Paul Shefflin, brother of Kilkenny hurling great Henry, dies at 40

In a glittering club career spanning the best part of two decades, Mr Shefflin, who played predominantly as a half-back, won three senior All-Ireland medals, four Leinster SHC titles as well as six senior county crowns. He also claimed a Fitzgibbon Cup medal alongside Henry for WIT in 1999.

Born in June 1981, he captained the Kilkenny minors in 1998 when they claimed the Leinster title before they lost the All-Ireland final to Cork. He won his first senior county medal in 2006 when he was corner-back on the Shamrocks side that beat O’Loughlin Gaels, a triumph that would be the first of four in a row for the club.

He followed it up with a provincial medal later that year as Shamrocks defeated Birr in the final and the Tommy Moore Cup arrived the following March as Loughrea were dismissed. His last senior honour in a playing capacity came in the 2015 All-Ireland final against Kilmallock.

Speaking before that game, he recalled the equivalent victory against Portumna in 2010 as his greatest hurling memory. Shamrocks ended the Galway side’s three-in-a-row aspirations having lost to them in the previous season’s All-Ireland semi-final.

Mr Shefflin was director of finance in Clonmedica, a division of Clonmel Healthcare. He is one of seven children, four boys and three girls Aileen, Helena and Cecilia, born to Henry senior and Mae Shefflin. Older brothers Tommy and John also won All-Ireland honours with Kilkenny at under-age level. Henry and Paul were the youngest of the siblings.

Henry Shefflin had been due to take charge of Galway in this evening’s Division 1, Group A game against Cork in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.