Barrs set to be without dual star for championship

St Finbarr’s are set to be without Billy Hennessy for the upcoming championship campaigns.

In 2022, Hennessy captained the Togher side to win the Co-op SuperStores Premier SHC for the first time in 29 years. By that stage, he had twice been part of victorious Premier SFC-winning squads and, last year, having battled back from a cruciate ligament injury, he was part of an Andy Scannell Cup-winning side for the third time.

However, work commitments have seen Hennessy – who has played senior hurling and football for Cork – relocate to the USA for the time being. Speaking after Tuesday night’s RedFM Hurling League Division 1 defeat to Charleville, Barrs manager Paudie Murray paid tribute to Hennessy’s ability and leadership.

“Billy Hennessy is in the US and will remain there, really,” he said.

“I think people know exactly what Billy does on the pitch, but his leadership around the place is, I suppose, very hard to quantify.

“He’s a massive man within the club, both hurling and football, and will be missed by both teams.”

Hennessy’s absence was felt in Charleville, along with the sizeable inter-county contingent that was unable to feature while others were injured, as the home side beat the Barrs by 0-28 to 0-19.

The Togher side are still in the mix for a league final spot, however, and Murray could take some positives aside from the outcome.

“Coming down here, we knew we were going to be massively short,” he said.

“I think we only probably had two or three that started championship and the key was to be competitive.

“I think, for large parts, we were. Obviously, you'd like to have got a couple more scores but Eoghan Finn played for the first time over 12 months and got through the game and played well, so that's a positive for us.

“We had other fellas getting game-time as well and the next couple of games, with people away and holidays and things that, we’re going to be massively short. As I said to them, we just have to battle on.”

Ultimately, Murray sees the situation as one that can also be framed as an opportunity.

“Where one door closes, another one opens,” he said.

“It gives other players a massive opportunity to lay down a marker. There's no point in coming to us crying at the first week of championship, saying, ‘Why am I not making it?’

“Now is their chance to put down a marker, really, so that’s what we’re expecting.”