Plenty at stake for Shefflin as Ballyhale face holders Clara in Kilkenny showdown

There will be a little more at stake than just a Kilkenny hurling championship when Clara take on Ballyhale Shamrocks at Nowlan Park on Sunday. The Kilkenny captaincy, for a start, as they look to defend their All-Ireland title in 2015, and perhaps also the intercounty future of a certain Henry Shefflin.

Clara are back in the final looking to defend the title won last October, when they beat Carrickshock. Kilkenny are one of the last counties that still adopt the old tradition of granting their captaincy to their senior club champions, which thus resulted in the 2014 captaincy going to Clara's Lester Ryan.

Ryan came off the bench in the All-Ireland final replay win over Tipperary and duly lifted the Liam MacCarthy cup.

Ballyhale Shamrocks will start Sunday's showdown as favourites – not least because they boast the likes of Shefflin, Michael and Colin Fennelly, TJ Reid, and Joey Holden.

Significant bearing

Sunday’s result could have a significant bearing on whether or not Sheffllin commits again to the Kilkenny cause for 2015, for what will also be a 17th consecutive season.

Kilkenny manager Brian Cody’s decision this week to commit, also for a 17th consecutive season, may also come into consideration.

Shefflin, who turns 36 in January, started his senior career under Cody in 1999.

Meanwhile beaten All-Ireland football semi-finalists Dublin have received special dispensation from Croke Park to resume “collective” duty this Saturday, as Jim Gavin’s men take on an Ulster selection at Ravenhill (6.0) in a match to raise funds and awareness of motor neuron disease.

The Dubs line out against Irish News Ulster All Stars in what is a special fund-raiser for former Antrim senior football captain Anto Finnegan, who is suffering from the disease.

The Ulster selection will be managed by Joe Kernan and Brian McEniff and Saturday’s game, the first GAA match to be played at Ravenhill, will also be broadcast live on Setanta