Tony Kelly has a glistening honour of medals, his 2013 Celtic Cross the stand-out, missing from the collection is a prized Clare SHC medal.
By Jamesy Mc Conigley
“It’s extra special reaching a county final with your club, you can win All-Ireland’s with your county but it’s just extra special when you play with your club cause your playing with lads you went to school with, I think you’ve a better bond with you club, it’s just very special winning something with your friends and family” the business student at the University of Limerick stated.
Kelly was a fresh-faced 10 year old when his club last reached a county final and he’s pleased to have matched that feat but explained this team want to go one step further and create history on Sunday.
“The 2003 team were the most famous team in the club getting to the final, it’s great to match that achievement getting there, if we were to win it would be the best success this club has ever had, were under no illusion that were trying to bring that success to the club, and it would be the best thing ever to happen Ballyea and hopefully it will come through.”
Both sides have overflowing talent on their books, Kelly reiterated that they won’t be star studded when they face Clonlara and they will just battle to the best they can. “Clonlara have a lot of county experience at the moment but they’ve also experience of winning it in 2008. Since then they’ve been in semi-finals and finals.”
Tagged as underdogs for the Canon Hamilton decider, the 2013 Hurler of the Year reckons that Ballyea will have to be on top of their game but stranger things have happened and finals are unpredictable, “It’s all about the performance, if our lads perform hopefully it will get us over the line.”
To relax before his first Clare SHC final Kelly plans to wind down with a couple of intense games of Fifa. “There’ll be a lot of Fifa played this week, relaxing and gowling away with the lads, going in and out to house just the norm, it’s the best way to approach it” but he feels that getting the balance right is key.
With the countdown well and truly under-way, the twenty three year old understands that bringing Canon Hamilton back West of Ennis will satisfy his desire greater than a triumphant game of Fifa against team-mate Joe Neylon.