Tony Kelly may be the household name in the Ballyea senior hurling team but one teammate has also been doing his bit when it comes to stealing the headlines for the men in Black and Amber.
In the space of two weeks Ballyea have won their first Clare SHC and qualified for their first Munster Final, it’s been a fortnight to remember in the club’s eighty two year history and their greatest.
During his playing days with Kilnamona, Fergal Hegarty never came close to winning a Clare SHC medal but in his first year as trainer of the Ballyea hurlers he has helped guide them to the club’s first ever senior title.
All year long Ballyea’s motto has been ‘you win or you learn’, throughout 2016 they have taken lessons from every game resulting in them being crowned the ultimate winners and 2016 Clare SHC champions.
Robbie Hogan nearly stepped away from the Ballyea senior job at the end of 2015 after serving three years at the helm but somehow destiny pulled him back for one more year but as the saying goes ‘character consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries’.
Tony Kelly has a glistening honour of medals, the All-Ireland Senior hurling one being the stand-out but all that evades him of the finished article, a Clare SHC medal.
Known around the Emerald Isle as a sturdy energetic Gaelic Footballer, Gary Brennan will represent his hurling club in Sunday's Clare SHC Final vying to win Ballyea's first ever title in the competitions 130 year existence.
