Ballyhale Shamrocks are AIB All-Ireland Club Hurling Champions for the seventh time, after making light work of St Thomas's of Galway on a bright St. Patrick's Day afternoon at headquarters.
In a meeting between the 2013 and 2015 winners, it was the Kilkenny side who eased to a 17 point victory at Croke Park with Cats star Colin Fennelly tagging on 2-04, including an audacious flying second major at the end of the first half.
Shamrocks started the game brightly and were already four points to one to the good when Fennelly bore down on Gerald Murray's goal before in the fifth minute. The keeper did well to block the forwards initial effort but was powerless to stop his cute follow-up.
St Thomas's were fit to rally, however, and found themselves with a great opportunity to get back into the tie six minutes later when Conor Cooney stood over a penalty. He dispatched with aplomb to the bottom corner leaving only a point between the sides.
The Galwegians were able to draw level in the 20th minute after a great James Regan point, but from then on it was one-way traffic.
Another goal for Colin Fennelly for Ballyhale!! pic.twitter.com/4ilLx3x0sj
— The GAA (@officialgaa) March 17, 2019
Fennelly 22nd minute goal, acrobatically flicking the ball to the back of the net when Adrian Mullen's wayward effort look destined to be wide.
Henry Shefflin's side would take a five-point lead into the break and kicked on in again after the restart with Thomas's unable to live with the point-scoring of the Mullen's and Fennelly.
Their supporters were given a final highlight, however, when David Burke got his stick to a high ball in injury time but it would be Michael Fennelly who would lift the Tommy Moore trophy for the Shamrocks - paying a wonderful tribute to club member Eoin Doyle during his speech.
Is iad @BallyhaleGAA seampíní iomána na hÉireann!@GAA__JOE @KilkennyCLG @AIB_GAA #TheToughest pic.twitter.com/uaC321mKx4
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) March 17, 2019
The 24-year-old died last April after a motorcycle accident, and Fennelly invited his sister, a Bean Garda in Croke Park on the day to lift the trophy.
