Croke Park the latest step along Holden's journey

The problem with playing for Kilkenny and Ballyhale Shamrocks in recent years is that it can be hard to keep up with the numbers.

In the last 15 years, Shamrocks have lifted the Tommy Moore Cup on four occasions, while the Cats have landed Liam MacCarthy half a dozen times.

Throw in replays and final defeats, and you have players who straddle both teams with no shortage of medals and big-game experience.

Decorated defender Joey Holden is among that select group, and will be seeking a seventh All-Ireland on Sunday.

The only question ahead of the decider against Dunloy is when asked how many finals he has played in at this stage.

"I haven't counted back, there’s been a few alright," he says after a pause.

Since making breaking onto the Ballyhale panel in 2008 and getting the call from Brian Cody in 2014, he has been involved in nine finals all told, plus the 2014 replay against Tipperary where he was dropped by Brian Cody.

What will make this occasion significantly different to the others is the fact his father Patrick won’t be around to support his son. Or indeed dissect the game afterwards.

Holden spoke recently how just three weeks after his return home from San Francisco last year, his father, and former chairman of the club, passed away.

His loss is keenly felt, but even from a hurling perspective, Holden senior was always keen to check in after games for the lowdown.

"Every Monday or Tuesday he would ring and there would be a debrief. Even after the Kilkenny games I would have been living with the likes of Colin Fennelly and Padraig Walsh and I’d have to judge how they performed the day before and that would dictate whether I answered the phone in the room or if I’d have to go upstairs.

"He’d be fairly frank. He’d say, "Padraig