Colin Fennelly

Colin Fennelly (born 25 August 1989) is an Irish hurler who plays as a forward for Kilkenny Senior Championship club Ballyhale Shamrocks.

He is a former captain of the Kilkenny senior hurling team.

Fennelly first appeared on the inter-county scene with the Kilkenny minor and under-21 teams, before establishing himself on the Kilkenny senior team, going on to make a combined total of 88 league and championship appearances across ten seasons.

He won 12 trophies with Kilkenny; four All-Ireland titles, five Leinster Championships and three National Hurling League titles.

Fennelly served as captain of the team for two seasons and is also a two-time All-Star.

Fennelly joined the Ballyhale Shamrocks senior team when he was 17 and has been a regular for the team since then.

He has been one of the most prolific club goal-scorers of his era and has won a record five All-Ireland Club Championships.

Fennelly has also won 10 County Championship titles.

Fennelly's uncles, Ger, Kevin and Liam, and his brother, Michael, have won twelve All-Ireland medals between them with Kilkenny.

After much success at underage levels, including four successive under-21 championships, Fennelly quickly joined the Ballyhale Shamrocks senior team in 2006.

That year he shared in his club's championship, Leinster and All-Ireland triumphs, however, Fennelly remained as an unused substitute.

Fennelly first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Kilkenny minor team in 2006.

He won his sole Leinster medal that year following a 4–22 to 1–5 defeat of Carlow.

Fennelly won a first championship medal on the field of play 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, however, he was once again an unused sub as an injury ruled him out of the game.

He later won his first Leinster medal on the field of play as the Shamrocks defeated reigning champions Birr by 2–13 to 1–11.

By 2008 Fennelly had joined the under-21 team.

He collected his first Leinster medal that year following a facile 2–21 to 2–9 defeat of Offaly.

Old rivals Tipperary provided the opposition in the All-Ireland decider.

Tipp whittled down a six-point half-time deficit to just two with minutes to go, however, Kilkenny hung on to win by 2–13 to 0–15, secure the Grand Slam of championship titles give Fennelly an All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship medal.

Fennelly won a fourth successive championship medal, his second on the field of play, 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 second Leinster medal following a 1–16 to 1–8 defeat of Tullamore.

Fennelly collected a second successive Leinster medal in 2009, as a brace of Jonjo Farrell goals helped Kilkenny to a 2–20 to 1–19 defeat of Dublin.

Clare later faced Kilkenny in their first ever All-Ireland decider.

A late point from midfielder Cormac O'Donovan gave Clare a narrow 0–15 to 0–14 victory.

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 his first All-Ireland medal on the field of play.

Fennelly made his senior championship debut on 11 June 2011 in a 1–26 to 1-15 Leinster semi-final defeat of Wexford.

A subsequent 4–17 to 1–15 defeat of Dublin gave "the Cats" a record-equalling seventh successive championship.

It was Fennelly's first Leinster medal.

Kilkenny subsequently faced Tipperary in a record-breaking sixth successive All-Ireland decider on 4 September 2011.

Goals by Michael Fennelly and Richie Hogan in either half gave Kilkenny, who many viewed as the underdogs going into the game, a 2–17 to 1–16 victory.

It was Fennelly's first All-Ireland medal.

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 third championship medal.

2012 began well for Fennelly when he collected a first National Hurling League medal following a 3–21 to 0-16 demolition of old rivals Cork.

Kilkenny were later shocked by Galway in the Leinster decider, losing by 2–21 to 2–11, however, both sides subsequently met in the All-Ireland decider on 9 September 2012.

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

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