Johnny Pilkington

Infobox GAA player
code= Hurling
sport = Hurling


name = Johnny Pilkington
irish = Seán Pilineach
fullname = Johnny Pilkington
placeofbirth = Birr
countryofbirth = County Offaly
dob = 1970
height =
nickname =
county = Offaly
province = Leinster
club = Birr
clposition = Half-forward
clubs =
clyears =
clapps(points) =
clcounty =
clprovince=
clallireland =
counties = Offaly
icposition = Right wing-forward
icyears = 1990-2003
icapps(points) =
icprovince = 3
icallireland = 2
allstars = 1
clupdate =
icupdate = Johnny Pilkington (born 1970) is a former Irish sportsperson. He played senior hurling with the Offaly inter-county team in the 1990s and 2000s.

Early life

Johnny Pilkington was born in Birr, County Offaly in 1970. He was educated locally and in time he would become one of the most popular hurlers ever to play for Offaly.

Playing career

Club

Pilkington played his club hurling with his local Birr club, one of the most successful clubs in Ireland. He enjoyed some success at underage levels before winning his first senior county championship title in 1991. This was later converted into a Leinster club hurling title. Pilkington won a second county medal in 1994, before later claiming a second Leinster and a first All-Ireland club title. Three years later in 1997 he captured another trio of county, provincial and All-Ireland honours at club level. In 1999 Pilkington] won his fourth county title and his fourth Leinster title. The following two seasons were hugely successful for Pilkington as he won back-to-back county, Leinster and All-Ireland medals. Only two other clubs in the history of the All-Ireland championship have achieved such a record. Pilkington won three further county medals in 2003, 2005 and 2006, bringing his medal tally to ten.

Inter-county

Pilkington first came to prominence as e member of the Offaly minor hurling team in mid-1980s. In 1987 he won both Leinster and All-Ireland medals at minor level. He later joined the senior team. In 1989 Pilkington was a member of the Offaly senior panel that won the Leinster Championship. He made his own senior championship debut the following year, in a game against Laois. That year Pilkington claimed his first Leinster medal as a full member of the team, however, his side were defeated in the All-Ireland semi-final. There was some consolation as Pilkington collected his first All-Star award before helping Offaly to win its very first National Hurling League title at the beginning of 1991.

Pilkington won another Leinster title in 1994, before later playing in one of the most famous All-Ireland finals of all-time. With five minutes left in the game, Limerick were leading by five points. Johnny Dooley scored a goal from a 21-yard free which seemed to open the floodgates as Offaly amassed another 1-6 in the remaining few minutes. Offaly had snatched victory away from Limerick and Pilkington had claimed his first All-Ireland title. Offaly were back in 1995 winning another Leinster title, however, in the All-Ireland final victory went to Clare. It was the county’s first All-Ireland win since 1914.

Three years later in 1998 Offaly and Pilkington claimed another All-Ireland title over Kilkenny, having lost the Leinster final to the same team. In 2000 the old foes of Offaly and Kilkenny met again in both the Leinster and All-Ireland finals, however, this time Kilkenny emerged victorious in one of the most one-sided All-Ireland finals in decades.

Following a heavy defeat at the hands of Kilkenny in the 2001 Leinster semi-final Pilkington decided to retire from inter-county hurling. He returned to the Offaly senior team for the 2003 championship.

Teams