Former Kildare hurlers spearheading Tipperary club's drive to capture first county title in 31 years

Two former Kildare hurlers will be lining out for the first time in a Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship final this afternoon when they feature for Borris-Ileigh as they look to dethrone reigning champions Thurles Sarsfields.

Brothers Conor and Niall Kenny were both touted as potential senior stars for the Lilywhites before they transferred down to Tipperary in 2013, with the former being particularly influential for both club and county while living in Kildare. Conor helped Celbridge to three county titles in a row between 2009 and 2011, while also starring for the Kildare U21s and helping the senior side clinch the Division 2B league title in 2012.

Both brothers transferred down to the Munster club in 2013, immediately putting Conor on the radar of the Tipperary intercounty management. They began playing with Borris-Ileigh, a club which is synonymous with the Kenny name as their grandfather and grand-uncles were stars of the team that captured their first senior county title in 1949 and followed that up with another couple of successes in 1950 and 1953. Their father, Philip, who played in goals while also acting as a selector when Celbridge won their first championship title in the modern era in 2005, was on the Borris-Ileigh team that secured three Tipperary SHC wins in 1981, 1983 and 1986.

In an interview with GAA.ie, Philip explained that moving back to Tipperary and playing for Borris-Ileigh was always a decision Conor wanted to make.

“Conor first got a call when he was about 17,” says Kenny. “He was used to going down to Borris-Ileigh for matches and they were on to him to transfer down. We talked about it a good bit and he eventually decided to leave it and we put it on the long finger.

“He went down when he was 20 then and stayed with my mother and my wife's mother and alternated staying between the two of them which was great because they were two widows. He was company for them.

“He always had it in his head that he wanted to hurl down there. He had the opportunity to play minor and U-21 football with Kildare but he just had tunnel vision on playing hurling in Tipperary.

“We then decided to move lock, stock, and barrel back down to Borrisoleigh two years ago so Niall came down with us then. The same as Conor, hurling was always Niall's first love too."

Conor has since played in the league for the Tipperary senior hurlers, but was not part of the panel last year, though he was called into Liam Kearns' football setup at the beginning of 2017. Younger brother Niall has featured for the Premier County's U21 side and both brothers could be an option for Michael Ryan at senior level in 2018, and a win this afternoon would certainly enhance their prospects.