The green and white will be plentiful in Croke Park on Sunday 27 November – and not just for Ballyhale Shamrocks.
While the Kilkenny senior champions may consider Croke Park a second home, it’s Carlow’s St. Mullins who will be making a rare trip to GAA headquarters thanks to a 1-19 to 1-17 win over Ferns St. Aidan’s on Sunday.
With Netwatch Cullen Park adding home advantage for Maurice Aylward’s side, Jack Kavanagh put in a championship performance worthy of the win – scooping the AIB and KCLR man of the match nods too – and knows just how much it means to the club and the surrounding parish.
Having soldiered for so long at inter-county level and having represented Carlow in Croke Park previously, Kavanagh is well aware of what the result means.
“An unbelievable day, probably the proudest day I ever wore the jersey because of what it means to the club going forward in two weeks’ time to Croke Park. To beat the Wexford champions, it’s something we’ve never done as a club”, Kavanagh told Scoreline in the wake of Sunday afternoon’s win over Ferns.
“We should have had two goals but we came out the right side of it, just barely, but a great day. It’s the proudest I have ever been to wear this jersey now. After all the years, it’s unbelievable for the club, unbelievable for the parish, for families, representing the county. You can’t really put it into words – it’s special.”
“These are the lads that you went to school with since you’re four or five years of age. These are the lads that will carry you to your grave in the years to come. It means that little bit more when you’re going there with your club, your own rural club. We love our hurling down there, we’re a real close bunch of lads and we’re really looking forward to two weeks (time).
Sunday’s win sets St. Mullins up with a Leinster club senior hurling championship semi-final clash with Dublin champions Kilmacud Crokes. The game forms part of a doubleheader on Sunday 27 November with
