Michael Fennelly

His grandfather, Kevin Fennelly Snr, played with Kilkenny in the 1940s, while his uncles - Brendan, Ger, Kevin, Jnr, Liam and Seán - all played for Kilkenny from the 1970s until the 1990s

Fennelly first played competitive hurling at juvenile and underage levels with the Ballyhale Shamrocks club.

After much success in these grades he later won three All-Ireland medals with the club's senior team.

He has also won four Leinster medals and six county senior championship medals.

Fennelly made his debut on the inter-county scene at the age of eighteen when he was selected for the Kilkenny minor team.

He enjoyed one championship season with the minor team, culminating with an All-Ireland medal.

Michael Fennelly (born 28 February 1985) is an Irish hurling manager and former player.

Fennelly first played for Kilkenny as a member of the minor team during the 2003 Leinster Championship.

He made his first appearance for the team on 25 June 2003 when he lined out at midfield in a 4-12 to 0-11 defeat of Dublin.

Fennelly subsequently joined the Kilkenny under-21 team, winning All-Ireland medals in 2004 and 2006.

His league and championship career at senior level with the Kilkenny county team lasted twelve seasons from 2006 until 2017.

By this stage he had also joined the Kilkenny senior team, making his debut during the 2006 league.

Over the course of the next twelve seasons, Fennelly won eight All-Ireland medals, including a record-equalling four championships in-a-row from 2006 to 2009, followed by back-to-back triumphs in 2011 and 2012 and a final two championships in 2014 and 2015.

On 17 March 2007 Ballyhale Shamrocks faced Loughrea in the All-Ireland decider.

On a day when Henry Shefflin and James "Cha" Fitzpatrick were held scoreless, the three Reid brothers contributed 3–7 from play.

A 3–12 to 2–8 victory gave Fennelly an All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship medal.

Fennelly added a second championship medal to his collection in 2007 following a 1–20 to 1–10 drubbing of St. Martin's.

Ballyhale Shamrocks made it three-in-a-row in 2008.

A 2–11 to 0–12 defeat of James Stephens gave Fennelly a third successive championship medal.

He later won a second Leinster medal as the Shamrocks defeated reigning champions Birr by 2–13 to 1–11.

The All-Ireland-winning captain of 2009, he was denied a ninth All-Ireland medal in September 2016.

Fennelly won a fourth successive championship medal in 2009, as Ballyhale claimed a record-equaling four-in-a-row following a 1–14 to 1–11 defeat of James Stephens once again.

The subsequent provincial decider saw Ballyhale hit fifteen wides, however, Fennelly still collected a third Leinster medal following a 1–16 to 1–8 defeat of Tullamore.

On 17 March 2010 Ballyhale faced three-in-a-row Portumna in a "dream" All-Ireland decider.

The game failed to live up to the billing, however, 1–19 to 0–17 victory gave Fennelly a second All-Ireland medal.

Fennelly also won nine Leinster medals, five National Hurling League medals and was named All-Star and Texaco Hurler of the Year in 2011.

He was later joined on the Kilkenny team by his brother Colin.

Five-in-a-row proved beyond Ballyhale Shamrocks, however, the team bounced back in 2012 having lost the championship decider the previous year.

A far from vintage 0–16 to 0–12 defeat of Dicksboro gave Fennelly a fifth championship medal.

Fennelly won a sixth championship medal in 2014 as the Shamrocks claimed a 1–20 to 1–13 defeat of reigning champions Clara.

Fennelly later collected a fourth Leinster medal as veteran Henry Shefflin proved the difference in a 0–21 to 1–14 defeat of Kilcormacv/Killoughey.

On 17 March 2015 Ballyhale faced Kilmallock in the All-Ireland decider.

A complete mismatch saw Shamrocks win the game by 1–18 to 1–6, with Fennelly collecting a third All-Ireland medal.

Fennelly announced his retirement from inter-county hurling on 29 December 2017 and from club hurling on 28 May 2020.

After much success at underage levels, including four successive under-21 championships, Fennelly quickly joined the Ballyhale Shamrocks senior team.

Two years later he was deployed further out the field as Ballyhale faced O'Loughlin Gaels in the senior decider.

An impressive 1–22 to 2–11 victory gave Fennelly his first championship medal.

He later added a Leinster medal to his collection when Ballyhale secured a comprehensive 1–20 to 1–8 defeat of Birr to take the provincial title for the first time in seventeen years.

He managed the Offaly senior hurling team between 2019 and 2022.

Born in Ballyhale, County Kilkenny, Fennelly was brought up in a family that had a strong association with hurling.