Ballyhale are on the cusp of history but TJ Reid is only focussed on beating Kilcormac-Killoughey.

Should the Kilkenny champions overcome their Offaly counterparts in this year's Leinster senior club hurling championshuip final, they will collect a record eighth provincial title.

But team captain Reid is only concered with winning the next game and keeping the Shamrocks' season alive:

"It's always nice to hear those things, that we could beat Birr's record, but on the day we'll just be concentrating on winning the Leinster final," he states in The Irish Times.

"We keep saying to ourselves, we might never get this chance again with the players we have. So we want to give it 100%. We'll work hard over the next two weeks and really concentrate on the Offaly champions because they are a very good side."

Reid also admits he was surprised to learn of Tommy Walsh's intercounty retirement: "I was certainly very surprised. I got a text last week, from Tommy, thinking it would be something like, 'best of luck at the weekend'. So it was a big shock to the system.

"I often marked him when he was half-back, in his prime, and under the high ball, low ball, he was just a tigerish man for the ball. He gave us great leadership and spirit in the dressing-room.

"I think he could have played on, yeah. He's 31, so it's a reasonably young age, but obviously he spoke to his family and friends first and he's made his decision."

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