Search Results for 'Henry Shefflin'

An unofficial bank holiday Monday was declared in south Kilkenny as Ballyhale Shamrocks strolled to regaining their Leinster senior title over Birr who only got going at a late stage.

Standing in Paric Lactain in Freshford last January watching a young, fit Antrim side lower Kilkenny's colours in the Walsh Cup didn't leave anyone too upset, most people acknowledged that our warriors had just returned from what is now their annual team holiday and that it would take a few training sessions to shake off the cobwebs. Being honest, Kilkenny fans knew that this bunch of Kilkenny players would bust a gut later in the year to land the 3-in-a-row but I don't think anyone could have envisaged exactly what lay ahead for Kilkenny hurling.

I always feel a little sad taking down the tree on "Little Christmas".

I always feel a little sad taking down the tree on “Little Christmas”. Once the decorations and sparkling lights are boxed away and the tree has been dragged un-ceremoniously out the door (or window) for the nearest collection point, there can be no denying that all the razzmatazz, hullabaloo and magic of Santa is over for another 11 months. Last Tuesday evening in the Silke household was even more poignant than normal as our five year-old-daughter was let stay-up late to help packing the crib and taking down the tree. As the tree was carried out shedding needles at an enormous rate, she too shed a few tears and was very, very sad that her tree — the one she had picked on her own with the help of the nice Coillte man — was now dead.

Like many other sports fans I am a big admirer of much of the material produced in the RTE sports department on both TV and radio.

Like many other sports fans I am a big admirer of much of the material produced in the RTE sports department on both TV and radio. Programmes on television like The Sunday Game, The Premiership, coverage of the rugby championship, the Olympics, World Cups, and the like are usually very professionally done and provide a lot of quality entertainment. My licence fee goes out by standing order every August and I have no real gripe with the television directors/producers who earn their crust out in Montrose. They do their job, and many of them do it very well. In our household we are becoming more radio than TV people anyway — old age and trying to set a good example to the children are taking their toll; I find myself listening to Morning Ireland and Drive Time much more now, sitting in traffic, keeping up to date with all the inward bound cut-backs, pay-cuts, or independent TD allowances that are indeed “entitlements” for the chosen few. Heaven.

A real sense of anticipation surrounds Sunday's Allianz NHL opener between Galway and Kilkenny at Pearse Stadium (2.30pm) where the two sides meet for the second time in a week.

It is the contest that is gripping hurling enthusiasts throughout the land. The country’s dominant clubs over the past three years, Portumna and Ballyhale Shamrocks, will meet for the first time in Sunday's All Ireland Senior Club Championship semi-finals at Semple Stadium (2.30pm).

Kilkenny, despite playing below par, picked up two valuable national hurling league points at Nowlan Park last Sunday. It took a last gasp point by Rower Inistioge's Michael Grace to snatch victory from a youthful and spirited Limerick side.

Travelling down to Walsh Park last Sunday I could sense that a tough day at the office lay ahead for the Kilkenny hurlers. It wasn't completely based on a gut feeling. You see over the years these league encounters with our neighbours have always been tough, uncompromising and as the records show the spoils have been divided fairly equally in recent years.