CHAMPS HOLDEN WORLD IN HAND
Crux is whether it’s a ref error or rule breach
JOEY Holden has labelled Ballyhale Shamrocks’ record ninth All-Ireland title “outrageous.”
The Kilkenny powerhouse defeated Dunloy in Sunday’s decider at Croke Park to make it nine victories in 11 finals.
Ballyhale lie five crowns clear of Birr and Portumna, who hold four All-Irelands.
With All-Ireland triumphs in 2019 and 2020, no All-Ireland taking place in 2021 due to Covid, and their lastgasp defeat by Ballygunner last year, Ballyhale have been the dominant club in hurling over the past five years.
“It feels unbelievable,” said Holden, who is heading off travelling for eight months at the end of this week.
Battle
“It was a tough battle. It was maybe a scrappy game to look at, but in these games all you want to do is come out on top.
“We’re absolutely delighted to win our ninth club All-Ireland. It’s outrageous really when you think about it, so I’m just buzzing.”
All Star defender Holden lost his father during the year and that was at the front of his mind in the aftermath of the weekend victory.
“I suppose off the field it’s not simple,” he says. “We’ve lost a lot of good people throughout the year.
“Especially when I think of my own father.
Daddy passing, he would have loved to be here and he’d be buzzing with the result.
“But when you get on the field I suppose it’s a chance to express yourself and just forget about those things.
“Off the field you are thinking of them, but on the field you are playing for them and that’s what we do when we go out.”
Strongly
Ballyhale shipped an early goal but Eoin Cody’s major in a 1-5 from play haul got them back on track again as they finished strongly to win by 1-22 to 1-15.
“It wasn’t easy and the pitch was a bit bare, but it was bare for both teams,” said former Kilkenny double All-Ireland winner Holden (32).
“Dunloy — we kind of knew that was going to happen.
“We weren’t going to come in and do all of these fancy things and just pop the ball over the bar.
“We had to work for our scores and they had to work for their scores.
“It was only near the end we started to get that bit of space to pop the ball over the bar and stretch the scoreline a bit. But they are the ones you want to win.
“Those are the battles you want to be involved in and test yourself.
“I think right throughout this Championship we’ve been tested to the limit and we came out on top.” (inset)
AS UNHOLY messes go, this is about as bad as it gets for the GAA and for Glen.
A rule appeared to be broken with 16 players from Kilmacud involved in the play as they defended a 45 in the dying seconds of last Sunday’s All-Ireland final at Croke Park, holding a twopoint lead.
Rule 6.44 states that the punishment “on a proven objection” for such an offence is awarding of the game to the opposing team, a replay or a fine, “depending on the circumstances.”
This caveat gives the GAA some wriggle room.
Clearer
The rule could hardly be any clearer, but the punishment couldn’t be more vague in terms of what course of action the GAA’s Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) might take if they investigate.
What makes this ten times worse for all involved — as with the Joe Sheridan incident in the
Meath/Louth 2010 Leinster final — is that the trophy has already been presented.
Kilmacud Crokes are continuing to celebrate.
Okay it’s a club game, and not as high profile as the inter-county game, but the fact there’s an All-Ireland title on the line and not a provincial crown means the stakes are every bit as high as Meath/Louth.
On that occasion, the GAA left it up to Meath, who decided against offering Louth a replay.
In one way, this is not like the Sheridan goal, which was a refereeing decision and open to interpretation.
It’s more like a Hawk-Eye decision — a statement of fact.
And we saw a Hawk-Eye call from a 45, involving Shane Walsh, reversed at half-time to correctly award a point to Galway
in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final victory over Derry.
Kilmacud had 16 men defending the final play. That’s a fact.
However, if the GAA categorise it as a refereeing error, they may be reluctant to go back and rereferee an incident in the game.
Making it even more emotive is the manner in which Kilmacud lost last year’s All-Ireland final — to a last-gasp Kilcoo goal with the final kick of extra-time.
Mistake
But all the emotional stuff, and the fact it’s a final, although heightening the focus on the incident, shouldn’t really come into it.
The rulebook is the rulebook. A mistake was made by the match officials in not ensuring Dara Mullin was off the field before the 45 was kicked.
Whatever Mullin’s intentions were, and what he did or didn’t know, are irrelevant.
Incidentally, it was Mullin who cut out the last-ditch Kerins O’Rahillys attack in the All-Ireland semi-final and cleared the ball to safety.
The Glen 45 was taken by Danny Tallon almost immediately after Conor Casey was introduced for Mullin.
Casey runs in and Mullin, who is standing on the goaline, barely has time to get off the field, but he doesn’t show any inclination to go.
Maybe he was unaware his number was up.
The referee, Derek O’Mahoney appeared to blow his whistle and signal that Tallon could go ahead with the 45, even though Mullin was still on the field.
If the referee had ordered a retake, this unseemly mess could have been avoided.
Glen boss Malachy O’Rourke