Batt Thornhill

Infobox GAA player
code= Hurling
sport = Hurling


name = Batt Thornhill
irish = Parthalan O' Droighnean
fullname = Batt Thornhill
placeofbirth = Buttevant
countryofbirth = County Cork
dob =
height =
nickname =
county = Cork
province = Munster
club = Buttevant
clposition = Full Back
clubs =
clyears =
clapps(points) =
clcounty =
clprovince=
clallireland =
counties = Cork
icposition = Full Back
icyears = 1930s-1940s
icapps(points) =
icprovince = 4
icallireland = 4
nhl = 2
allstars =
clupdate =
icupdate = Batt Thornhill was an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Buttevant and with the Cork senior inter-county team in the 1930s and 1940s. Thornhill is one of only nine players to have won four consecutive All-Ireland medals.

Thornhill first tasted success in 1939 when he won his first Munster medal. Unfortunately, Cork were later defeated by Kilkenny in the famous ‘thunder and lightning’ All-Ireland Hurling Final. Cork bounced back in 1940, with Thornhill collecting his first National Hurling League medal, however, Cork failed in their championship campaign. Thornhill collected a second National League medal in 1941, however, the Munster and All-Ireland championships were severely hampered due to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. As a result of this Cork were declared the Munster champions after defeating Limerick and automatically qualified to play Dublin in the All-Ireland final. The game turned into a rout as Cork beat ‘the Dubs’ by twenty points and Thornhill collected his first All-Ireland medal. In the delayed Munster final, however, Tipperary defeated Cork.

Thornhill began 1942 by winning his first Railway Cup medal with Munster. Cork later defeated Tipperary in the provincial final, giving Thornhill his first Munster title. He later added a second All-Ireland medal to his collection following a second consecutive defeat of Dublin in the final. A second Railway Cup medal came Thornhill’s way in 1943, before he collected a second Munster title. He later won a third consecutive All-Ireland medal following a huge win over Antrim in the championship decider. 1944 was an historic year for Cork and for Thornhill. He began the year by winning a third consecutive Railway Cup medal with Munster. This was soon followed by a fourth Munster title following a victory in a replay over Limerick. Cork later went on to defeat Dublin in the championship decider giving Cork and Thornhill a fourth All-Ireland title in-a-row.

No other team in the history of hurling has won four consecutive championships. It is an honour that Thornhill shares with just eight other players. He retired from inter-county hurling shortly afterwards, where he dedicated his time to the running of the Buttevant GAA Club. The current Buttevant GAA grounds was purchased by Batt and a member of the clergy and trusted to the board of the GAA Club. Batt donated his four All-Ireland Medals to the Church to be melted down after a call from the local Catholic Church who required gold for the creation of a processional cross. His house and barber shop are still a focal point in the town of Buttevant.

Thornhill's son Bobby led Blackrock to their first County Minor Championship in 1994, their first and currently only win since 1974. Following this Bobby was awarded with a position as Cork minor hurling selector, a position which he filled for two separate terms (1994-1998, 2002-2004). While part of the Cork Minor set up, Cork Minor Hurlers won the Munster and All-Ireland Minor Championship in 1998 with a team including current Cork senior hurlers Donal Og Cusack, Sean Og O'Halpin, Timmy McCarthy, and Joe Deane. In his second term as Cork minor selector, the minor team went on to win the Munster hurling championship in 2005 and 2006. A number of this team has also gone on to represent the county senior team, inculding Cathal Naughton, Shane O' Neil and Patrick Cronin.

Currently, Bobby is training Ballygarvan Intermediate hurlers and the Cork Intermediate and Minor Camogie teams.

References

* [http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/2005/06/25/story958326056.asp Special rivalry, special memories]