Ger Fennelly
Encyclopedia
Ger Fennelly is a retired Irish
sportsperson. He played hurling
with his local club Ballyhale Shamrocks
and was a member of the Kilkenny
senior inter-county team from 1974 until 1989. Fennelly captained Kilkenny to the All-Ireland
title in 1979.
, County Kilkenny
in 1954. The second eldest son of Kevin Fennelly and the former Teresa Hoyne, he was born into a family that had a huge interest in the game of hurling
. At the age of seven the entire family moved to Ballyhale
where they purchased a farm. Here Fennelly was educated at the local national school where his hurling skills were first noted and honed by the local teachers, Peadar O’Neill and Joe Dunphy. His skills were also honed on the family farm where he, along with his six brothers – Michael, Kevin
, Brendan
, Liam
, Seán
and Dermot – trained.
club. It was a club which Kevin Fennelly Snr. was instrumental in helping to found in 1972. By 1978 the new club had reached the top of the local hurling world and Fennelly played a key role as Ballyhale captured their first senior county title. This victory allowed the Shamrocks club to represent Kilkenny in the provincial club championship. The final of that competition saw Fennelly’s side take on Dublin champions Crumlin
. A 1-13 to 1-6 victory gave Fennelly his first Leinster
club title. The subsequent All-Ireland club final saw Ballyhale Shamrocks take on Cork’s famous Blackrock
club. A ten-goal thriller saw Blackrock take the title by 5-7 to 5-5.
Fennelly added two further county medals to his collection to make it three in-a-row in 1979 and 1980. This latter victory was later converted into a Leinster club title following a 3-10 to 1-8 victory over Coolderry
of Offaly. Once again Ballyhale Shamrocks reached the All-Ireland final where the star-studded St. Finbarr’s
club from Cork provided the opposition. On that occasion all seven Fennelly brothers lined out in an exciting contest. The sides were level on five occasions during the opening thirty minutes; however, the Shamrocks had the edge. At the full-time whistle Ballyhale were the winners by -15 to 1-11 and Fennelly collected his first All-Ireland
club medal along with his six brothers.
Another brace of county championship victories followed for Fennelly in 1982 and 1983. Once again this latter victory was later converted into a Leinster club title following a six-point victory over Kinnitty of Offaly. Ballyhale later qualified for the All-Ireland final where Galway champions Gort
were the opponents. That game ended in 1-10 apiece draw thanks to a last-minute equalizing point by Dermot Fennelly. The replay took place some time later with Ger Fennelly playing a starring role. His first-half goal was the deciding factor as Ballyhale won the day by 1-10 to 0-7. It was Fennelly’s second All-Ireland club medal.
The rest of the 1980s saw Fennelly bring his county championship tally up to eight with further wins in 1985, 1988 and 1989. The third of these victories was subsequently converted into fourth Leinster club title following a trouncing of the Cuala club from Dublin. Ballyhale later qualified for the All-Ireland final where Limerick and Munster representatives Ballybrown were the opponents. Ballybrown stormed into a six-point lead in the middle of the first-half before Fennelly scored a goal in the twenty-fourth minute. At half-time Ballybrown still led by four points, however, a surge by Ballyhale saw the Kilkenny side claim a 1-16 to 0-16 victory. It was Fennelly’s third All-Ireland medal.
Fennelly won his ninth and final county medal with Ballyhale in 1991.
title in this grade in 1972 when Kilkenny recorded an enormous 7-10 to 0-4 victory over Wexford
. The subsequent All-Ireland final was a repeat of the previous year as Kilkenny lined out against Cork. Fennelly’s team ran riot over the course of the sixty minutes and recorded another huge victory. The 8-7 to 3-9 score line gave Fennelly a coveted All-Ireland
medal at minor level.
Fennelly subsequently joined the Kilkenny under-21 where he enjoyed further successes. After defeat in 1973 he was appointed captain in 1974 and won a Leinster
medal after a 3-8 to 1-4 victory over Wexford. The subsequent All-Ireland final was a novel affair as Waterford
, the surprise winners of the Munster title, provided the opposition. Kilkenny were the favourites going into the game, however, the final was a much closer affair than commentators had previously thought. A narrow 3-8 to 3-7 victory gave Kilkenny the win and gave Fennelly his first All-Ireland
under-21 medal and the honour of collecting the cup. In 1975 Fennelly was in his last year with the under-21 team as Kilkenny continued their provincial dominance. Another huge 3-14 to 0-8 win over Wexford gave Fennelly a second consecutive Leinster under-21 title. Cork provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland final and another interesting encounter developed. A final score of 5-13 to 2-19 gave Kilkenny the victory and gave Fennelly his second consecutive All-Ireland under-21 medal.
Four years later in 1978 Fennelly was sprung from the bench in Kilkenny’s 2-16 to 1-16 defeat of reigning provincial champions Wexford. It was his first Leinster
title on the field of play. Unfortunately, Fennelly played no part in Kilkenny’s subsequent 1-15 to 2-8 defeat by Cork in the All-Ireland final.
In 1979 Fennelly was honoured by being appointed captain of the Kilkenny senior hurling team. That year Kilkenny qualified for the provincial decider once again with Wexford providing the opposition. The game developed into a close affair; however, victory went to ‘the Cats’ by 2-21 to 2-17. It was Fennelly’s second Leinster title. This victory allowed Kilkenny to advance directly to the All-Ireland final. Galway
provided the opposition on that occasion, however, the game turned out to be one of the least exciting finals of the decade. A goal by Noel Lane
after forty-seven minutes gave Galway a two-point lead; however, Galway failed to score for the rest of the game. Kilkenny, on the other hand, scored two long-range goals to secure a 2-12 to 1-8 victory. It was Fennelly’s first All-Ireland
medal on the field of play and he also had the honour of collecting the Liam McCarthy Cup
.
Fennelly was still a key feature of the team in 1980; however, Offaly
emerged as a new force in Leinster in both 1980 and 1981.
In 1982 Fennelly added to his medal collection when Kilkenny captured the National Hurling League
title before later lining out in Croke Park
for the Leinster final. Offaly, the reigning provincial and All-Ireland champions were the opponents on that occasion and an interesting game developed. After a close seventy minutes of hurling Kilkenny emerged victorious by just two points and Fennelly collected his third Leinster winners’ medal. He subsequently lined out in the All-Ireland championship decider against Cork. Christy Heffernan
was the hero of the day as he scored two goals in a forty second spell just before half-time. Fennelly himself captured a third goal in the second-half as Kilkenny completely trounced ‘the Rebels’ by 3-18 to 1-15. This victory gave Fennelly his second All-Ireland medal.
In 1983 Fennelly had one of his best seasons in the black and amber jersey. He began the year by capturing a second consecutive National League victory before lining out in the Leinster final against Offaly. It was their second consecutive meeting in the provincial decider, however, on this occasion the victory was more comprehensive on this occasion. A 1-17 to 0-13 win gave Fennelly his fourth Leinster medal. For the second year in-a-row ‘the Cats’ squared up to Cork in the All-Ireland final. Once again Kilkenny dominated the game, assisted by a strong wind in the first-half, and hung on in the face of a great fight-back by Cork. At the full-time whistle Kilkenny emerged victorious by 2-14 to 2-12. It was Fennelly’s third and final All-Ireland medal. He was later presented with his sole All-Star
award.
Kilkenny’s fortunes took a downturn following this victory as Offaly won the next two Leinster titles. ‘The Cats’ bounced back in 1986 with Fennelly collecting a third National League medal before playing in the provincial decider against Offaly. A comprehensive 4-10 to 1-11 victory gave Fennelly his fifth Leinster winners’ medal. Following this win Kilkenny were firm favourites for the All-Ireland title, however, Galway got the better of them in the All-Ireland semi-final with a 4-12 to 0-13 victory.
In 1987 Kilkenny qualified for the provincial decider once again with Offaly providing the opposition. The game developed into a close affair; however, victory went to ‘the Cats’ by 2-14 to 0-17. It was Fennelly’s sixth and final Leinster title. This victory allowed Kilkenny to advance directly to the All-Ireland final. Galway provided the opposition on that occasion, however, the game turned out to be a drab affair once again. A goal by substitute Noel Lane with seven minutes to gave Galway the edge and they hung on to win by 1-12 to 0-9.
Two years later in 1989 Kilkenny were back in the Leinster final; however, Fennelly was now in the twilight of his career. Offaly, Kilkenny’s biggest rivals of the decade, provided the opposition and an exciting game developed. At the full-time whistle Offaly were the victors by 3-15 to 4-9. Fennelly retired from inter-county hurling shortly afterwards.
in the inter-provincial hurling competition. He played in the Railway Cup finals in 1983 and 1984, however, Fennelly never ended up on the winning side.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
sportsperson. He played hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
with his local club Ballyhale Shamrocks
Ballyhale Shamrocks GAA
Ballyhale Shamrocks is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the parish of Ballyhale in County Kilkenny, Ireland. The club was founded in 1972 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling...
and was a member of the Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
senior inter-county team from 1974 until 1989. Fennelly captained Kilkenny to the All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
title in 1979.
Biography
Ger Fennelly was born in PiltownPiltown
Piltown, historically known as Ballypoyle , is a small village in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It lies on the R698 regional road, which was the N24 national primary road before the locality was bypassed in 2002....
, County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. The territory of the county was the core part of the ancient Irish Kingdom of Osraige which in turn was the core of the Diocese of...
in 1954. The second eldest son of Kevin Fennelly and the former Teresa Hoyne, he was born into a family that had a huge interest in the game of hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
. At the age of seven the entire family moved to Ballyhale
Ballyhale
Ballyhale is a village in County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is south of the city of Kilkenny, roughly half way between Kilkenny and Waterford. The Parish of Ballyhale is made up of three parts; Knockmoylan and the villages of Ballyhale and Knocktopher....
where they purchased a farm. Here Fennelly was educated at the local national school where his hurling skills were first noted and honed by the local teachers, Peadar O’Neill and Joe Dunphy. His skills were also honed on the family farm where he, along with his six brothers – Michael, Kevin
Kevin Fennelly
Kevin Fennelly is a retired Irish hurling manager and former player. He played hurling with his local club Ballyhale Shamrocks and with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from the late 1970s until the late 1980s. Fennelly later served as Kilkenny Senior hurling manager for the 1998 season, and...
, Brendan
Brendan Fennelly
Brendan Fennelly is an Irish former hurling manager and retired player.A member of the famous Fennelly hurling dynasty, he enjoyed a successful playing career at club level with Ballyhale Shamrocks and at inter-county level with Kilkenny...
, Liam
Liam Fennelly
Liam Fennelly is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Ballyhale Shamrocks and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1981 until 1992.-Biography:...
, Seán
Seán Fennelly
Seán Fennelly is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Ballyhale Shamrocks and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1986 until 1989.-Biography:...
and Dermot – trained.
Club
The Fennelly’s have a long association with their local Ballyhale SharmocksBallyhale Shamrocks GAA
Ballyhale Shamrocks is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the parish of Ballyhale in County Kilkenny, Ireland. The club was founded in 1972 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling...
club. It was a club which Kevin Fennelly Snr. was instrumental in helping to found in 1972. By 1978 the new club had reached the top of the local hurling world and Fennelly played a key role as Ballyhale captured their first senior county title. This victory allowed the Shamrocks club to represent Kilkenny in the provincial club championship. The final of that competition saw Fennelly’s side take on Dublin champions Crumlin
Crumlin GAA
Crumlin GAA Club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in Crumlin, Dublin, Ireland.-Origins of the game in Crumlin:As far back as the 1740s Hurling was to be seen in Crumlin. The village was bordered by an area of “Common Land”...
. A 1-13 to 1-6 victory gave Fennelly his first Leinster
Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship
The Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual Hurling tournament played between the winners of the senior club hurling championships of the counties in Leinster. The current holders of the Leinster title are Ballyhale Shamrocks from Kilkenny. The first Leinster senior club hurling...
club title. The subsequent All-Ireland club final saw Ballyhale Shamrocks take on Cork’s famous Blackrock
Blackrock GAA
Blackrock National Hurling Club is a G.A.A. club located on the southside of Cork City, Ireland. The club was founded in 1883 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling.-History:...
club. A ten-goal thriller saw Blackrock take the title by 5-7 to 5-5.
Fennelly added two further county medals to his collection to make it three in-a-row in 1979 and 1980. This latter victory was later converted into a Leinster club title following a 3-10 to 1-8 victory over Coolderry
Coolderry GAA
Coolderry GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the town of Coolderry in County Offaly, Ireland. The club is the most successful side in the Offaly Senior Hurling Championship with a record 29 titles.- History :...
of Offaly. Once again Ballyhale Shamrocks reached the All-Ireland final where the star-studded St. Finbarr’s
St. Finbarr's GAA
St. Finbarr's National Hurling and Football Club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Togher area of Cork city, County Cork, Ireland....
club from Cork provided the opposition. On that occasion all seven Fennelly brothers lined out in an exciting contest. The sides were level on five occasions during the opening thirty minutes; however, the Shamrocks had the edge. At the full-time whistle Ballyhale were the winners by -15 to 1-11 and Fennelly collected his first All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling tournament played between hundreds of senior hurling clubs in Ireland. The Tommy Moore Cup is awarded to the winners. The current champions are Clarinbridge...
club medal along with his six brothers.
Another brace of county championship victories followed for Fennelly in 1982 and 1983. Once again this latter victory was later converted into a Leinster club title following a six-point victory over Kinnitty of Offaly. Ballyhale later qualified for the All-Ireland final where Galway champions Gort
Gort GAA
Gort GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in Gort, County Galway, Republic of Ireland. The club is almost exclusively concerned with hurling...
were the opponents. That game ended in 1-10 apiece draw thanks to a last-minute equalizing point by Dermot Fennelly. The replay took place some time later with Ger Fennelly playing a starring role. His first-half goal was the deciding factor as Ballyhale won the day by 1-10 to 0-7. It was Fennelly’s second All-Ireland club medal.
The rest of the 1980s saw Fennelly bring his county championship tally up to eight with further wins in 1985, 1988 and 1989. The third of these victories was subsequently converted into fourth Leinster club title following a trouncing of the Cuala club from Dublin. Ballyhale later qualified for the All-Ireland final where Limerick and Munster representatives Ballybrown were the opponents. Ballybrown stormed into a six-point lead in the middle of the first-half before Fennelly scored a goal in the twenty-fourth minute. At half-time Ballybrown still led by four points, however, a surge by Ballyhale saw the Kilkenny side claim a 1-16 to 0-16 victory. It was Fennelly’s third All-Ireland medal.
Fennelly won his ninth and final county medal with Ballyhale in 1991.
Minor & under-21
Fennelly first came to prominence on the inter-county scene in the early 1970s as a member of the Kilkenny minor hurling team. He won his first LeinsterLeinster Minor Hurling Championship
The ESB Leinster Minor Hurling Championship is the Minor "knockout" competition in the game of Hurling played in the province of Leinster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Leinster Council...
title in this grade in 1972 when Kilkenny recorded an enormous 7-10 to 0-4 victory over Wexford
Wexford GAA
The Wexford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Wexford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Wexford. The county board is also responsible for the Wexford inter-county teams.-History:Hurling has been played in...
. The subsequent All-Ireland final was a repeat of the previous year as Kilkenny lined out against Cork. Fennelly’s team ran riot over the course of the sixty minutes and recorded another huge victory. The 8-7 to 3-9 score line gave Fennelly a coveted All-Ireland
All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship is an annual competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for competitors under eighteen years of age in the game of hurling played in Ireland.The series of games are played during the summer months with the All-Ireland final...
medal at minor level.
Fennelly subsequently joined the Kilkenny under-21 where he enjoyed further successes. After defeat in 1973 he was appointed captain in 1974 and won a Leinster
Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship
For the Senior equivalent see: Leinster Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe Leinster U-21 Hurling Championship or for sponsorship reasons the Erin Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship is an U-21 hurling tournament. The first tournament took place in 1964 when Wexford were crowned champions. Wexford...
medal after a 3-8 to 1-4 victory over Wexford. The subsequent All-Ireland final was a novel affair as Waterford
Waterford GAA
The Waterford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Waterford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for all levels of Gaelic games in County Waterford. The County Board is also responsible for the Waterford inter-county teams. The county...
, the surprise winners of the Munster title, provided the opposition. Kilkenny were the favourites going into the game, however, the final was a much closer affair than commentators had previously thought. A narrow 3-8 to 3-7 victory gave Kilkenny the win and gave Fennelly his first All-Ireland
All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of hurling played in Ireland...
under-21 medal and the honour of collecting the cup. In 1975 Fennelly was in his last year with the under-21 team as Kilkenny continued their provincial dominance. Another huge 3-14 to 0-8 win over Wexford gave Fennelly a second consecutive Leinster under-21 title. Cork provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland final and another interesting encounter developed. A final score of 5-13 to 2-19 gave Kilkenny the victory and gave Fennelly his second consecutive All-Ireland under-21 medal.
Senior
While still a member of the Kilkenny under-21 team Fennelly joined the county senior panel in 1974. He was a non-playing substitute when Kilkenny won back-to-back Leinster and All-Ireland titles in 1974 and 1975.Four years later in 1978 Fennelly was sprung from the bench in Kilkenny’s 2-16 to 1-16 defeat of reigning provincial champions Wexford. It was his first Leinster
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
The Leinster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Leinster in Ireland....
title on the field of play. Unfortunately, Fennelly played no part in Kilkenny’s subsequent 1-15 to 2-8 defeat by Cork in the All-Ireland final.
In 1979 Fennelly was honoured by being appointed captain of the Kilkenny senior hurling team. That year Kilkenny qualified for the provincial decider once again with Wexford providing the opposition. The game developed into a close affair; however, victory went to ‘the Cats’ by 2-21 to 2-17. It was Fennelly’s second Leinster title. This victory allowed Kilkenny to advance directly to the All-Ireland final. Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
provided the opposition on that occasion, however, the game turned out to be one of the least exciting finals of the decade. A goal by Noel Lane
Noel Lane
Noel Lane is a retired Irish hurling manager and former player. He played hurling with his local club Ballinderreen and with the Galway senior inter-county team from 1977 until 1990. Lane served as manager of the Galway senior inter-county team from 2000 until 2002...
after forty-seven minutes gave Galway a two-point lead; however, Galway failed to score for the rest of the game. Kilkenny, on the other hand, scored two long-range goals to secure a 2-12 to 1-8 victory. It was Fennelly’s first All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
medal on the field of play and he also had the honour of collecting the Liam McCarthy Cup
Liam McCarthy Cup
The MacCarthy Perpetual Challenge Cup is a trophy awarded annually by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the hurling team that wins the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.-The trophy:...
.
Fennelly was still a key feature of the team in 1980; however, Offaly
Offaly GAA
The Offaly County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Offaly GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Offaly...
emerged as a new force in Leinster in both 1980 and 1981.
In 1982 Fennelly added to his medal collection when Kilkenny captured the National Hurling League
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
title before later lining out in Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
for the Leinster final. Offaly, the reigning provincial and All-Ireland champions were the opponents on that occasion and an interesting game developed. After a close seventy minutes of hurling Kilkenny emerged victorious by just two points and Fennelly collected his third Leinster winners’ medal. He subsequently lined out in the All-Ireland championship decider against Cork. Christy Heffernan
Christy Heffernan
Christy Heffernan is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Glenmore and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team in the 1980s and 1990s. Heffernan is regarded as one of Kilkenny's greatest-ever players.-Club:...
was the hero of the day as he scored two goals in a forty second spell just before half-time. Fennelly himself captured a third goal in the second-half as Kilkenny completely trounced ‘the Rebels’ by 3-18 to 1-15. This victory gave Fennelly his second All-Ireland medal.
In 1983 Fennelly had one of his best seasons in the black and amber jersey. He began the year by capturing a second consecutive National League victory before lining out in the Leinster final against Offaly. It was their second consecutive meeting in the provincial decider, however, on this occasion the victory was more comprehensive on this occasion. A 1-17 to 0-13 win gave Fennelly his fourth Leinster medal. For the second year in-a-row ‘the Cats’ squared up to Cork in the All-Ireland final. Once again Kilkenny dominated the game, assisted by a strong wind in the first-half, and hung on in the face of a great fight-back by Cork. At the full-time whistle Kilkenny emerged victorious by 2-14 to 2-12. It was Fennelly’s third and final All-Ireland medal. He was later presented with his sole All-Star
GAA All Stars Awards
The All Stars Awards, currently sponsored by Vodafone, are given annually since 1971 by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the best player in each of the fifteen positions in Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. Additionally, one player in each code is selected as the player of the year...
award.
Kilkenny’s fortunes took a downturn following this victory as Offaly won the next two Leinster titles. ‘The Cats’ bounced back in 1986 with Fennelly collecting a third National League medal before playing in the provincial decider against Offaly. A comprehensive 4-10 to 1-11 victory gave Fennelly his fifth Leinster winners’ medal. Following this win Kilkenny were firm favourites for the All-Ireland title, however, Galway got the better of them in the All-Ireland semi-final with a 4-12 to 0-13 victory.
In 1987 Kilkenny qualified for the provincial decider once again with Offaly providing the opposition. The game developed into a close affair; however, victory went to ‘the Cats’ by 2-14 to 0-17. It was Fennelly’s sixth and final Leinster title. This victory allowed Kilkenny to advance directly to the All-Ireland final. Galway provided the opposition on that occasion, however, the game turned out to be a drab affair once again. A goal by substitute Noel Lane with seven minutes to gave Galway the edge and they hung on to win by 1-12 to 0-9.
Two years later in 1989 Kilkenny were back in the Leinster final; however, Fennelly was now in the twilight of his career. Offaly, Kilkenny’s biggest rivals of the decade, provided the opposition and an exciting game developed. At the full-time whistle Offaly were the victors by 3-15 to 4-9. Fennelly retired from inter-county hurling shortly afterwards.
Provincial
Fennelly also lined out with LeinsterLeinster GAA
The Leinster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Leinster. The Leinster Council has been partnered with the European County Board to help develop Gaelic Games in Europe...
in the inter-provincial hurling competition. He played in the Railway Cup finals in 1983 and 1984, however, Fennelly never ended up on the winning side.
Ballyhale Shamrocks
- All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling ChampionshipAll-Ireland Senior Club Hurling ChampionshipThe All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling tournament played between hundreds of senior hurling clubs in Ireland. The Tommy Moore Cup is awarded to the winners. The current champions are Clarinbridge...
:- Winner (3): 1981, 1984, 1990
- Runner-up (1): 1979
- Leinster Senior Club Hurling ChampionshipLeinster Senior Club Hurling ChampionshipThe Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual Hurling tournament played between the winners of the senior club hurling championships of the counties in Leinster. The current holders of the Leinster title are Ballyhale Shamrocks from Kilkenny. The first Leinster senior club hurling...
:- Winner (4): 1978, 1980, 1983, 1989
- Runner-up (2): 1988, 1991
- Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship:
- Winner (9): 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1991
- Runner-up (3): 1984, 1986, 1987
Kilkenny
- All-Ireland Senior Hurling ChampionshipAll-Ireland Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
:- Winner (5): 1979, 1982, 1983
- Runner-up (1): 1987
- Leinster Senior Hurling ChampionshipLeinster Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe Leinster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Leinster in Ireland....
:- Winner (8): 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987
- Runner-up (1): 1989
- National Hurling LeagueNational Hurling LeagueThe National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
:- Winner (3): 1982, 1983, 1986
- All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling ChampionshipAll-Ireland Under-21 Hurling ChampionshipThe All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of hurling played in Ireland...
:- Winner (2): 1974, 1975
- Leinster Under-21 Hurling ChampionshipLeinster Under-21 Hurling ChampionshipFor the Senior equivalent see: Leinster Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe Leinster U-21 Hurling Championship or for sponsorship reasons the Erin Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship is an U-21 hurling tournament. The first tournament took place in 1964 when Wexford were crowned champions. Wexford...
:- Winner (2): 1974, 1975
- All-Ireland Minor Hurling ChampionshipAll-Ireland Minor Hurling ChampionshipThe GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship is an annual competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for competitors under eighteen years of age in the game of hurling played in Ireland.The series of games are played during the summer months with the All-Ireland final...
:- Winner (1): 1972
- Leinster Minor Hurling ChampionshipLeinster Minor Hurling ChampionshipThe ESB Leinster Minor Hurling Championship is the Minor "knockout" competition in the game of Hurling played in the province of Leinster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Leinster Council...
:- Winner (1): 1972