Firstly you could state that Birr have been around so long they knew Methuselah before he began using the Max Smile on his facial contours. But you might find more than shaving cream on your face to discover that only three of the team are over 30. So the question of old legs shouldn't arise on that score.

Indeed it could be argued that Birr, with less severe tests both at county and provincial level to date, have the fresher appetite.

Then you could be forgiven for thinking that with Kilkenny the country's double champions in league and championship and Ballyhale holding both titles within the confines of that county, that their team would be full of well-known county men.

Yet if you took the Cha and Henry double act known as the Young Hurler and Hurler of the Year respectively, out of their squad, no one performer would rise to the term "household name". The Offalymen with Joe Errity, Brian Mullins, Niall Claffey, the Hanniffys and the Whelahans would have the higher profile.

In total a dozen of the Birr squad have worn the county jersey in senior fare.

It would be tempting but slightly too tabloidy to bill this fare as a contest between King Henry (of all he surveys) and Prince Brian (of the thousand battles). Both are the generals of the opposing armies but they have a superior quality of footsoldier around them to share the load. There's a premium in the land of the Shamrock and in the shadow of Birr's castle on the virtues of skill and hurling economy. Birr's guile and experience will be matched stride for stride by Ballyhale's enthusiasm and gameplan nous.

Ballyhale have triumphed on pitches which allowed them play a more summer type hurling game; Birr had to slog it out in less than ideal conditions at Parnell Park against Craobh Ciarain in the semi-final, so the sod of O'Moore Park, which suffered following a deluge in the Leinster championship, will once again be in the public eye.

As the next generation of Fennellys filter into the national consciousness with this Kilkenny set-up, you are reminded how good a club team of the late seventies and all of the eighties Ballyhale were, as they annexed four provincial titles ('78-'79, '80'81, '83-'84, '89-'90 and three All Irelands in '81, '84' and '90). No doubt mention will be made too of the last time they were annihilated on this final stage - a 2-14 to 0-3 reverse suffered at the hands of, you guessed it, Birr in 1991.

That was the start of Birr's rise to pre-eminence, with six Leinsters and four All Irelands to their credit since.

Brian Whelahan has been there for all of them and now you could say "the Whel has come full circle" as he is joined by his son Aaron on the panel. Whelahan the younger saw action in the semi-final when he came off the bench to score a late point which, added to the three his father had earlier recorded, made for a very special day.

There would be a certain symmetry if Whelahan the elder was to crown his career with a fairly unique fatherson provincial winning combination at this level.

It would be Roy of the Offaly Rovers stuff and who's to say it won't happen. The King maybe. And the next great young thing on Suirside. TJ Reid. And Cha. And the next generation of Fennellys. . . . maybe the smart thing to do here is to stay a hurler on the ditch and predict a draw. There won't be too many disappointed if we have to watch these thoroughbreds in a replay.

LEINSTER SH CLUB FINAL BIRR (Offaly) v BALLYHALE SHAMROCKS (Kilkenny) O'Moore Park, Portlaoise 2.00