Nicholas "Skinny" O'Donnell (4 September 1925 – 11 June 1988) was an Irish
hurler who played as a full-back for the
Kilkenny
Kilkenny ( , meaning 'church of Cainnech of Aghaboe, Cainnech'). is a city in County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region, Ireland, South-East Region and in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinst ...
and
Wexford
Wexford ( ; archaic Yola dialect, Yola: ''Weiseforthe'') is the county town of County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the ...
senior teams.
Born in
Graiguenamanagh
Graiguenamanagh or Graignamanagh () is a town on the River Barrow in County Kilkenny, Ireland. Part of the settlement, known as Tinnahinch, is on the County Carlow side of the river, and Carlow County Council refers to the whole village as "Grai ...
,
County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is named after the City status in Ir ...
, O'Donnell first played competitive hurling whilst at school in
St Kieran's College
St Kieran's College (Coláiste Chiaráin) is a Roman Catholic secondary school, located on College Road, Kilkenny, Ireland.
History
St Kieran's College was founded in Kilkenny, in the diocese of Ossory in 1782, after the passing of the Cath ...
. He arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of twenty-one when he first linked up with the Kilkenny junior team. He joined the senior team for the
1947 championship, however, after failing to secure a place on the starting fifteen he later joined the Wexford team. O'Donnell went on to play a key part for Wexford during a golden age for the team, and won three
All-Ireland
All-Ireland (sometimes All-Island) is a term used to describe organisations and events whose interests extend over the entire island of Ireland, as opposed to the separate jurisdictions of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. "All-Irelan ...
medals, six
Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
medals and two
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 ...
medals. An All-Ireland runner-up on three occasions, O'Donnell also captained the team to All-Ireland victory in 1955 and 1960.
As a member of the
Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
inter-provincial team for five years, O'Donnell won just one
Railway Cup
The GAA Interprovincial Championship () 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 and Ulster GAA teams are co ...
medal. At club level he won seven
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 sys ...
medals with
St Aidan's
St Aidan's is a 355 hectare (877 acres) nature park located between Leeds and Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. The land was formerly an opencast coal mining area that was flooded in 1988, after the riverbank collapsed. Repairs and remedia ...
, having earlier played for
Éire Óg.
After a fifteen-year inter-county career, O'Donnell retired from inter-county hurling following Wexford's defeat by
Tipperary in the
1962 championship
O'Donnell is widely regarded as the undisputed greatest full-back in the history of the game. During his playing days he was named
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 honou ...
in 1960. He has been repeatedly voted onto teams made up of the sport's greats, including at full-back on the
Hurling Team of the Century in 1984 and the
Hurling Team of the Millennium in 2000.
Biography
Nicholas O'Donnell was born in
Graiguenamanagh
Graiguenamanagh or Graignamanagh () is a town on the River Barrow in County Kilkenny, Ireland. Part of the settlement, known as Tinnahinch, is on the County Carlow side of the river, and Carlow County Council refers to the whole village as "Grai ...
,
County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is named after the City status in Ir ...
in 1925. He was educated locally and was known as a shy and retiring gentleman. O'Donnell lived in Graiguenamanagh until 1950 when he moved to
Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy () is the second-largest town in County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is located on the picturesque River Slaney and in close proximity to the Blackstairs Mountains and Ireland's longest beach, Curracloe.
The Plac ...
,
County Wexford
County Wexford () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was ba ...
to work with Roadstone Ltd. He remained in his adopted county until his death in 1988. Due to his noticeably slender frame, he received the nickname "skinny" early on in his career.
Playing career
Club
O'Donnell began his club hurling career with
Éire Óg in Kilkenny.
In 1947 he lined out in his first championship decider.
Tullaroan
Tullaroan () is a village in the western part of County Kilkenny in the Slieveardagh Hills near the Tipperary border. Tullaroan is also the name of the local civil parish.
Sport
Tullaroan GAA are the most successful Gaelic Athletic Association ...
provided the opposition, however, a 3–10 to 0–13 victory gave O'Donnell a
Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship
The Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the St Canice's Credit Union Senior Hurling Championship and abbreviated to the Kilkenny SHC) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Kilkenny County Board of ...
medal.
A move to Wexford saw O'Donnell join the
St Aidan's
St Aidan's is a 355 hectare (877 acres) nature park located between Leeds and Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. The land was formerly an opencast coal mining area that was flooded in 1988, after the riverbank collapsed. Repairs and remedia ...
club in
Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy () is the second-largest town in County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is located on the picturesque River Slaney and in close proximity to the Blackstairs Mountains and Ireland's longest beach, Curracloe.
The Plac ...
. In 1952 the club reached the county decider.
Horsewood provided the opposition, however, a victory for St. Aidan's gave O'Donnell 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 sys ...
medal with his adopted club.
It was the first of three-in-a-row for St. Aidan's, as subsequent victories over
Geraldine O'Hanrahan's in 1953 and Horsewood in 1954 gave O'Donnell two more championship medals.
Four-in-a-row proved beyond St. Aidan's, however, the club bounced back in 1956 with O'Donnell winning a fourth championship medal in Wexford. Once again St. Aidan's went on to dominate the club championship and secured four successive championship titles, bringing O'Donnell's overall medal tally to seven.
Inter-county
O'Donnell first played at inter-county level with the Kilkenny junior team in 1946. Unable to dislodge
Pat "the Diamond" Hayden from the full-back position on the team, he won a set of
Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
and
All-Ireland
All-Ireland (sometimes All-Island) is a term used to describe organisations and events whose interests extend over the entire island of Ireland, as opposed to the separate jurisdictions of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. "All-Irelan ...
medals as a non-playing substitute.
Success in this grade earned O'Donnell a call-up to the Kilkenny senior team. Once again, Hayden stood in the way of O'Donnell being picked on the starting fifteen. In spite if this he was an unused substitute when Kilkenny captured the
Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
crown. O'Donnell was a substitute again when Kilkenny later defeated
Cork
"Cork" or "CORK" may refer to:
Materials
* Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product
** Stopper (plug), or "cork", a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container
*** Wine cork an item to seal or reseal wine
Places Ireland
* ...
by 0–14 to 2–7 in, what has been described as, the greatest All-Ireland final of all time. In spite of being a named substitute, he received no All-Ireland medal. Kilkenny had a panel of twenty-two for the game but only received twenty-one All-Ireland medals. O'Donnell was deemed the last man, a decision which rankled with him for the rest of his life. He later said: ''"Kilkenny, my native county, still 'owes' me an All-Ireland senior hurling championship medal – the one I never got when I was a member of the panel of Kilkenny's championship of 1947. I was never bitter about it, but I always felt very disappointed about it. It was my first All-Ireland senior one."''
O'Donnell soldiered with the Kilkenny team for another few years without any hope of breaking onto the starting fifteen.
A move to Wexford saw him declare for their senior hurling team in 1951. He made his debut at full-back against Dublin that year, before later lining out in his first provincial decider. A 3–12 to 4–3 defeat of
Laois
County Laois ( ; ) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 to 1922. The modern county takes its name from LoÃgis, a medieval kingdom. Hist ...
gave O'Donnell his first Leinster medal. A subsequent defeat of
Galway
Galway ( ; , ) is a City status in Ireland, city in (and the county town of) County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay. It is the most populous settlement in the province of Connacht, the List of settleme ...
saw Wexford qualify for the All-Ireland final on 2 September 1951, their first appearance in the decider since 1918.
Tipperary provided the opposition as they aimed to secure a hat-trick of championship titles for the first time in over half a century.
Nicky Rackard
Nicholas Rackard (28 April 1922 – 10 April 1976) was an Irish hurler whose league and championship career with the Wexford senior team spanned seventeen years from 1940 to 1957. He established many championship scoring records, including be ...
, Wexford's goal-scoring machine, was nullified by Tipp goalkeeper
Tony Reddin
Martin Charles Reddington (22 November 1919 – 1 March 2015), better known as Tony Reddin, was an Irish hurler who played as a goalkeeper for the Galway and Tipperary senior teams.
Born in Mullagh, County Galway, Reddin first played competi ...
, while
Séamus Bannon
Séamus Bannon (1927 – 27 February 1990) was an Irish sportsman. He played hurling at various with his local clubs Nenagh Éire Óg in Tipperary and Young Irelands in Dublin and was a member of the Tipperary senior inter-county team in the ...
,
Tim Ryan and
Paddy Kenny
Patrick Joseph Kenny (born 17 May 1978) is a former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He recently served as joint manager of Goole A.F.C. alongside Nathan Helliwell.
Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, Kenny began his career ...
scored key goals which powered Tipp to a 7–7 to 3–9 victory.
Wexford faced back-to-back provincial decider defeats over the next two years, however, in 1954 the team regrouped. A huge 8–5 to 1–4 defeat of Dublin gave O'Donnell a second Leinster medal. Cork provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland final on 5 September 1954 and, once again, it was a historic occasion as Cork's
Christy Ring
Nicholas Christy Michael Ring (30 October 1920 – 2 March 1979) was an Irish hurler whose league and championship career at senior level with the Cork county team spanned twenty-four years from 1939 to 1963. He established many championship ...
was provided with an opportunity of capturing a record-breaking eighth All-Ireland medal. A record attendance of 84,856 packed into
Croke Park
Croke Park (, ) 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 headquarters of the Gaelic At ...
, and Wexford had the reigning champions and three-in-a-row hopefuls rattled. O'Donnell's side had a 1–3 to 0–5 lead at the interval, however, he was forced to leave the field with an injured collarbone after a clash with Ring. Wexford still had a four-point lead at the three-quarter stage, however,
Johnny Clifford scored a vital goal to secure a 1–9 to 1–6 victory for Cork.
In 1955 O'Donnell was honoured with the captaincy, as Wexford continued their provincial dominance. He collected a third Leinster medal that year following a 5–6 to 3–9 defeat of Kilkenny in a replay of the Leinster final.
Galway
Galway ( ; , ) is a City status in Ireland, city in (and the county town of) County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay. It is the most populous settlement in the province of Connacht, the List of settleme ...
, who got a bye into the All-Ireland final without picking up a hurley, provided the opposition on 4 September 1955. A
Tim Flood goal nine minutes from the end clinched a 3–13 to 2–8 victory for Wexford and a first
All-Ireland
All-Ireland (sometimes All-Island) is a term used to describe organisations and events whose interests extend over the entire island of Ireland, as opposed to the separate jurisdictions of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. "All-Irelan ...
medal for O'Donnell, while he also had the honour of lifting 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. Based on the design of a medieval drinking vessel, the trophy was first awarded i ...
. It was Wexford's first All-Ireland triumph in forty-five years.
Wexford continued their dominance in 1956. A 5–9 to 2–14 defeat of Tipperary gave O'Donnell a first
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 ...
medal. The subsequent championship campaign saw Wexford reach the provincial final once again. A narrow 4–8 to 3–10 defeat of Kilkenny gave O'Donnell his fourth Leinster medal. Galway fell heavily in the All-Ireland semi-final, allowing Wexford to advance to an All-Ireland final meeting with Cork on 23 September 1956. The game has gone down in history as one of the all-time classics as Christy Ring was bidding for a record ninth All-Ireland medal. The game turned on one important incident as the Wexford goalkeeper,
Art Foley
Michael Arthur Foley (14 December 1928 – 28 October 2019) was an Irish people, Irish Hurling, hurler who played as a goalkeeper for the Wexford county hurling team, Wexford senior team.
Born in Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Foley first arrived ...
, made a miraculous save from a Ring shot and cleared the sliotar up the field to set up another attack. Nicky Rackard scored a crucial goal with two minutes to go giving Wexford a 2–14 to 2–8 victory. In spite of Cork's loss Wexford's O'Donnell and Rackard, in an unparalleled display of sportsmanship in any game, raised Christy Ring onto their shoulders and carried him off the field. Wexford had won the game and O'Donnell had collected his second All-Ireland medal but there was no doubt in their minds that the real hero was Ring.
Two years later in 1958, O'Donnell added a second National League medal to his collection following a 5–7 to 4–8 defeat of
Limerick GAA, Limerick.
In 1960 O'Donnell was captain once again, and Wexford were back in the provincial decider. A narrow 3–10 to 2–11 defeat of Kilkenny gave O'Donnel his fifth Leinster medal. The All-Ireland decider on 4 September 1960 saw Tipperary provide the opposition. A pitch invasion at the end resulted in much confusion, however, goals by
Mick Hassett and
Oliver McGrath gave Wexford a merited 2–15 to 0–11 victory. It was O'Donnell's third All-Ireland medal and his second time lifting the Liam MacCarthy Cup.
After surrendering their titles the following year, Wexford were back in 1962. Another narrow 3–9 to 2–10 defeat of Kilkenny gave O'Donnell a sixth Leinster medal. The All-Ireland final on 2 September 1962 was a repeat of 1960 with Tipperary, the reigning champions, lining out in opposition. Wexford, however, were not the force of old and the side got off to possibly the worst start ever by a team in a championship decider. After just ninety seconds the Leinster champions were down by two goals, courtesy of
Tom Moloughney
Thomas Moloughney (23 October 1940 – 6 March 2021) was an Irish hurler who played at club level with Kilruane MacDonagh's and at inter-county level with Tipperary.
Career
Born in Ardcroney, Moloughney was a member of the Kilruane MacDon ...
and
Seán McLoughlin. The game, however, turned out to be much closer than people expected. Tipp eventually secured the win on a score line of 3–10 to 2–11. O'Donnell retired from inter-county hurling following this defeat.
Inter-provincial
In 1956, having previously been told that there was no place for him on the team, O'Donnell took over the full-back position on the
Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
inter-provincial team. That year he captained his province to victory and was accompanied on the team by nine of his fellow Wexford players. He continued to play with Leinster until 1961, however,
Munster
Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...
were the dominant force in the
Railway Cup
The GAA Interprovincial Championship () 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 and Ulster GAA teams are co ...
at the time.
Recognition
Over twenty years after his retirement from playing, O'Donnell received the ultimate honour during the GAA's centenary year in 1984 when he was chosen at full-back on the
Hurling Team of the Century. His reputation as the undisputed greatest full-back of all time was further cemented in 2000 when he was named in the same position on the
Hurling Team of the Millennium.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Odonnell, Nick
1925 births
1988 deaths
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship winners
Éire Óg (Kilkenny) hurlers
Kilkenny inter-county hurlers
Leinster inter-provincial hurlers
People from Graiguenamanagh
St Aidan's hurlers
Wexford inter-county hurlers
20th-century Irish sportsmen