Shefflin Shamrocks return a boost to Kilkenny club hurling

Is Henry Shefflin coming home?

It’s expected that Shefflin, a record All-Ireland winner with 1o Celtic Crosses, is set to go back to his roots and return to the Shamrocks (Ballyhale) for the 2025 campaign. Earlier this year he stepped down from managing the Galway senior hurlers after three seasons, having cut his managerial teeth with spells at the helm in Ballyhale and Thomastown.

Shefflin, who won six county and three All-Ireland titles as a player with the Shamrocks, carried that glittering form into his tenure as manager with his club.

Taking the helm with his brother Tommy, who last week was named as the new Kilkenny senior camogie manager for the 2025 campaign, they led their club to the county title in 2018, beating Bennettsbridge to land the club’s 16th senior title, before adding the Leinster title later that year with a 2-21 to 0-11 win over Ballyboden St Enda’s.

They would go on to win the club All-Ireland on St Patrick’s Day in 2019, capturing a seventh national crown with a win over Galway outfit St Thomas’s.

With players like Michael and Colin Fennelly, TJ Reid and Joey Holden in their ranks the Shamrocks dominated the club scene again in 2019, successfully defending their county and Leinster titles with wins over James Stephens and St Mullins of Carlow respectively.

The golden run continued when they retained their All-Ireland crown, an eighth title, when they beat Borrisoleigh by 0-18 to 0-15 to move to the top of the national roll of honour.

The game, an incredible 17th successive championship win, was his last as Shamrocks manager as he stepped away a week later.

Shefflin wasn’t out of work for long; later that year he took charge of Thomastown, guiding them to the intermediate county semi-final in 2021, where they were beaten by Glenmore.

Prior to leaving the Grennan club Shefflin made headlines when it was announced he would take over the Galway seat. He led the Tribesmen to All-Ireland semi-finals in 2022 and 2023, but they couldn’t replicate that form in the 2024 championship as they failed to make it out of Leinster.

The announcement was the first big move made ahead of the 2025 Kilkenny championship. It’s understood that Shefflin will be joined at the club by two of his former team-mates Eoin Reid and Mark Aylward as selectors as the Shamrocks go in search of a record-breaking 21st senior title.