just seven minutes. Adrian Burke hit back instantly with a point for Graigue, but once the Shamrocks found their groove there was no stopping them. Four quick points from Shefflin, T.J. and Eoin Reid and Mark Aylward saw them ahead once more. Points from the 
swash-buckling James Ryall and Cleere (65) were Graigue's response to stop the one-way traffic, but they were powerless to slow the Ballyhale charge. Their backs in control, and so too were the Ballyhale forwards, as lightning quick attacks saw Henry Shefflin (2) and Mark Aylward (2) add yet more points. 

Regain composure
Eamonn Fitzpatrick had the final say of the half, collecting a loose ball to notch up a point that put six between the teams (1-9 to 0-6).
If those three Shefflin frees helped the Shamrocks regain their composure, their next score went a long way towards securing the two league points. As the end of the third quarter neared, they went back on the attack. T.J. Reid did well to grab a ball that dropped into a cluster of players, and then broke through to add a close range finish.

That was the score that looked like it might break Graigue's resolve, but they weren't finished yet. Even with time running out, they still had hopes of getting something from the game. 
Points from Adrian Burke and Willie Brennan boosted their confidence, before sub Denis Byrne lashed the sliotar past 'keeper James Connolly with a minute of normal time left.Graigue went all out for the one score that would put them back on level terms, but they couldn't break down a solid Shamrocks defence. 

The winners were helped on their way by injury-time points from sub David Hoyne and T.J. Reid (free) and, even though Eddie Brennan hit back with an even later free, Graigue couldn't bridge that three-point gap.
The teams
Shamrocks - J. Connolly, P. Shefflin, E. Walsh, P. Holden, K. Nolan, A. Cummins, B. Aylward, 
J. Fitzpatrick, M. Fennelly, E. Fitzpatrick,  H. Shefflin, T.J. Reid, E. Reid, P. Reid, M. Aylward. 
Subs: D. Hoyne for E. Fitzpatrick, M. Dermody for Aylward; C. Fennelly for Shefflin.
Graigue-Ballycallan - P. Dermody, J. Murphy, P. Robinson, B. Dalton, D. Ryall, D. Hoyne, C. Hoyne, 
J. Ryall, N. Millea, A. Burke, K. Cleere, D. Walton, E. Brennan, G. Cleere, J. Hoyne. 
Subs: W. Brennan for G. Cleere, D. Byrne for D. Ryall; J.J. Brennan for K. Cleere; P. Kennedy for Walton.
Referee - E. Crowley (Mooncoin).
Report John Knox "Kilkenny People"