Henry Shefflin has ended his second spell as manager of Ballyhale Shamrocks.
Shefflin steps away from managing his home club in advance of taking charge of the Kilkenny under-20 hurlers for the upcoming season.
Shefflin, the most decorated player in the history of the game, spent just one year back at the helm of Ballyhale having taken on the role after his tenure in charge of Galway ended in July 2024.
Ballyhale won a record 21st Kilkenny senior hurling championship last October – overcoming O’Loughlin Gaels in the final at Nowlan Park. However, they came up short in Leinster, where they lost to St Martin’s of Wexford in the provincial decider at Croke Park last month.
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In his first stint as Ballyhale manager, Shefflin guided the club to All-Ireland senior titles in 2019 and 2020.
Shefflin’s decision to step away comes as no major surprise though, with the 11-time All Star preparing to manage the Kilkenny under-20 hurlers. Shefflin has assembled a heavy-hitting management team that includes his former intercounty colleague Brian Hogan.
The Cats are the reigning Leinster champions at the grade but lost last year’s All-Ireland decider to Tipperary. Kilkenny last won an All-Ireland under-20 title in 2022. Shefflin succeeds Mark Dowling at the helm.
The draws for the group stages of the 2026 under-20 championship took place last month, with Kilkenny in Group One alongside Galway, Wexford and a tier two qualifier. The under-20 provincial hurling championship will begin in early April.
