Oh right, strange. So there is no parish rule in Kilkenny?
Please see above in relation to ‘derogation’
Very interested to see Thomastown
KK and Na Fianna favourites?
Na Fianna struggled for 55 minutes in Mullingar last year. Thomastown will need to be on their game.
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The plan is to go all the way anyway…
I don’t know if Donnelly will take a break now and get his thumb sorted.
That was the plan, but I suppose he’ll keep going.
Ah… I will say no more in public.
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The Connellans’ home townland is Sugarstown, which is in the parish of Tullaherin (= Bennettsbridge), right on the border of Thomastown Parish. The Connellans all went to Thomastown NS and eventually derogated, quite naturally and simply, to Thomastown for GAA purposes. There is not a country club in Kilkenny that does not have one or more cases of derogation – with the possible exception of Danesfort, where a number of people get a bit irrational and het up about this rule. But I hear the mood in Danesfort is changing of late.
For example, the Hughes brothers currently hurling with Bennettsbridge are from the townland of Wallslough, which is St Patrick’s Parish and James Stephens territory. But they derogated after attending Bennettsbridge NS.
There is no parish rule for the three town clubs. You can play for any of the three clubs if you live in any of the four relevant parishes: St Canice’s, St John’s, St Mary’s and St Patrick’s. Practically speaking, the determinant in town is nearly always the national school a child attends. Not that the town teams, same time, are strangers to derogation. Dicksboro, for instance, have players who are from the Threecastles end of Freshford Parish. The bridge here remains St Canice’s NS, which is massively Dicksboro cachement.
There was an extremely strong parish rule in Kilkenny until the early 1990s. Within Ballyhale NS in my time (1971-79), there were alongside native children some lads from the parishes of Aghavillar, Dunnamaggin, Mullinavat and Thomastown. At that point, there was no argument whatsoever. Lads just left the school and hurled U14 with their home parish. There was no question of anyone hurling for (Ballyhale) Shamrocks.
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Shefflin taking over the seniors I see.
Shamrocks?
Senior KK Camogie definitely anyway.
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Walter Walsh retiring according to my sources on the ground.
Burst onto the scene in 2012. Probably about right to go. A divisive figure I would say.
He was capable of brilliance and shocking in the one cameo. Served KK well all the same. Owes us nothing.
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His dirty hands limited him especially when he played as an inside forward. When on form could be very dominant but lacked consistency. A bull of a man.
Know a few fellas who marked him at club level over the years and they all commented on his physical strength. He had the ability to just lean into an opponent when running at full tilt and send them careering off to the side. A lot of big men struggle to impose their size on a game and it can nearly be an impediment that unbalances them in tight corners. But Wally was able to use his size to his advantage, possibly due to his rugby background and its different skillset and footwork.
Probably the finest hurler New Ross produced in my lifetime.
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Walter was to me a man who made the absolute most of his talent. You could only admire it. Supposedly lovely man too.
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Was driver not new ross?