Coill Dubh manager and Kiltale clubman Paddy Kelly was delighted with the fighting spirit shown by his players as they claimed their eleventh county SHC title at St Conleth's Park last Sunday.

The untimely passing of clubman Chris Delaney left a cloud over their preparations, but in one sense it united Coill Dubh and the man himself would have been smiling down on them on Sunday afternoon.

The former Meath hurler admitted to the Leinster Leader that they have had a difficult run to the final on and off the field and he stressed that made the win all the more sweeter.

"It's been unbelievable what we're after coming through," said Kelly. We played Celbridge in the quarterfinal and we lost both Mark Delaney and Ryan Casey to injury that day. Then Mark Delaney lost his father in between that and the drawn semi-final against Confey.

"We then had to replay with Confey and with only a week between then and the final, it's been hectic and deeply emotional but the battling and the heart in the performance until the end was unbelievable."

Kelly will be hoping to see his native club Kiltale achieve a similar feat in Meath this weekend when they take on Kildalkey in the SHC final where his two sons Padraig and James will line out for the defending champions.

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