Kevin Hennessy (born 8 March 1961) is an Irish retired
hurler who played as a left-corner forward for the
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 ...
senior team.
Born in
Midleton
Midleton (; , meaning "monastery at the weir") is a town in south-eastern County Cork, Ireland. It lies approximately 16 km east of Cork City on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare. A satellit ...
,
County Cork
County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns are ...
, Hennessy first arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of 18 when he first linked up with the Cork minor team, before later lining out with the under-21 side. He made his senior debut in the
1982 championship. Hennessy went on to play a key part for over a decade, and won three
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 ...
medals and seven
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 ...
medals. He was an All-Ireland runner-up on three occasions.
Hennessy represented the
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 ...
inter-provincial team in the early stages of his career, winning 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 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, two
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 ...
medals and four
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
Midleton
Midleton (; , meaning "monastery at the weir") is a town in south-eastern County Cork, Ireland. It lies approximately 16 km east of Cork City on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare. A satellit ...
.
Throughout his career Hennessy made 22 championship appearances for Cork. He retired from inter-county hurling following the conclusion of the
1993 championship.
Playing career
Club
Hennessy played his club
hurling
Hurling ( ga, iománaíocht, ') is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic Irish origin, played by men. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goals, the number of p ...
with the
Midleton
Midleton (; , meaning "monastery at the weir") is a town in south-eastern County Cork, Ireland. It lies approximately 16 km east of Cork City on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare. A satellit ...
club in
East Cork
East Cork lies in south-west Ireland, in Ireland's largest county, County Cork. The term "East Cork" is used in tourism, sporting and other contexts, and is the name given to one of eight municipal districts of Cork County Council.
East Cork con ...
and came to prominence just as the club joined the senior ranks of the county championship. He won his first senior
county senior championship title with the club in 1983. It was Midleton's first senior county final triumph since 1916. Hennessy's side later had the honour of representing Cork in the provincial club championship. A 1–14 to 1-11 defeat of Tipperary's
Borrisoleigh
Borrisoleigh () is a small town in County Tipperary, Ireland. At the 2016 census, it had a population of 679. In recent years the population has exceeded 1,000 while historically the population has been around 8,000. It is in the ecclesiastical ...
in the replay of provincial decider gave Fenton a
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 ...
club winners' medal. Midleton were later defeated by
Gort
Gort ( or ) is a town of around 3,000 inhabitants in County Galway in the west of Ireland. Located near the border with County Clare, the town lies between the Burren and the Slieve Aughty and is served by the R458 and R460 regional roads, wh ...
in the All-Ireland club semi-final.
Three years later in 1986 Hennessy captured a second county title before adding a third county winners' medal to his collection in 1987. Later that year Midleton won a second Munster club title following a one-point win over
Cappawhite
Cappawhite, also Cappaghwhite (), is a village in County Tipperary, Ireland and is located on the R505 regional road from Cashel to County Limerick. Close major towns near the village include Tipperary Town which is 12 kilometres south of the v ...
of Tipperary. On
St. Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick ( ga, Lá Fhéile Pádraig, lit=the Day of the Festival of Patrick), is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (), the foremost patr ...
, 1988 Midleton lined out in the All-Ireland club final.
Athenry
Athenry (; ) is a town in County Galway, Ireland, which lies east of Galway city. Some of the attractions of the medieval town are its town wall, Athenry Castle, its priory and its 13th century street-plan. The town is also well known by virtu ...
of Galway provided the opposition, however, two early goals by Hennessy and a kicked goal by Colm O'Neill gave Midleton a 3–8 to 0–9 victory. This victory also gave Hennessy an
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 ...
club winners' medal.
Hennessy won a fourth and final county title with the club in 1991.
He was also a
Cork Senior Football Championship
The Cork Premier Senior Football Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Bon Secours Cork Premier Senior Hurling Championship and abbreviated to the Cork PSFC) is an annual club Gaelic football competition organised by the Cork Count ...
winner with
Imokilly
Imokilly ( ga, Uí Mhic Coille) is one of the baronies of Ireland, an historical geographical unit of land. Its chief town is Youghal. It is one of 24 baronies in the county of Cork. Other neighbouring baronies include Barrymore to the west (wh ...
in
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...
. He also won a
Cork Intermediate Football Championship
The Cork Intermediate A Football Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as Bon Secours Cork County Intermediate A Football Championship and abbreviated to the Cork IAFC) is an annual Gaelic football competition organised by the Cork Count ...
in 1984 with
Midleton
Midleton (; , meaning "monastery at the weir") is a town in south-eastern County Cork, Ireland. It lies approximately 16 km east of Cork City on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare. A satellit ...
.
Minor and under-21
Hennessy first came to prominence on the inter-county scene with
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 early 1970s. In 1979 he enjoyed his first success in the minor grade. Hennessy began the year by winning a
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 ...
minor hurling title following a 3–17 to 404 defeat of
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 ...
. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Cork take on
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 ...
. A close game ensued, however, at the final whistle Cork were the champions by 2–11 to 1–9, giving Hennessy an
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 ...
minor hurling winners' medal.
Hennessy later joined the Cork under-21 hurling team and enjoyed the ultimate success in 1982. That year he captured a
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 ...
winners' title in that grade as Limerick were easily accounted for. The subsequent All-Ireland final pitted Cork against
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 ...
. A marrow 0–12 to 0–11 victory gave Hennessy an
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 ...
under-21 winners' medal.
Senior
Hennessy later joined the Cork senior hurling team and won his first senior
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 ...
winners' medal in 1982 following a 5–31 to 3–6 trouncing of
Waterford
"Waterford remains the untaken city"
, mapsize = 220px
, pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe
, pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe
, pushpin_relief = 1
, coordinates ...
. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Cork take on Kilkenny. Following an impressive provincial championship campaign 'the Rebels' were the red-hot favourites, however, Kilkenny surprised.
Christy Heffernan
Christy Heffernan (born 26 December 1957) is an Irish retired hurler who played as a full-forward for the Kilkenny senior team.
Born in Glenmore, County Kilkenny, Heffernan first arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of twenty-two when ...
scored two goals in a 40-second spell just before the interval to take the wind out of Cork's sails.
Ger Fennelly
Ger Fennelly (born 22 January 1954) is an Irish retired hurler who played as a centre-forward and as a midfielder for the Kilkenny senior team.
Born in Piltown, County Kilkenny, Fennelly first arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of se ...
got a third goal within eight minutes of the restart, giving Kilkenny a 3–18 to 1–15 victory.
In 1983 Cork's run of provincial success continued. Hennessy won a second Munster title that year as Cork trounced Waterford for the second consecutive year. The subsequent All-Ireland final pitted Cork against Kilkenny for the second consecutive year also. 'The Cats' used a strong wind to dominate the opening half and built up a strong lead. Cork came storming back with goals by
Tomás Mulcahy
Tomás Mulcahy (born 26 June 1963) is an Irish former hurler and Gaelic footballer who played as a right corner-forward at senior level for the Cork county team.
Born in Blackpool, Cork, Mulcahy first played competitive Gaelic games during hi ...
and
Seánie O'Leary
Seán O'Leary (25 February 1952 – 1 December 2021) was an Irish hurler who played as a left corner-forward at senior level for the Cork county team.
Career
Born in Youghal, County Cork, Munster, O'Leary first played competitive hurling whi ...
, however, at the full-time whistle Kilkenny had won by 2–14 to 2–12.
1984 was a special year in the annals of
Gaelic games
Gaelic games ( ga, Cluichí Gaelacha) are a set of sports played worldwide, though they are particularly popular in Ireland, where they originated. They include Gaelic football, hurling, Gaelic handball and rounders. Football and hurling, the ...
as it was the centenary year of the
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional ...
. The year began well with Hennessy helping his team to victory in the special
Centenary Cup
The Centenary Cup was a Gaelic Games competition arranged by the Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sports, amateur sporting and cultural org ...
competition. A third Munster winners' medal soon followed for Hennessy as Cork defeated
Tipperary
Tipperary is the name of:
Places
*County Tipperary, a county in Ireland
**North Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Nenagh
**South Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Clonmel
*Tipperary (town), County Tipperary's na ...
by 4–15 to 3–14 in a memorable Munster final. The subsequent All-Ireland final, played at
Semple Stadium
The Semple Stadium is the home of hurling and Gaelic football for Tipperary GAA and for the province of Munster. Located in Thurles, County Tipperary, it is the second largest GAA stadium in Ireland (after Croke Park), with a capacity of 45,690. ...
in
Thurles
Thurles (; ''Durlas Éile'') is a town in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is located in the civil parish of the same name in the barony of Eliogarty and in the ecclesiastical parish of Thurles (Roman Catholic parish), Thurles. The cathedral ch ...
, saw Cork take on
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 ...
for the first time ever in championship history. The centenary-year final failed to live up to expectations and Cork recorded a relatively easy 3–16 to 1–12 victory. It was Hennessy's first
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 ...
winners' medal.
In 1985 Hennessy added a fourth Munster title to his collection as Cork defeated Tipperary by 4–17 to 4–11 in the provincial decider. Cork, however, were later defeated by Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final.
In 1986 Cork made it five-in-a-row in Munster as Cork defeated Clare by 2–18 to 3–12 to take the provincial title. This victory paved the way for an All-Ireland final meeting with Galway. The men from the west were the red-hot favourites against an ageing Cork team, however, on the day a different story unfolded. Four Cork goals, one from
John Fenton, two from
Tomás Mulcahy
Tomás Mulcahy (born 26 June 1963) is an Irish former hurler and Gaelic footballer who played as a right corner-forward at senior level for the Cork county team.
Born in Blackpool, Cork, Mulcahy first played competitive Gaelic games during hi ...
and one from Hennessy, stymied the Galway attack and helped 'the Rebels' to a 4–13 to 2–15 victory. It was Hennessy's second All-Ireland winners' medal.
In 1987 Hennessy was captain as Cork were attempting to make history by winning a record sixth Munster title in-a-row. Tipperary provided the opposition on that occasion, however, the game ended in a draw. The replay in
FitzGerald Stadium
Fitzgerald Stadium ( ga, Staid a' Ghearaltaigh) is the principal GAA stadium in Killarney, Ireland, and is the home championship venue for the Kerry senior football team.
Named in honour of one of the first great players of the Gaelic Athleti ...
,
Killarney
Killarney ( ; ga, Cill Airne , meaning 'church of sloes') is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is on the northeastern shore of Lough Leane, part of Killarney National Park, and is home to St Mary's Cathedral, Ross Castl ...
has gone down in history as one of the great provincial finals. At full-time both sides were level again and extra-time was played. Tipp eventually won the day by 4–22 to 1–22 and it was the first time in five years that Cork were not provincial champions.
Cork went into decline following this game as Tipperary dominated the Munster championship for the next three seasons. More importantly, Hennessy was dropped from the Cokr championship team in 1989. The team returned in 1990 with Hennessy winning a sixth Munster title following an odds defying 4–16 to 2–14 defeat of Tipperary. Cork subsequently qualified for another All-Ireland final showdown with Galway. Once again, Galway were the favourites and were out to capture a third All-Ireland title in four seasons. Shortly after half-time the westerners were up by seven points and were cruising to victory.
Tomás Mulcahy
Tomás Mulcahy (born 26 June 1963) is an Irish former hurler and Gaelic footballer who played as a right corner-forward at senior level for the Cork county team.
Born in Blackpool, Cork, Mulcahy first played competitive Gaelic games during hi ...
, however, played a captain's role and scored a crucial goal that revitalised the Cork attack. The final score of 5–15 to 2–21 gave Cork the victory in one of the most open hurling finals in years and gave Hennessy a third All-Ireland winners' medal.
Tipp wrested the Munster title from Cork again in 1991, however, Hennessy won his seventh Munster winners' medal on the field of play in 1992 as Limerick fell to 'the Rebels.' After a defeat of
Down, Cork advanced to the All-Ireland final where Kilkenny provided the opposition. It was the two sides' first meeting in the championship in nine years. All-Ireland victories over Galway and Offaly had given Hennessy three All-Ireland medals, however, a defeat of Cork's biggest rivals would put the icing on the cake. Kilkenny played into a strong wind in the first half and were two points in arrears at half-time. 'The Cats' fought back and defeated their arch rivals by 3–10 to 1–12
For the next few years Cork hurling went into decline. Hennessy did play in the first two games of Cork's three-game
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition featuring teams from Ireland and England. Founded in 1925 by the Gaelic Athletic Association, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation within the l ...
final saga with
Wexford
Wexford () is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the island of Ireland. The town is linked to Dublin by the M11/N11 N ...
in 1993, however, he was dropped for the final. He retired following Cork's defeat in the championship that year.
Inter-provincial
Hennessy also lined out with
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 inter-provincial hurling competition and enjoyed much success. He first lined out with his province in 1984 as Munster defeated arch-rivals
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 ...
by 1–18 to 2–9, giving Hennessy a
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 ...
winners' medal. He was a key member of the team again in 1985 as
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 ...
provided the opposition. A 3–6 to 1–11 score line gave Munster the victory and gave Hennessy a second Railway Cup title. He was a member of the Munster team for a third successive year in 1986, however, Connacht gained their revenge for the previous year's defeat. This was Hennessy's last outing with his province.
Career statistics
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hennessy, Kevin
1961 births
Living people
Midleton hurlers
Cork inter-county hurlers
Munster inter-provincial hurlers
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship winners