RIP Michael J. (Mikey) O'Connor
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07 Sept 2025
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07 Sept 2025
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Robbie Donnelly and Colm Treacy celebrate Thomastown's Kilkenny SHC success. Picture: Sportsfile
All-Ireland winning manager with Shamrocks Ballyhale, Pat Hoban has warned Thomastown of the dangers that potentially lie ahead in the AIB Leinster Senior Club Championship, highlighting Na Fianna as their greatest threat.
Last year's All-Ireland Intermediate champions won their first St Canice's Credit Union SHC title since 1949 last month and today (Sunday) get their provincial campaign underway against Castletown Geoghegan (Westmeath).
"Any Kilkenny champion are nearly automatically favourites, because of the standard of club hurling in Kilkenny historically, that being said, not a lot of our club teams outside of Ballyhale Shamrocks have managed to grab it and go there," Hoban told the Kilkenny People Sport Podcast.
"I would think Na Fianna are very very strong, when I was involved (with the Shamrocks) we played Kilmacud who had barely got over Na Fianna in the Dublin county final and they gave us a really really big fright so I think Dublin club hurling at the top end is quite strong," he said, adding, "my fancy would be Na Fianna (to win Leinster) if there was to be an upset."
Hear the full interview and much more on this week's Kilkenny People Sport Podcast HERE or BELOW:
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