Liam Fennelly
Encyclopedia
Liam Fennelly is an Irish
retired sportsperson. He played hurling
with his local club Ballyhale Shamrocks
and was a member of the Kilkenny
senior inter-county team from 1981 until 1992.
, County Kilkenny
in 1958. The fifth eldest son of Kevin Fennelly and the former Teresa Hoyne, he was born into a family that had a huge interest in the game of hurling
. At the age of three the entire family moved to Ballyhale
where they purchased a farm. Here Fennelly was educated at the local national school where his hurling skills were first noted and honed by the local teachers, Peadar O’Neill and Joe Dunphy. His skills were also honed on the family farm where he, along with his six brothers – Michael, Ger
, Kevin
, Brendan, Seán
and Dermot – trained.
club. It was a club which Kevin Fennelly Snr. was instrumental in helping to found in 1972. By 1978 the new club had reached the top of the local hurling world and Fennelly played a key role as Ballyhale captured their first senior county title. This victory allowed the Shamrocks club to represent Kilkenny in the provincial club championship. The final of that competition saw Fennelly’s side take on Dublin champions Crumlin
. A 1-13 to 1-6 victory gave Fennelly his first Leinster
club title. The subsequent All-Ireland club final saw Ballyhale Shamrocks take on Cork’s famous Blackrock
club. A ten-goal thriller saw Blackrock take the title by 5-7 to 5-5.
Fennelly added two further county medals to his collection to make it three in-a-row in 1979 and 1980. This latter victory was later converted into a Leinster club title following a 3-10 to 1-8 victory over Coolderry
of Offaly. Once again Ballyhale Shamrocks reached the All-Ireland final where the star-studded St. Finbarr’s
club from Cork provided the opposition. On that occasion all seven Fennelly brothers lined out in an exciting contest. The sides were level on five occasions during the opening thirty minutes; however, the Shamrocks had the edge. At the full-time whistle Ballyhale were the winners by -15 to 1-11 and Fennelly collected his first All-Ireland
club medal along with his six brothers.
Another brace of county championship victories followed for Fennelly in 1982 and 1983. Once again this latter victory was later converted into a Leinster club title following a six-point victory over Kinnitty of Offaly. Ballyhale later qualified for the All-Ireland final where Galway champions Gort
were the opponents. That game ended in 1-10 apiece draw thanks to a last-minute equalizing point by Dermot Fennelly. The replay took place some time later with Ger Fennelly
playing a starring role. His first-half goal was the deciding factor as Ballyhale won the day by 1-10 to 0-7. It was Fennelly’s second All-Ireland club medal.
The rest of the 1980s saw Fennelly bring his county championship tally up to eight with further wins in 1985, 1988 and 1989. The third of these victories was subsequently converted into fourth Leinster club title following a trouncing of the Cuala club from Dublin. Ballyhale later qualified for the All-Ireland final where Limerick and Munster representatives Ballybrown were the opponents. Ballybrown stormed into a six-point lead in the middle of the first-half before Fennelly scored a goal in the twenty-fourth minute. At half-time Ballybrown still led by four points, however, a surge by Ballyhale saw the Kilkenny side claim a 1-16 to 0-16 victory. It was Fennelly’s third All-Ireland medal.
Fennelly won his ninth and final county medal with Ballyhale in 1991.
title in this grade in 1976 when Kilkenny recorded a respectable 2-14 to 1-8 victory over Wexford. The subsequent All-Ireland championship decider saw Kilkenny take on Tipperary
. The game was a complete disaster from a Kilkenny viewpoint as Tipp were overwhelming winners by 2-20 to 1-7.
Fennelly later joined the Kilkenny under-21 panel where he won both Leinster
and All-Ireland
titles as a non-playing substitute.
had emerged as the new force in Leinster.
In 1982 Fennelly tasted his first major victory with the senior outfit when he captured a National Hurling League
title. He later lined out in Croke Park
in his very first Leinster final. Offaly, the reigning provincial and All-Ireland champions were the opponents on that occasion and an interesting game developed. After a close seventy minutes of hurling Kilkenny emerged victorious by just two points and Fennelly collected his first Leinster
winners’ medal. He subsequently lined out in the All-Ireland championship decider against Cork. Christy Heffernan
was the hero of the day as he scored two goals in a forty second spell just before half-time. Fennelly’s brother, Ger
, captured a third goal in the second-half as Kilkenny completely trounced ‘the Rebels’ by 3-18 to 1-15. This victory gave Fennelly his first All-Ireland
medal.
In 1983 Fennelly had the great honour of being appointed captain of the Kilkenny team. It also turned out to be one of his best seasons to date in the black and amber jersey. He began the year by capturing a second consecutive National League victory before lining out in the Leinster final against Offaly. It was their second consecutive meeting in the provincial decider, however, on this occasion the victory was more comprehensive on this occasion. A 1-17 to 0-13 win gave Fennelly his second Leinster medal. For the second year in-a-row ‘the Cats’ squared up to Cork in the All-Ireland final. Once again Kilkenny dominated the game, assisted by a strong wind in the first-half, and hung on in the face of a great fight-back by Cork. At the full-time whistle Kilkenny emerged victorious by 2-14 to 2-12. It was Fennelly’s second All-Ireland medal while he also had the honour of collecting the Liam McCarthy Cup
. He was later presented with his first All-Star
award.
Kilkenny’s fortunes took a downturn following this victory as Offaly won the next two Leinster titles. In spite of this Fennelly was Kilkenny’s best player in 1985 and he was duly presented with a second All-Star. ‘The Cats’ bounced back in 1986 with Fennelly collecting a third National League medal before playing in the provincial decider against Offaly. A comprehensive 4-10 to 1-11 victory gave Fennelly his third Leinster winners’ medal. Following this win Kilkenny were firm favourites for the All-Ireland title, however, Galway got the better of them in the All-Ireland semi-final with a 4-12 to 0-13 victory.
In 1987 Kilkenny qualified for the provincial decider once again with Offaly providing the opposition. The game developed into a close affair; however, victory went to ‘the Cats’ by 2-14 to 0-17. It was Fennelly’s fourth Leinster title. This victory allowed Kilkenny to advance directly to the All-Ireland final. Galway provided the opposition on that occasion, however, the game turned out to be a drab affair. A goal by substitute Noel Lane
with seven minutes to gave Galway the edge and they hung on to win by 1-12 to 0-9. Fennelly was later honoured with his third All-Star award.
Kilkenny went into decline following this defeat. After a defeat in the provincial decider of 1989 Fennelly won a fourth National League medal in 1990 before his side were back in the Leinster final again two years later. Dublin
provided the opposition on that occasion; however, they proved to be no pushovers. With seconds left in the game ‘the Dubs’ were winning by a single point, however, a last-gasp goal sealed a 1-11 to 0-13 victory for ‘the Cats’. It was Fennelly’s fifth Leinster winners’ medal. Another nail-biting win over Antrim
in similar circumstances set up an All-Ireland final meeting with Tipperary, their first championship encounter in twenty years. The opening thirty-five minutes saw both sides trade score-for-score, however, a controversial 2-metre free, miss-hit by Michael Cleary
, landed in the net and gave Tipp a lead which they never surrendered. The final score of 1-16 to 0-15 resulted in a loss for Kilkenny.
In 1992 Fennelly was one of the veterans of the Kilkenny team; however, he was appointed captain of the team for the third time that year. That year’s Leinster final pitted Kilkenny against Wexford. The game was an easy one for ‘the Cats’ as Kilkenny’s side won easily by 3-16 to 2-9. It was Fennelly’s sixth Leinster medal and his second occasion lifting the Bob O’Keeffe Cup. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Fennelly line out against Cork for the third time in his career. Prior to the game Kilkenny won the toss, however, Fennelly chose to play against the wind. At half-time his side were only two points in arrears thanks to a D.J. Carey goal four minutes before the interval. John Power
and Michael Phelan
added two second-half goals to give Fennelly a 3-10 to 1-12 win. It was Fennelly’s second time lifting the Liam McCarthy Cup and his third All-Ireland title. He retired from inter-county hurling shortly afterwards.
In 2010, Liam Fennelly was selected as full forward on the Kilkenny 125yrs team - organised through the 'Kilkenny People' newspaper. This honour is a reflection of the excellence that this scion of a famous clan brought to his time in the black & amber.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
retired sportsperson. He played hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
with his local club Ballyhale Shamrocks
Ballyhale Shamrocks GAA
Ballyhale Shamrocks is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the parish of Ballyhale in County Kilkenny, Ireland. The club was founded in 1972 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling...
and was a member of the Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
senior inter-county team from 1981 until 1992.
Biography
Liam Fennelly was born in PiltownPiltown
Piltown, historically known as Ballypoyle , is a small village in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It lies on the R698 regional road, which was the N24 national primary road before the locality was bypassed in 2002....
, County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. The territory of the county was the core part of the ancient Irish Kingdom of Osraige which in turn was the core of the Diocese of...
in 1958. The fifth eldest son of Kevin Fennelly and the former Teresa Hoyne, he was born into a family that had a huge interest in the game of hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
. At the age of three the entire family moved to Ballyhale
Ballyhale
Ballyhale is a village in County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is south of the city of Kilkenny, roughly half way between Kilkenny and Waterford. The Parish of Ballyhale is made up of three parts; Knockmoylan and the villages of Ballyhale and Knocktopher....
where they purchased a farm. Here Fennelly was educated at the local national school where his hurling skills were first noted and honed by the local teachers, Peadar O’Neill and Joe Dunphy. His skills were also honed on the family farm where he, along with his six brothers – Michael, Ger
Ger Fennelly
Ger Fennelly is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Ballyhale Shamrocks and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1974 until 1989. Fennelly captained Kilkenny to the All-Ireland title in 1979.-Biography:Ger Fennelly was born in Piltown, County...
, Kevin
Kevin Fennelly
Kevin Fennelly is a retired Irish hurling manager and former player. He played hurling with his local club Ballyhale Shamrocks and with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from the late 1970s until the late 1980s. Fennelly later served as Kilkenny Senior hurling manager for the 1998 season, and...
, Brendan, Seán
Seán Fennelly
Seán Fennelly is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Ballyhale Shamrocks and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1986 until 1989.-Biography:...
and Dermot – trained.
Club
The Fennellys have a long association with their local Ballyhale SharmocksBallyhale Shamrocks GAA
Ballyhale Shamrocks is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the parish of Ballyhale in County Kilkenny, Ireland. The club was founded in 1972 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling...
club. It was a club which Kevin Fennelly Snr. was instrumental in helping to found in 1972. By 1978 the new club had reached the top of the local hurling world and Fennelly played a key role as Ballyhale captured their first senior county title. This victory allowed the Shamrocks club to represent Kilkenny in the provincial club championship. The final of that competition saw Fennelly’s side take on Dublin champions Crumlin
Crumlin GAA
Crumlin GAA Club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in Crumlin, Dublin, Ireland.-Origins of the game in Crumlin:As far back as the 1740s Hurling was to be seen in Crumlin. The village was bordered by an area of “Common Land”...
. A 1-13 to 1-6 victory gave Fennelly his first Leinster
Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship
The Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual Hurling tournament played between the winners of the senior club hurling championships of the counties in Leinster. The current holders of the Leinster title are Ballyhale Shamrocks from Kilkenny. The first Leinster senior club hurling...
club title. The subsequent All-Ireland club final saw Ballyhale Shamrocks take on Cork’s famous Blackrock
Blackrock GAA
Blackrock National Hurling Club is a G.A.A. club located on the southside of Cork City, Ireland. The club was founded in 1883 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling.-History:...
club. A ten-goal thriller saw Blackrock take the title by 5-7 to 5-5.
Fennelly added two further county medals to his collection to make it three in-a-row in 1979 and 1980. This latter victory was later converted into a Leinster club title following a 3-10 to 1-8 victory over Coolderry
Coolderry GAA
Coolderry GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the town of Coolderry in County Offaly, Ireland. The club is the most successful side in the Offaly Senior Hurling Championship with a record 29 titles.- History :...
of Offaly. Once again Ballyhale Shamrocks reached the All-Ireland final where the star-studded St. Finbarr’s
St. Finbarr's GAA
St. Finbarr's National Hurling and Football Club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Togher area of Cork city, County Cork, Ireland....
club from Cork provided the opposition. On that occasion all seven Fennelly brothers lined out in an exciting contest. The sides were level on five occasions during the opening thirty minutes; however, the Shamrocks had the edge. At the full-time whistle Ballyhale were the winners by -15 to 1-11 and Fennelly collected his first All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling tournament played between hundreds of senior hurling clubs in Ireland. The Tommy Moore Cup is awarded to the winners. The current champions are Clarinbridge...
club medal along with his six brothers.
Another brace of county championship victories followed for Fennelly in 1982 and 1983. Once again this latter victory was later converted into a Leinster club title following a six-point victory over Kinnitty of Offaly. Ballyhale later qualified for the All-Ireland final where Galway champions Gort
Gort GAA
Gort GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in Gort, County Galway, Republic of Ireland. The club is almost exclusively concerned with hurling...
were the opponents. That game ended in 1-10 apiece draw thanks to a last-minute equalizing point by Dermot Fennelly. The replay took place some time later with Ger Fennelly
Ger Fennelly
Ger Fennelly is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Ballyhale Shamrocks and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1974 until 1989. Fennelly captained Kilkenny to the All-Ireland title in 1979.-Biography:Ger Fennelly was born in Piltown, County...
playing a starring role. His first-half goal was the deciding factor as Ballyhale won the day by 1-10 to 0-7. It was Fennelly’s second All-Ireland club medal.
The rest of the 1980s saw Fennelly bring his county championship tally up to eight with further wins in 1985, 1988 and 1989. The third of these victories was subsequently converted into fourth Leinster club title following a trouncing of the Cuala club from Dublin. Ballyhale later qualified for the All-Ireland final where Limerick and Munster representatives Ballybrown were the opponents. Ballybrown stormed into a six-point lead in the middle of the first-half before Fennelly scored a goal in the twenty-fourth minute. At half-time Ballybrown still led by four points, however, a surge by Ballyhale saw the Kilkenny side claim a 1-16 to 0-16 victory. It was Fennelly’s third All-Ireland medal.
Fennelly won his ninth and final county medal with Ballyhale in 1991.
Minor & under-21
Fennelly first came to prominence on the inter-county scene in the mid-1970s as a member of the Kilkenny minor hurling team. He won a coveted LeinsterLeinster Minor Hurling Championship
The ESB Leinster Minor Hurling Championship is the Minor "knockout" competition in the game of Hurling played in the province of Leinster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Leinster Council...
title in this grade in 1976 when Kilkenny recorded a respectable 2-14 to 1-8 victory over Wexford. The subsequent All-Ireland championship decider saw Kilkenny take on Tipperary
Tipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...
. The game was a complete disaster from a Kilkenny viewpoint as Tipp were overwhelming winners by 2-20 to 1-7.
Fennelly later joined the Kilkenny under-21 panel where he won both Leinster
Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship
For the Senior equivalent see: Leinster Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe Leinster U-21 Hurling Championship or for sponsorship reasons the Erin Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship is an U-21 hurling tournament. The first tournament took place in 1964 when Wexford were crowned champions. Wexford...
and All-Ireland
All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of hurling played in Ireland...
titles as a non-playing substitute.
Senior
Fennelly made his debut on the Kilkenny senior team in 1981; however, OffalyOffaly GAA
The Offaly County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Offaly GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Offaly...
had emerged as the new force in Leinster.
In 1982 Fennelly tasted his first major victory with the senior outfit when he captured a National Hurling League
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
title. He later lined out in Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
in his very first Leinster final. Offaly, the reigning provincial and All-Ireland champions were the opponents on that occasion and an interesting game developed. After a close seventy minutes of hurling Kilkenny emerged victorious by just two points and Fennelly collected his first Leinster
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
The Leinster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Leinster in Ireland....
winners’ medal. He subsequently lined out in the All-Ireland championship decider against Cork. Christy Heffernan
Christy Heffernan
Christy Heffernan is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Glenmore and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team in the 1980s and 1990s. Heffernan is regarded as one of Kilkenny's greatest-ever players.-Club:...
was the hero of the day as he scored two goals in a forty second spell just before half-time. Fennelly’s brother, Ger
Ger Fennelly
Ger Fennelly is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Ballyhale Shamrocks and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1974 until 1989. Fennelly captained Kilkenny to the All-Ireland title in 1979.-Biography:Ger Fennelly was born in Piltown, County...
, captured a third goal in the second-half as Kilkenny completely trounced ‘the Rebels’ by 3-18 to 1-15. This victory gave Fennelly his first All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
medal.
In 1983 Fennelly had the great honour of being appointed captain of the Kilkenny team. It also turned out to be one of his best seasons to date in the black and amber jersey. He began the year by capturing a second consecutive National League victory before lining out in the Leinster final against Offaly. It was their second consecutive meeting in the provincial decider, however, on this occasion the victory was more comprehensive on this occasion. A 1-17 to 0-13 win gave Fennelly his second Leinster medal. For the second year in-a-row ‘the Cats’ squared up to Cork in the All-Ireland final. Once again Kilkenny dominated the game, assisted by a strong wind in the first-half, and hung on in the face of a great fight-back by Cork. At the full-time whistle Kilkenny emerged victorious by 2-14 to 2-12. It was Fennelly’s second All-Ireland medal while he also had the honour of collecting the Liam McCarthy Cup
Liam McCarthy Cup
The MacCarthy Perpetual Challenge Cup is a trophy awarded annually by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the hurling team that wins the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.-The trophy:...
. He was later presented with his first All-Star
GAA All Stars Awards
The All Stars Awards, currently sponsored by Vodafone, are given annually since 1971 by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the best player in each of the fifteen positions in Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. Additionally, one player in each code is selected as the player of the year...
award.
Kilkenny’s fortunes took a downturn following this victory as Offaly won the next two Leinster titles. In spite of this Fennelly was Kilkenny’s best player in 1985 and he was duly presented with a second All-Star. ‘The Cats’ bounced back in 1986 with Fennelly collecting a third National League medal before playing in the provincial decider against Offaly. A comprehensive 4-10 to 1-11 victory gave Fennelly his third Leinster winners’ medal. Following this win Kilkenny were firm favourites for the All-Ireland title, however, Galway got the better of them in the All-Ireland semi-final with a 4-12 to 0-13 victory.
In 1987 Kilkenny qualified for the provincial decider once again with Offaly providing the opposition. The game developed into a close affair; however, victory went to ‘the Cats’ by 2-14 to 0-17. It was Fennelly’s fourth Leinster title. This victory allowed Kilkenny to advance directly to the All-Ireland final. Galway provided the opposition on that occasion, however, the game turned out to be a drab affair. A goal by substitute Noel Lane
Noel Lane
Noel Lane is a retired Irish hurling manager and former player. He played hurling with his local club Ballinderreen and with the Galway senior inter-county team from 1977 until 1990. Lane served as manager of the Galway senior inter-county team from 2000 until 2002...
with seven minutes to gave Galway the edge and they hung on to win by 1-12 to 0-9. Fennelly was later honoured with his third All-Star award.
Kilkenny went into decline following this defeat. After a defeat in the provincial decider of 1989 Fennelly won a fourth National League medal in 1990 before his side were back in the Leinster final again two years later. Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
provided the opposition on that occasion; however, they proved to be no pushovers. With seconds left in the game ‘the Dubs’ were winning by a single point, however, a last-gasp goal sealed a 1-11 to 0-13 victory for ‘the Cats’. It was Fennelly’s fifth Leinster winners’ medal. Another nail-biting win over Antrim
Antrim GAA
The Antrim County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Antrim GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Antrim. The county board is also responsible for the Antrim inter-county teams...
in similar circumstances set up an All-Ireland final meeting with Tipperary, their first championship encounter in twenty years. The opening thirty-five minutes saw both sides trade score-for-score, however, a controversial 2-metre free, miss-hit by Michael Cleary
Michael Cleary (hurler)
Michael Cleary is a former Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Nenagh Éire Óg and with the Tipperary senior inter-county team in the 1980s and 1990s.-Early life:...
, landed in the net and gave Tipp a lead which they never surrendered. The final score of 1-16 to 0-15 resulted in a loss for Kilkenny.
In 1992 Fennelly was one of the veterans of the Kilkenny team; however, he was appointed captain of the team for the third time that year. That year’s Leinster final pitted Kilkenny against Wexford. The game was an easy one for ‘the Cats’ as Kilkenny’s side won easily by 3-16 to 2-9. It was Fennelly’s sixth Leinster medal and his second occasion lifting the Bob O’Keeffe Cup. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Fennelly line out against Cork for the third time in his career. Prior to the game Kilkenny won the toss, however, Fennelly chose to play against the wind. At half-time his side were only two points in arrears thanks to a D.J. Carey goal four minutes before the interval. John Power
John Power (hurler)
John Power is a former Irish sportsperson who played hurling with his local club John Lockes and Kilkenny from 1986 to 2004. In that time, he won four All-Ireland titles and two All Star awards, as well as having the honour of being included on the Kilkenny Hurling Team of the Century...
and Michael Phelan
Michael Phelan (hurler)
Michael 'Titch' Phelan , from Glenmore, County Kilkenny, Ireland, is a former inter-county hurler. Phelan was formally recognised as a sportsperson of national significance in 1992 when nominated as a GAA Allstar. He played both for his local club Glenmore and as a member of the Kilkenny senior...
added two second-half goals to give Fennelly a 3-10 to 1-12 win. It was Fennelly’s second time lifting the Liam McCarthy Cup and his third All-Ireland title. He retired from inter-county hurling shortly afterwards.
In 2010, Liam Fennelly was selected as full forward on the Kilkenny 125yrs team - organised through the 'Kilkenny People' newspaper. This honour is a reflection of the excellence that this scion of a famous clan brought to his time in the black & amber.