TOM’S LOSS WREX MY HEAD..

“With management being so sound like that, you’d do anything they’d say, really. It all worked out because we got to win the county final.”

Walsh’s club – located on the other side of the

Barrow river from New Ross (Wexford) – were in the All-ireland junior hurling final back in 2009, losing to Cork side Dripsey. Walsh (32) made a sensational senior county debut in a man of the match display against Galway in the All-ireland final replay in 2012, hitting 1-3 from play.

It’s been an eight year barren spell since then, with Kilkenny losing four All-ireland finals and failing to win any.

But a decade and a half on from the disappointment of 2009 the towering forward has a chance to complete some unfinished business with his club, who wear the black and amber stripes of Kilkenny.

Walsh said: “Definitely, this year more than other years it (2009 defeat) has been on my mind a bit more.

“It was a great day for the parish to play in Croke Park, great excitement.

“But I suppose if you leave Croke Park without a cup it just puts a negative spin on it, so it was disappointing when you look back.”

Walsh continued: “I suppose talking to some of them, we have a very young team as well. It’s not to get distracted by it.”

Walsh Cup round 1

TOM O’CONNOR is part of the Ryan Reynolds/rob Mcelhenney Wrexham Town project.

It’s a long way from junior hurling in Kilkenny, but the former Ireland under-19 and 21 player (above) is still well invested in his club, Tullogher Rosbercon.

O’connor has two brothers playing in this weekend’s All-ireland final encounter with Cork’s St. Catherine’s at Croke Park – and flew home for the recent All-ireland semifinal win over Monaghan’s Castleblayney.

There’s little chance of him hurling any time soon as the former Southampton trainee has established himself as a regular, playing 24 times for Wrexham this season.

“I was thinking about it (asking him back to play for the club),” jokes Kilkenny star Walter Walsh.

“His brothers are playing with us, Donncha and Anthony. It would be no harm to have him back. He was a savage hurler as well.

“I was actually over with him for a Wrexham game on the 23rd myself, Donncha and Cian O’donoghue who plays with us too.

“We went over to see them playing against Newport and they won.

“That was my first time over to see him, so it was great. He’s flying it. We’d absolutely love to have him but unfortunately he’s caught.”

The odd game of hurling in the summer holidays is even out.

“He wouldn’t be able to do that now,” says Walsh. “We’d love if he did. For our game against Castleblayney, he actually flew home that Sunday to go to the match and flew back out again so he’s still very much interested in it.

“I suppose he has two brothers playing as well so it’s a big thing for him. He used to love hurling and he still follows it.”