Tony Connolly

Infobox GAA player
code= Hurling
sport = Hurling


name = Tony Connolly
irish =
fullname = Tony Connolly
placeofbirth = Cork
countryofbirth = Ireland
dob = 05 / 04 /1941
dob =
height = 5'11
nickname =
county = Cork
province = Munster
club = Blackrock before transferring to St. Finbarr's GAA in 1964
position = Midfield and Half back
clubs = Blackrock and St Finbarrs
years = Blackrock-Up to end of 1963, St Finbarrs-1964 to 1968.
Senior County Championship medals = 3. Two with St Finbarrs One with Blackrock.
Munster = One Munster senior Inter County medal
all Ireland = One Senior All Ireland medal
counties = Cork
position = Half-back and mid-field
years = Minor 1959 Senior 1960 to 1968.
Tony Connolly is a former Republic of Ireland Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Blackrock before transferring to St. Finbarr's after a club dispute and with the Cork GAA Cork senior inter-county team throughout the 1960s.

Connolly played his club hurling with the famous Blackrock Hurling Club and won a senior county medal in 1961 in a team that included Mick Cashman and Jim Brohan.John O Halloran, John Bennett,Michael Waters and Ger O Leary who later played on the 1966 All Ireland winning team with Connolly were also on that Blackrock team.Following a dispute with the club Connolly transferred to St. Finbarr's GAA club on the southside of Cork city. He enjoyed more success with the club, beginning in 1965 when he captured his second Cork Senior Hurling Championship medal defeating UCC in the final. This was later followed by a Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship club title in 1966 when the Barrs defeated Mount Sion of waterford. Connolly won a Third county medal with the Barrs in 1968 defeating Imokilly in the final.

Inter-county

Tony Connolly played a key role in the half-back line on the Cork senior hurling team throughout the 1960s. The early part of the decade was remarkably unsuccessful for the county, however, in 1966 Cork were back, and Connolly captured his first Munster Senior Hurling Championship title. Following a draw against Clare in the first round,Cork won the replay and then defeated Limerick in the Semi final in Killarney. Waterford were the opposition in the Munster Final where Cork won on a scoreline of 4-9 to 2-9 to qualify for their first final in ten years. The county defeated Kilkenny 3-9 to 1-10 in the All Ireland final,giving Connolly a coveted All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship medal as well as giving Cork a first All-Ireland victory since 1954 the day that Christy Ring won his eight medal.He was also a double Cork minor in 1959, winning a munster minor Football medal. Connolly retired from hurling at the age of 27 years following a six month suspension which he received four mpnths after the Munster Semi final of 1968 against Galway who played in Munster at the time.

Teams