The twists and turns of life are a mystery, one decision forever tumbling you towards another. The road is never straight. Just a few months back, Joey Holden was hurling away in the States with plans to take off touring around South America.
But Ballyhale were putting out the feelers, friends and team-mates planting a few seeds here and there about him possibly returning to help the club win five Kilkenny senior championships in-a-row.
The seeds eventually germinated, and Holden arrived home just before the last round of the league. The objective was to win the county title before planning the rest of the travels with his girlfriend, Laura.
But in September, the day before Ballyhale’s quarter-final against Clara, Joey’s Dad, Patrick, sadly passed away. So, the former Kilkenny full back now finds himself preparing for an All-Ireland club semi-final at Croke Park on Sunday.
Should Ballyhale beat Ballygunner, then he will stick around until the final on the weekend of January 21st-22nd. If not, then after Christmas the bags will be packed again.
“Yeah, that’s still the plan,” says Holden. “It’s still the plan to go travelling through Central and South America whenever this journey ends. That will determine the flying out date.
“The way it happened, we came home for hurling but we had a tragedy when Daddy passed away. I think we were both happy enough to stay home for Christmas and be with our family and cherish that time as well.”
Colin Fennelly played a huge role in persuading Holden to return and both have been key figures in this campaign for the Kilkenny champions.
“I could just see his determination to do the five-in-a-row in the 50th year of the club,” adds Holden. He didn’t say too much – as he said himself, he didn’t want to be annoying me, he wanted me to make the decision – but you could see the determination.”
The journey since has had a hint of destiny about it for Ballyhale, who were left broken last February when Ballygunner snatched victory in the dying embers of the All-Ireland club final after Harry Ruddle rifled home a 64th minute goal.
On Sunday, back at Croke Park, the clubs will meet again – this time at the semi-final stage.
“Maybe it’s something that’s inside you but we just love representing Ballyhale and love representing that jersey,” says Holden.
“And ultimately that’s the drive that we have and whatever happens on the field we just try and do our best. If we get the victory, we get the victory and if we lose we just have to take it on the chin. If it’s destiny or not, I don’t know, but we just love representing that jersey.”
Ruddle’s match-winning goal was the stuff of dreams for Ballygunner but it was – and remains – the stuff of nightmares for Ballyhale. Holden has watched it back a number of times.
“But you could be going through it in your head all day and it’s not going to change anything,” he says.
“He struck it well and it flew into the corner of the net and we had no time to respond and that was it. It was just shock and devastation, they were All-Ireland champions and there was nothing we could do.
“It just happened to us on the biggest day of them all but that’s the nature of hurling – you just have to pick yourself up, dust yourself down and get on with it.”
There have been times during this campaign when Ballyhale’s form has dipped and against Kilmacud Crokes in the Leinster final they found themselves penned in and under siege during stages of the second half.
It has created a narrative that Ballyhale are not the force they once were. But that is something Holden disputes.
“If you hammer a team or beat them well people are saying, ‘they’re flying’. Maybe after the first half of the Kilmacud game people were thinking, ‘they are playing the best hurling they ever have’. That’s silly and naive to fall into that trap.
“These games can turn so quickly. The challenge is even greater the next day but you have to be winning to get yourself to the position we are in.”
*Ballyhale Shamrocks will play Ballygunner in an AIB All-Ireland club SHC semi-final at Croke Park on Sunday, 3.30. The game will be shown live on TG4.
