Leinster club SHC quarter-final: Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-25 Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-18
Ballyhale Shamrocks manager Henry Shefflin and Kilcormac-Killoughey boss Declan Laffan have both condemned the ugly scenes after the final whistle of their Leinster club SHC quarter-final during which a spectator grappled with players.
A row broke out at the end of the Nowlan Park contest and as the rolling maul of wrestling players moved towards the Paddy Grace Stand, at least one individual wearing Kilcormac-Killoughey colours entered the pitch to get involved in the fighting.
Gardaí released a statement on Sunday evening: “Gardaí have arrested a man (aged in his 40s) following a public order incident at a Kilkenny sports ground this afternoon, Sunday 9th November 2025. He has since been charged, and is scheduled to appear before the courts at a later date. As this is now before the courts, there is no further information available at this time. Investigations are ongoing.”
A Leinster Council investigation of the incident is expected.
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“Look, there was no call for it,” said Kilcormac manager Declan Laffan. “Somebody came in out of the crowd and nobody wants to see that. Whatever happens on the field, whether players are going out or whatever, leave them at it and let that be it and it’ll finish, it’ll play itself out.
“Look, I suppose frustration spilled over, unfortunately we can’t control everybody.
“I suppose anybody comes out of the crowd and hits another player, it’s not a good look. But the one thing I’d say, from KK’s point of view, that’s not them as a club.
“And it’s the same for Ballyhale, nobody takes any kind of solace in what went on there. It’s not a true representation of both clubs.”
As tempers flared, Shefflin ran down the sideline and could be clearly seen trying to usher his players away from the flashpoint.
Several autograph-hunting children had also entered the pitch at the final whistle and were unknowingly making their way towards scuffling players but thankfully the row was brought to an end before it escalated further.
“I’m very disappointed that we were involved in it, to be fair, and I’m sure Kilcormac-Killoughey feel exactly the same way,” said Shefflin.
“It was unsavoury. We absolutely don’t condone it. As I said, I’m disappointed we were involved in such a situation because the match was over, we didn’t need to get dragged into something like that.
“I haven’t seen it [back]. But it’s not right, because I see my own kids and stuff and they were running down towards them. I’m like, ‘What is going on here?’ It’s out of control and there’s no place for it whatsoever in the game. We all agree on that.
“I think they’re a fabulous hurling team and we like to play hurling the right way as well. So, it’s disappointing that that’s what we’re going to be talking about.”
The scenes at the end were not in keeping with what had been a well contested sporting provincial quarter-final.
Kilcormac-Killoughey took the game to Ballyhale from the off and a converted Adam Screeney penalty helped them to a 1-10 to 0-10 half-time advantage.
But Ballyhale showed all of their class to outscore the three-in-row Offaly champions 0-15 to 0-8 in the second half.
Ballyhale hit seven first-half wides and also dropped three efforts short but their accuracy in front of the posts increased hugely after the break with only two further wides added.
Eoin Cody and Adrian Mullen were central to their comeback while TJ Reid was faultless from placed ball, finishing the game with 0-12, 11 from frees.
“I think today we were taking shots, I can vividly remember one or two lads shooting over the shoulder and not even looking,” added Shefflin.
“I’m like, ‘That’s not the way we want to play.’ People asked what did we say at half-time? But the players kind of noticed themselves. They reacted very well, they weren’t happy with how things had gone in the first half.”
Kilcormac’s impressive first-half display was built on a solid defensive showing but the pivotal score in the opening period was Screeney’s 25th minute goal. Brian Butler conceded a penalty for holding Conor Mahon’s hurl, and Screeney made no mistake by smacking the sliotar beyond Dean Mason, 1-8 to 0-7.
Kilcormac goalkeeper Conor Slevin also sent over two monster long-range frees in the first half while Charlie Mitchell caused Ballyhale plenty of problems and had three points to his name at the break.
But Ballyhale turned the screw on the resumption and scored the first five points of the second half. Screeney missed a scoreable free during that period too and once Ballyhale hit the front, it never looked like they would be stopped.
“We ran out of steam a little bit because we had put in such huge effort in the first half,” said Laffan. “And then I thought there were a couple of dubious calls at bad times.”
Ballyhale, who last won the Leinster title in 2022, will now play Laois champions Clough Ballacolla in a provincial semi-final in two weeks.
Ballyhale Shamrocks: Dean Mason; Killian Corcoran, Joey Holden, Brian Butler; Ronan Corcoran (0-1), Richie Reid, Evan Shefflin; Eoin Kenneally (0-1), Adrian Mullen (0-3); Brian Cody, Eoin Cody (0-5), Liam Barron; Paddy Mullen (0-2), TJ Reid (0-12, 11f), Niall Shortall (0-1). Subs: Dara Mason for Butler (43 mins); John Fitzpatrick for B Cody (54 mins); Finnian Shefflin for P Mullen (59 mins); Conor Walsh for Barron (61 mins); Luke Donnelly for Corcoran (62 mins).
Kilcormac-Killoughtey: Conor Slevin (0-4, 4f); Tom Spain, Jordan Quinn, James Mahon; Enda Grogan, Brecon Kavanagh, Cillian Kiely; Colin Spain, Damien Kilmartin; Jack Screeney (0-1), Adam Screeney (1-5, 1-0 penalty, 0-3f), Daniel Hand (0-1); Charlie Mitchell (0-3), James Gorman (0-1), Conor Mahon (0-1). Subs: Alex Kavanagh for Gorman (39 mins); Ter Guinan for Kilmartin (49 mins); Leigh Kavanagh (0-1) for Hand (55 mins); Thomas Geraghty (0-1) for Mahon (59 mins); Peter Geraghty for Spain (61 mins).
Referee: Padraig Dunne (Laois).
