Shamrocks are the hottest of favourites for club crown

Less than 12 months after suffering one of the most devastating All-Ireland final defeats in the history of the game the Shamrocks, club hurling’s aristocrats, are back on the biggest stage.

Harry Ruddle’s name will be forever associated with Ballygunner’s first ever All-Ireland championship victory after he scored the last second goal to down the Shamrocks last February, but the fact that it denied the Kilkenny side an historic third championship victory on the spin means it’s a day Shamrocks will never forget either.

Credit must go to the all-conquering South Kilkenny outfit therefore as they’ve successfully made the long road back to All-Ireland final day.

It’s a day that feels a lot differently in 2023; not only is it a couple of weeks earlier on the calendar, but the absence of either St Thomas or Ballygunner means the decider has lost a bit of the star power it gained in 2022.

What it does have though is a real David versus Goliath feel as the most successful hurling team in the game Shamrocks travel to Croke Park in the hope of winning a ninth All-Ireland senior title while their opponents Dunloy are aiming to follow in the footsteps of Loughgiel Shamrocks who are the only other Antrim side to have raised the Tommy Moore Cup aloft after winning titles in 1983 and 2012.

Dunloy themselves will be looking to put a bad recent final record behind them after losing out to Birr (1995), Sixmilebridge (1996), Birr (2003) and Newtownshandrum (2004) in the past.

Apart from the 1995 final, which Dunloy brought to extra-time against Birr, they were well beaten in all the other All-Ireland deciders so they will be anxious to do themselves justice at Croke Park on Sunday afternoon.

That’s something that the current crop of Dunloy players look very well equipped to achieve after already accounting for the likes of Slaughtneil and St Thomas in this year’s competition.

In saying that though, this looks the perfect opportunity for the Shamrocks to right a few wrongs.

The thrilling All-Ireland semi-final victory over Ballygunner on the last Sunday before Christmas certainly helped the Kilkenny side get over the All-Ireland final defeat a couple of months earlier but despite the elation among the players afterwards there was still no trophy up for grabs at the end of it.

Nothing will ever make up for coming so close to winning an All-Ireland three-in a row but a Shamrocks win on Sunday would certainly go some way to erasing last year’s hurt.

While many people will be expecting the Shamrocks to swat aside their Antrim opponents after already accounting for defending champions Ballygunner, manager Pat Hoban doesn’t need to go back too far to recall when his side was pushed to the pin of their collar.

Shamrocks were on the back foot for long stages of their Leinster championship victories over Naas and Kilmacud Crokes and even a year previous they required a last minute goal against Offaly side St Rynagh’s in order to avoid a big shock.

If you want to go back even a little further, it’s not too long ago since the Shamrocks were given a huge fright against Slaughtneil of Derry in the 2020 All-Ireland senior semi-final.

A brace of goals from Colin Fennelly enabled the Kilkenny champions to overturn an early deficit on that cold January afternoon in Newry, which turned out to be the season that they last claimed All-Ireland championship glory when defeating Tipperary’s Borris-Ileigh a couple of weeks later.

Winning back that All-Ireland crown is the main aim this weekend but in order for Ronan Corcoran to get his hands on the Tommy Moore Cup, the team must turn up and put in a big performance.

As with every All-Ireland final, the start will be crucial and while Dunloy got the positive of playing in Croke Park the last day out of their system, playing the Shamrocks in the white heat of the biggest club day of the year is another step up again.

Keelan Molloy’s wonder goal in Dunloy’s All-Ireland semi-final victory over S Thomas, as well as the scoring prowess of the likes of Conal Cunning and Nigel Elliott, will ensure that the Shamrocks will need to be on their guard as they make their way to GAA HQ.

Despite all their success over the last few years, complacency is not something that tends to interfere with the Ballyhale club. Pat Hoban’s side will be hopeful of avoiding any talk of it in the build up to Sunday’s 1.30pm throw-in.

Shamrocks always serve to find their own motivation and after already creating history in winning a fifth successive Kilkenny senior hurling crown, another All-Ireland title is the next one on the to-do list.

With both Joey Holden and Colin Fennelly set to go travelling in the coming weeks, the Shamrocks will be doing their utmost to send them on their way with Celtic crosses in their back pocket.

As ever all eyes will be on TJ Reid up top. He is still critical to the Shamrocks cause even if he is ably assisted by Fennelly, Eoin Cody and Adrian Mullen in attack.

Joey Cuddihy is another big player in attack but he went off injured in the Ballygunner victory before Christmas. Both he and Darren Mullen look big doubts for the weekend.

If the improved Shamrocks defence of Holden, Richie Reid, Evan Shefflin, Daragh Corcoran and Co stay solid, they should do enough to come through.