Tom Walsh (Thomastown hurler)

Infobox GAA player
code= Hurling
sport = Hurling


name = Tom Walsh
irish = Tomás Breathnach
fullname = Tom Walsh
placeofbirth = Thomastown
countryofbirth = County Kilkenny
bday=
bmonth=
byear=
dyear=
dday=
dmonth=
height =
nickname =
county = Kilkenny
province = Leinster
club = Thomastown
clposition = Forward
clubs =
clyears =
clapps(points) =
clcounty =
clprovince=
clallireland =
counties = Kilkenny
icposition = Forward
icyears = 1963-1967
icapps(points) =
icprovince = 4
icallireland = 2
allstars =
clupdate =
icupdate =

Tom Walsh (born 1944 in Thomastown, County Kilkenny) is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Thomastown and with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team in the 1960s.

Playing career

Club

Walsh played his club hurling with his local Thomastown club. He enjoyed some success with the club, however, he never won a senior county title.

Inter-county

Walsh first came to prominence on the inter-county scene in 1961 as a membe rof the Kilkenny minor hurling team. That year he won a Leinster title in that grade before later collecting an All-Ireland medal following a victory over Tipperary in the championship decider. In 1962 Walsh captured a second consecutive Leinster title before later winning his second All-Ireland medal in-a-row following another victory over Tipp.

By 1963 Walsh was a key member of the Kilkenny senior team. That year he won his first senior Leinster title before later lining out in his first senior championship decider. Waterford provided the opposition on that occasion and the men from the Deise looked to be cruising to victory. An eleven point lead was cut down and Kilkenny went on to win the game on a score line of 4-17 to 8-8. Walsh, at the age of nineteen, had captured his first senior All-Ireland medal. In 1964 he captured a second Leinster medal before lining out in a second All-Ireland final. Tipperary provided the opposition on that occasion, however, in spite of being favourites Kilkenny were trounced on a score line of 5-13 to 2-8. Two years later in 1966 Walsh captured a coveted National Hurling League medal. He later added a third provincial medal to his collection before lining out in the All-Ireland final against Cork. Once again Kilkenny were favourites, however, 'the Rebels' went on to claim their first All-Ireland title since 1954. In 1967 Walsh captured a fourth Leinster title. The All-Ireland finals aw Kilkenny take on Tipp for the second time in four years. On the day Walsh scored one of Kilkenny's goals, with Paddy Moran and Martin Brennan scoring the other two. A 3-8 to 2-7 victory gave Walsh his second All-Ireland medal. Unfortunately, that game saw Walsh's hurling career come to a premature end as he lost an eye in that decider against Tipperary.

Provincial

Walsh also lined out with Leinster in the inter-provincial hurling competition. He won one Railway Cup medal in 1967.

Teams