Little did he think that after winning his first All-Ireland senior hurling championship in 2013 that it would take four years for Tony Kelly to return to action in Croke Park.
Ballyea will compete in the All-Ireland club senior hurling final on St Patrick’s Day after they survived a late fightback from St Thomas’ on Saturday evening.
A place in the All-Ireland Club Final is on offer for Ballyea when they go toe to toe with Galway champions St Thomas’ in Semple Stadium on Saturday evening.
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.