‘It’s the best feeling in the world’ - Shamrocks stopper Mason on county glory

it’s worth remembering that if it hadn’t been for a late save from Dean Mason at the expense of Cillian Buckley in the county semi-final two weeks ago, then senior title number 21 wouldn’t have materialised for the Shamrocks.

Last Sunday proved to be a much quieter day at the office for the man between the posts but he was still overjoyed at winning back the Kilkenny crown.

“It’s the best feeling in the world, especially being without it for the last few years and losing to O’Loughlins by a point in our last final as well,” the ’keeper said.

“Anytime anyone beats you that’s the motivation for the following year. We were keeping an eye on that but we also focussed on ourselves and that was even more important.

“It’s just great to get over the line as a result.”

The schoolteacher outlined how they had spoken as a team about having no regrets and that really materialised in a fantastic second half display.

“It was very low scoring in the first half with the conditions and in the second half we then hurled with a bit of freedom and that was a big part of our game all year,” he said.

“We said to ourselves just go at it as we have nothing to lose. It’s our last game within Kilkenny and we wanted to get a few scores to get ahead and see what happens from there and thankfully it worked for us.”

It was the third final meeting between the clubs in the last five years and with only a puck of the ball between the teams on both occasions, a close-fought contest was always expected.

“We knew coming into the game that it was going to be a battle and that’s what we said all along, regardless of the weather that it was going to be a tough game but we kept at it.

“It’s a team effort and it’s not just one position or anything, it’s myself in the goal, it’s the lads in the backs, the boys in midfield and all of the forwards and we were all in this together and we all had to work together for the team,” Mason admitted.

The Shamrocks goalkeeper was part of a defensive unit that restricted the O’Loughlin Gaels attack to just six points from play over the full duration of the contest but Mason knows it’s a full team effort.

“All of the work in the forwards and midfield helped put pressure on O’Loughlins and then in defence we were just very tight and disciplined in what we did and they hit a few wides too.”

The 25 year-old wasn’t the only player to point out the impact that Henry Shefflin had on the team on his return this year as he praised the influence of the 10-time All-Ireland winner with Kilkenny alongside fellow selectors David Herity, Eoin Reid and Mark Aylward.

“Anytime you are in a room with Henry Shefflin you sit quietly and you listen as he has so much knowledge. He has a couple of great lads around him too and that really helped us to get over the line in the end.”