Joe Connolly (born 13 October 1956) is an Irish former
hurler who played as a centre-forward at senior level for the
Galway county team.
Born in
Castlegar, County Galway, Connolly first played competitive hurling whilst at school in
St Mary's College, Galway. He arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of sixteen when he first linked up with the Galway minor team, before later joining the under-21 side. He made his senior debut in the
1976 championship. Connolly went on to play a key role for Galway for almost a decade, and won one
All-Ireland
All-Ireland (sometimes All-Island) refers to all of Ireland, as opposed to the separate jurisdictions of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. "All-Ireland" is most frequently used to refer to sporting teams or events for the entire islan ...
medal. An All-Ireland runner-up on two occasions, Connolly captained Galway to the All-Ireland title in 1980.
As a member of the
Connacht
Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Delbhn ...
inter-provincial team at various times, Connolly won two
Railway Cup
The GAA Interprovincial Championship ( ga, An Corn Idir-Chúigeach) or Railway Cup (''Corn an Iarnróid'') is the name of two annual Gaelic football and hurling competitions held between the provinces of Ireland. The Connacht, Leinster, Munster ...
medals. At club level he is a one-time
All-Ireland
All-Ireland (sometimes All-Island) refers to all of Ireland, as opposed to the separate jurisdictions of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. "All-Ireland" is most frequently used to refer to sporting teams or events for the entire islan ...
medallist with
Castlegar. In addition to this he also won two
Connacht
Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Delbhn ...
medals and two
championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
medals.
With
University College Galway
The University of Galway ( ga, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe) is a public research university located in the city of Galway, Ireland. A tertiary education and research institution, the university was awarded the full five QS stars for excellence in 201 ...
, Connolly won one
Fitzgibbon Cup
The Fitzgibbon Cup ( ga, Corn Mhic Giobúin) is the trophy for the premier hurling championship among higher education institutions (universities, colleges and institutes of technology) in Ireland.
The Fitzgibbon Cup competition is administered ...
medal.
Throughout his career Connolly made 22 championship appearances for Galway. His retirement came following the conclusion of the
1984 championship.
As the third eldest of the Connolly dynasty, many of his brothers,
John
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Secon ...
, Pádraic,
Michael
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name "Michael"
* Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...
, Tom, Gerry and Murt, played with distinction for Castlegar and Galway. His son,
Barry Connolly, has lined out for the
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
senior team.
In retirement from playing, Connolly became involved in team management and coaching. He has served as a selector with the Galway senior team, while at club level he also served as manager of the Castlegar senior team.
Playing career
University
During his tenure at
University College Galway
The University of Galway ( ga, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe) is a public research university located in the city of Galway, Ireland. A tertiary education and research institution, the university was awarded the full five QS stars for excellence in 201 ...
, Connolly was a key member of the university's senior hurling team. In 1977 he lined out at full-forward as UCG reached the final of the inter-varsities championship. A 1–14 to 1–12 defeat of
St Patrick's College, Maynooth
St Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth ( ga, Coláiste Naoimh Phádraig, Maigh Nuad), is the "National Seminary for Ireland" (a Roman Catholic college), and a pontifical university, located in the town of Maynooth, from Dublin, Ireland. ...
gave him a
Fitzgibbon Cup
The Fitzgibbon Cup ( ga, Corn Mhic Giobúin) is the trophy for the premier hurling championship among higher education institutions (universities, colleges and institutes of technology) in Ireland.
The Fitzgibbon Cup competition is administered ...
medal.
He earned his B.A. from the university in 1978.
Club
Connolly joined the Castlegar senior hurling panel in 1974, however, the team were beaten in their quest for three championships in-a-row.
In 1979 Connolly was a key member of the team as Castlegar reached the championship final. First-time finalists
Kinvara
Kinvara or Kinvarra () is a sea port village in the southwest of County Galway, Ireland. It is located in the Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish of Kinvarradoorus in the north of the Barony (Ireland), barony of Kiltartan. Kinvarra is also ...
faced an uphill battle against roll of honour leaders Castlegar. A 2–13 to 0–6 victory gave Connolly his first
championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
medal. Old rivals Tremane provided the opposition in the subsequent provincial decider, however, a 4–12 to 0–5 victory gave Connolly a third Connacht medal. Castlegar later became the first team from Connacht to qualify for the All-Ireland decider.
Antrim and
Ulster
Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...
champions
Ballycastle provided the opposition, as Connolly and his four brothers faced six Donnelly brothers on the opposing team.
Olcan McLaverty scored a goal in the first half, however, this failed to ignite the Ballycastle attack. Five minutes into the second half
Liam Mulryan turned a Connolly pass into the net to take the lead. Ballycastle cut this led to just a point, however, two points from brothers Gerry and Joe Connolly set up a 1–11 to 1–8 victory and an
All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Club Championship, known simply as the All-Ireland Club Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county club hurlin ...
medal for Connolly.
After losing back-to-back championship decider in 1982 and 1983, Castlegar were under pressure to deliver in 1984. A 3–10 to 0–11 victory over
Killimordaly
Killimordaly () is a rural village and civil parish in County Galway, Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east ...
gave Connolly his second championship medal.
Tooreen fell by 2–15 to 2–7 in the subsequent provincial final, giving Connolly a fourth Connacht medal. Castlegar later faced
St. Martin's of Kilkenny in the All-Ireland decider. Tom Moran scored two goals which seemed to put St. Martin's in the driving seat, however, a goal by Kilkenny man Martin O'Shea for Castlegar secured a draw. The replay saw Tom Moran take centre stage once again, as St. Martin's secured a 1–13 to 1–10 victory.
Inter-county
Connolly first came to prominence on the inter-county scene with the Galway minor and under-21 teams, however, he enjoyed little success in these grades. He made his senior championship debut on 18 July 1976 in a 3–12 to 3–9 All-Ireland quarter-final defeat of
Kerry
Kerry or Kerri may refer to:
* Kerry (name), a given name and surname of Gaelic origin (including a list of people with the name)
Places
* Kerry, Queensland, Australia
* County Kerry, Ireland
** Kerry Airport, an international airport in Count ...
.
After three years of penultimate stage defeats, Galway shocked four-in-a-row hopefuls
Cork
Cork or CORK may refer to:
Materials
* Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product
** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container
***Wine cork
Places Ireland
* Cork (city)
** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
in the All-Ireland semi-final and qualified for an All-Ireland final showdown with
Kilkenny
Kilkenny (). is a city in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region and in the province of Leinster. It is built on both banks of the River Nore. The 2016 census gave the total population of Kilkenny as 26,512.
Kilken ...
in 1979. In one of the worst All-Ireland finals of the decade, Galway goalkeeper
Séamus Shinnors
James N. Shinnors''s (born 1945) is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Newport and with the Tipperary and Galway senior inter-county teams in the 1970s.
Early life
Séamus Shinnors was born in Newport, Cou ...
had an absolute nightmare of a game. A 70-yards free by
Liam "Chunky" O'Brien after just four minutes dipped, hit off Shinnors and ended up in the Galway net. Galway fought back and went two points up twelve minutes into the second half, however, they failed to score for the rest of the game. Four minutes before the end of the game another long-range free for Kilkenny ended up in the net behind Shinnors. It was a score which summed up the day for Connolly's side as Kilkenny went on to win by 2–12 to 1–8.
In 1980 Connolly was appointed captain as Galway defeated
Kildare
Kildare () is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. , its population was 8,634 making it the 7th largest town in County Kildare. The town lies on the R445, some west of Dublin – near enough for it to have become, despite being a regional cen ...
and
Offaly
County Offaly (; ga, Contae Uíbh Fhailí) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe. It was formerly known as King's County, in hono ...
to reach a second consecutive All-Ireland final. Munster champions
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
provided the opposition on this occasion and an exciting championship decider followed.
Bernie Forde
Bernie Forde (born 5 November 1957) is an Irish retired hurler who played as a right corner-forward for the Galway senior team.
Born in Ardrahan, County Galway, Forde first played competitive hurling in his youth. He made his first impress ...
and
P. J. Molloy goals for Galway meant that the men from the west led by 2–7 to 1–5 at half-time.
Éamonn Cregan
Éamonn Cregan (born 21 May 1945) is an Irish former Gaelic footballer, hurler and manager. He is best remembered for his success with Limerick, as a player in the 1970s and then as manager of various club and inter-county teams in the 1980s a ...
single-handedly launched the Limerick counter-attack in the second-half. Over the course of the game he scored 2–7, including an overhead goal and a point in which he showed the ball to full-back
Conor Hayes
Conor Hayes (born 11 May 1958) is an Irish former hurler who played as a full-back at senior level for the Galway county team.
Born in Kiltormer, County Galway, Hayes first played competitive hurling in his youth. He made his first impressi ...
and nonchalantly drove the ball over the bar. It was not enough to stem the tide and Galway went on to win the game by 2–15 to 3–9. It was the county's first All-Ireland title since 1923 and the celebrations surpassed anything ever seen in
Croke Park
Croke Park ( ga, Páirc an Chrócaigh, ) is a Gaelic games stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Named after Archbishop Thomas Croke, it is referred to as Croker by GAA fans and locals. It serves as both the principal national stadium of Ireland and he ...
. It took Connolly ten minutes to reach the rostrum in the Hogan Stand to collect the
Liam MacCarthy Cup
The Liam MacCarthy Cup is a trophy awarded annually by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) to the team that wins the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, the main competition in the prehistoric sport of hurling. Based on the design of a ...
, however, once there he delivered, in his native Irish, one of the most famous acceptance speeches of all-time.
''"People of Galway, after fifty-seven years the All-Ireland title is back in Galway...It's wonderful to be from Galway on a day like today. There are people back in Galway with wonder in their hearts, but also we must remember (Galway) people in England, in America, and round the world and maybe they are crying at this moment…People of Galway, we love you!"''
The final phrase is an echo of
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
's address to the young people of Ireland the previous year. The celebrations did not just end with Connolly's speech as
Joe McDonagh
Joseph McDonagh (November 1953 – 20 May 2016) was an Irish hurler and, later, Gaelic games administrator, who served as the president of the Gaelic Athletic Association from 1997 until 2000. He played hurling with his club Ballinderree ...
seized the microphone and lead the crowd in a version of the West's Awake. Connolly rounded of the year by collecting an
All-Star award, as well as being named as the
Texaco Hurler of the Year
The Texaco Hurler of the Year was a hurling award, created in 1958, that honoured the achievements of a hurler of outstanding excellence. The award was part of the Texaco Sportstars Awards, in which Irish sportspeople from all fields were honour ...
.
1981 saw Galway reach a third consecutive All-Ireland final and Offaly were the opponents. Everything seemed to be going well for Connolly's side as Galway hoped to capture a second consecutive All-Ireland title. Offaly 'keeper
Damien Martin
Damien Martin (born 2 October 1946) is an Irish former hurler who played as a goalkeeper for the Offaly senior hurling team.
Born in Banagher, County Offaly, Martin first arrived on the inter-county scene when he first linked up with the Off ...
was doing great work in batting out an almost certain Galway goal early in the second-half. With twenty-three minutes left in the game Galway led by six points, however, they failed to score for the rest of the game.
Johnny Flaherty
Johnny Flaherty (born 1949 in Kinnitty, County Offaly) is a former Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Kinnitty and with the Offaly senior inter-county team in the 1970s and 1980s.
Playing career Club
Flaherty played h ...
hand-passed Offaly's second goal with just three minutes remaining. At the long whistle Galway were defeated by 2–12 to 0–15.
The following few years proved difficult as Galway were knocked out of the championship at the All-Ireland semi-final stages in 1982 and 1983. Connolly retired from inter-county hurling following a serious knee injury in 1984.
Inter-provincial
Connolly also lined out with
Connacht
Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Delbhn ...
in the inter-provincial series of games and enjoyed much success.
In 1979 Connolly was at centre-forward as Connacht reached the inter-provincial decider. A 1–13 to 1–9 defeat by
Leinster
Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of Ir ...
was the result on that occasion. Connolly retained the same position on the team and was appointed captain in 1980 as Connacht faced
Railway Cup
The GAA Interprovincial Championship ( ga, An Corn Idir-Chúigeach) or Railway Cup (''Corn an Iarnróid'') is the name of two annual Gaelic football and hurling competitions held between the provinces of Ireland. The Connacht, Leinster, Munster ...
specialists
Munster
Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following the ...
in the decider. A low-scoring game followed, however, a 1–5 to 0–7 victory gave Connacht their first Railway Cup title since 1947. It was Connolly's first winners' medal in the inter-pro competition.
Connacht reached the Railway Cup final again in 1982. A 3–8 to 2–9 victory over Leinster gave Connolly his second Railway Cup medal.
Managerial career
Galway
In 2008 Connolly became a selector with the Galway senior hurling team, under the management of
John McIntyre. The highlight of his three years as a selector was a 2–22 to 1–17 defeat of Cork in 2010 to take the National League title.
Castlegar
Connolly has also served as manager of the Castlegar senior hurling team.
Broadcasting
Connolly has served as a non-executive director of Irish-language channel
TG4
TG4 ( ga, TG Ceathair, ) is an Irish free-to-air public service television network. The channel launched on 31 October 1996 and is available online and through its on demand service TG4 Player in Ireland and beyond.
TG4 was formerly known ...
for a number of years. He has also worked as an analyst on ''
Seó Spóirt
''Seó Spóirt'' is an Irish language sports talk-show that is broadcast weekly on Friday evenings on TG4. Focusing on GAA and rugby union, the show runs each year from spring to autumn, covering the main competitions in both codes.
Seó Spóir ...
'' and has co-hosted reality show ''
Jockey Eile'' with
Seán Bán Breathnach
Seán Bán Breathnach (born 1949) is an Irish radio and television broadcaster and personality. He broadcasts primarily in the medium of the Irish language.
Early life and career
Born in the Connemara area of County Galway, Breathnach moved to ...
.
Personal life
Born in
Castlegar on the outskirts of
Galway
Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...
, Connolly was educated at Briarhill national school and later attended
St Mary's College. After completing his
Leaving Certificate
A secondary school leaving qualification is a document signifying that the holder has fulfilled any secondary education requirements of their locality, often including the passage of a final qualification examination.
For each leaving certifica ...
in 1974, he completed a Bachelor of Arts in Irish and Geography at University College Galway, before later qualifying as a secondary school teacher in 1979. In spite of this he later worked as a sales director with Connolly Sports, a sportswear manufacturing company.
Honours
Player
;University College Galway
*
Fitzgibbon Cup
The Fitzgibbon Cup ( ga, Corn Mhic Giobúin) is the trophy for the premier hurling championship among higher education institutions (universities, colleges and institutes of technology) in Ireland.
The Fitzgibbon Cup competition is administered ...
(1): 1976–77
;Castlegar
*
All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Club Championship, known simply as the All-Ireland Club Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county club hurlin ...
(1): 1980
*
Connacht Senior Club Hurling Championship
The Connacht Senior Club Hurling Championship was an annual hurling tournament played between the senior hurling clubs in Connacht contested from 1970 until 2007 when it was discontinued due to a lack of meaningful opposition for the Galway cham ...
(2): 1979, 1984
*
Galway Senior Club Hurling Championship
The Galway Senior Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Brooks Galway Senior Hurling Championship) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Galway County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for th ...
(2): 1979, 1984
;Galway
*
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship, known simply as the All-Ireland Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurling competition i ...
(1):
1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC.
* January 9 – ...
;Connacht
*
Railway Cup
The GAA Interprovincial Championship ( ga, An Corn Idir-Chúigeach) or Railway Cup (''Corn an Iarnróid'') is the name of two annual Gaelic football and hurling competitions held between the provinces of Ireland. The Connacht, Leinster, Munster ...
(2): 1980 (c), 1982
Individual
;Awards
*
Texaco Hurler of the Year
The Texaco Hurler of the Year was a hurling award, created in 1958, that honoured the achievements of a hurler of outstanding excellence. The award was part of the Texaco Sportstars Awards, in which Irish sportspeople from all fields were honour ...
(1): 1980
*
All-Star (1): 1980
External links
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Connolly, Joe
1956 births
Living people
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship winners
Alumni of the University of Galway
Castlegar hurlers
Gaelic games writers and broadcasters
Galway inter-county hurlers
Connacht inter-provincial hurlers
Hurling forwards
Hurling managers
Hurling selectors
University of Galway hurlers
TG4 people