Jer Doheny
Encyclopedia
Jeremiah Doheny was an Irish
sportsperson. He played hurling
at various times with his local clubs Threecastles and Tullaroan
and was a member of the Kilkenny
senior inter-county team from 1893 until 1905. Doheny had the distinction of captaining Kilkenny to their very first All-Ireland
title in 1904.
in 1874. The son of John and Annie Doheny and a cousin of another great Kilkenny hurler, Pat 'Fox' Maher
, he was educated locally and later, like many of his contemporaries, he worked as a farmer in nearby Tullaroan
. Doheny was an all-round sportsperson who also played cricket in the early 1890s, however, he later concentrated on the game of hurling.
club in Kilkenny and enjoyed much success over the course of two decades. He won his first county senior championship winners’ medal with the club in 1895 as Tullaroan defeated Thresscastles. Two years later in 1897 Doheny added a second county title to his collection when Mooncoin were trounced in the final. After surrendering the title again in 1898 Tullaroan were back the following year. A 3-6 to 1-5 victory in the county final gave Doheny a third county title. The early years of the new century saw Tullaroan continue their dominance of the county championship. Doheny was a key player as the club annexed back-to-back county titles in 1901 and 1902. After their three-in-a-row bid faltered Tullaroan were back in 1904, with Doheny picking up a sixth county winners’ medal. Defeat in the next two county finals was followed by success in 1907. It was Doheny’s seventh championship victory with his club. He finished off his club career by winning back-to-back county champions winners’ medals in 1910 and 1911. Doheny also won a county final with the Threecastles club, bringing his tally of county championship winners’ medals to ten.
senior inter-county team in 1893. That year Kilkenny faced no competition in the Leinster Championship
and received a bye straight into the All-Ireland final. Cork provided the opposition in that game and won the game on probably the most unsuitable playing field in hurling history. After someone had neglected to get the grass cut at Ashtown, both teams moved to the Phoenix Park
were the game took place. A comprehensive 6-8 to 0-2 score line resulted in Doheny ending up on the losing side.
Kilkenny failed to field a team the following year, however, in 1895 'the Cats' were back. A 1-5 to 0-5 defeat of Dublin
gave Doheny a second Leinster title, his first on the field of play. The subsequent All-Ireland final pitted Kilkenny against Tipperary
. It was the first ever championship decider to be played in what is now Croke Park
and Tipp tore 'the Cats' apart. Paddy Riordan is said to have scored all but one point of Tipperary's tally of 6-8. Kilkenny only mustered 1-10, the goal coming from Mick Coogan. It was Doheny's second time ending up on the losing side on All-Ireland final day.
After surrendering their provincial title in 1896, Kilkenny received a bye from Wexford
the following year in the Leinster final. For the third time that decade Doheny lined out in the subsequent All-Ireland final. Limerick
were the opponents on this occasion, however, Kilkenny finally looked set for victory. At half-time Doheny's side led by 2-4 to 1-1. Two Limerick goals early in the second-half changed the complexion of the game. Kilkenny failed to score in the second-half as Limerick went on to win by 3-4 to 2-4.
A 4-12 to 3-2 trouncing of Dublin gave Doheny a fourth Leinster title to add to his collection in 1898. This victory allowed Kilkenny to advance to the All-Ireland final where, for the second time in history, Tipperary provided the opposition. Doheny's side dominated the first twenty-three minutes, however, Tipp then took command. In the second-half Mikey Maher
scored a hat-trick of goals while Bill Devane scored a remarkable point, kicking the sliotar over off the top of the goalpost. At the long whistle Tipp had recorded a 7-13 to 3-10 victory. It was Doheny's fourth All-Ireland final defeat.
After losing their Leinster title again in 1899, Kilkenny were back the following year. A narrow 4-11 to 4-10 defeat of Dublin gave Doheny a fifth provincial winners' medal. Kilkenny later lined out against Tipperary in the All-Ireland sei-final, however, victory on that occasion went to Tipp once again.
Two years later in 1902 Doheny was appointed captain of Kilkenny for the first time. It was an unsuccessful years as his team were defeated in the Leinster final.
In 1903 Doheny picked up a sixth Leinster winners' medal. The game against Dublin ended in a 1-5 apiece draw, however, Kilkenny were subsequently awarded the title. Doheny's side later trounced Antrim
before lining out against Cork in the All-Ireland 'home' final. Cork's Andy 'Dooric' Buckley scored the majority of Cork's points as Kilkenny were trounced by 8-9 to 0-8.
1904 saw Doheny being appointed captain of the Kilkenny team for the second time in three years. That year he led his men to a 2-8 to 2-6 defeat of Dublin in the provincial decider. It was his seventh Leinster winners' title and it set up a subsequent All-Ireland final showdown with Cork. It was the beginning of a hugely successful era for ‘the Cats’ as Cork were heading into decline. Doheny's team won the game thanks to Dick Doyle
’s first-half goal, while Pat ‘Fox’ Maher
made a great save at the end to help his team to a 1-9 to 1-8 defeat of Cork. It was Kilkenny's very first All-Ireland
title.
In 1905 Doheny won an eighth Leinster title with Kilkenny. The 2-8 to 2-2 defeat of Dublin ensured victory for 'the Cats'. Kilkenny later qualified for the All-Ireland final, however, Doheny played no part in that game. He retired from inter-county hurling shortly afterwards.
. He served as chairman of the Kilkenny County Board from 1908 until 1912 and remained active in GAA affairs for the rst of his life.
Doheny married Annie Keoghan in 1913. She was a sister of Jack Keoghan
, a winner of five All-Ireland medals with Kilkenny in 1907, 1909, 1911, 1912 and 1913. Their son, Jer Doheny Jr. (1919–2005), played hurling for a brief period with Erin's Own
in Waterford. He won a county senior championship winners' medal with the club in 1942, before lining out with Waterford
in the Munster final of 1943.
Jer Doheny died in 1929 aged fifty-five.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
sportsperson. He played hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
at various times with his local clubs Threecastles and Tullaroan
Tullaroan GAA
Tullaroan is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the village of Tullaroan in County Kilkenny, Ireland. The club was founded in 1884 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling. Tullaroan is the most successful club in the history of the Kilkenny Senior Hurling...
and was a member of the Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
senior inter-county team from 1893 until 1905. Doheny had the distinction of captaining Kilkenny to their very first All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
title in 1904.
Biography
Jer Doheny was born in Ballycallan, County KilkennyCounty Kilkenny
County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. The territory of the county was the core part of the ancient Irish Kingdom of Osraige which in turn was the core of the Diocese of...
in 1874. The son of John and Annie Doheny and a cousin of another great Kilkenny hurler, Pat 'Fox' Maher
Pat Maher
Patrick 'Fox' Maher was an Irish hurler who played as a goalkeeper for the Kilkenny senior team.Maher made his first appearance for the team during the 1893 championship and became a regular player over the next decade. During that time he won one All-Ireland winner's medal and eight Leinster...
, he was educated locally and later, like many of his contemporaries, he worked as a farmer in nearby Tullaroan
Tullaroan
Tullaroan is a village on the west side of County Kilkenny in the Slieveardagh Hills near the Tipperary border. Tullaroan is also the name of the local civil parish.-Sport:...
. Doheny was an all-round sportsperson who also played cricket in the early 1890s, however, he later concentrated on the game of hurling.
Club
Doheny played his club hurling with the famous TullaroanTullaroan GAA
Tullaroan is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the village of Tullaroan in County Kilkenny, Ireland. The club was founded in 1884 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling. Tullaroan is the most successful club in the history of the Kilkenny Senior Hurling...
club in Kilkenny and enjoyed much success over the course of two decades. He won his first county senior championship winners’ medal with the club in 1895 as Tullaroan defeated Thresscastles. Two years later in 1897 Doheny added a second county title to his collection when Mooncoin were trounced in the final. After surrendering the title again in 1898 Tullaroan were back the following year. A 3-6 to 1-5 victory in the county final gave Doheny a third county title. The early years of the new century saw Tullaroan continue their dominance of the county championship. Doheny was a key player as the club annexed back-to-back county titles in 1901 and 1902. After their three-in-a-row bid faltered Tullaroan were back in 1904, with Doheny picking up a sixth county winners’ medal. Defeat in the next two county finals was followed by success in 1907. It was Doheny’s seventh championship victory with his club. He finished off his club career by winning back-to-back county champions winners’ medals in 1910 and 1911. Doheny also won a county final with the Threecastles club, bringing his tally of county championship winners’ medals to ten.
Inter-county
Doheny first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the KilkennyKilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
senior inter-county team in 1893. That year Kilkenny faced no competition in the Leinster Championship
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
The Leinster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Leinster in Ireland....
and received a bye straight into the All-Ireland final. Cork provided the opposition in that game and won the game on probably the most unsuitable playing field in hurling history. After someone had neglected to get the grass cut at Ashtown, both teams moved to the Phoenix Park
Phoenix Park
Phoenix Park is an urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying 2–4 km west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its 16 km perimeter wall encloses , one of the largest walled city parks in Europe. It includes large areas of grassland and tree-lined avenues, and since the seventeenth...
were the game took place. A comprehensive 6-8 to 0-2 score line resulted in Doheny ending up on the losing side.
Kilkenny failed to field a team the following year, however, in 1895 'the Cats' were back. A 1-5 to 0-5 defeat of Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
gave Doheny a second Leinster title, his first on the field of play. The subsequent All-Ireland final pitted Kilkenny against Tipperary
Tipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...
. It was the first ever championship decider to be played in what is now Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
and Tipp tore 'the Cats' apart. Paddy Riordan is said to have scored all but one point of Tipperary's tally of 6-8. Kilkenny only mustered 1-10, the goal coming from Mick Coogan. It was Doheny's second time ending up on the losing side on All-Ireland final day.
After surrendering their provincial title in 1896, Kilkenny received a bye from Wexford
Wexford GAA
The Wexford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Wexford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Wexford. The county board is also responsible for the Wexford inter-county teams.-History:Hurling has been played in...
the following year in the Leinster final. For the third time that decade Doheny lined out in the subsequent All-Ireland final. Limerick
Limerick GAA
The Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...
were the opponents on this occasion, however, Kilkenny finally looked set for victory. At half-time Doheny's side led by 2-4 to 1-1. Two Limerick goals early in the second-half changed the complexion of the game. Kilkenny failed to score in the second-half as Limerick went on to win by 3-4 to 2-4.
A 4-12 to 3-2 trouncing of Dublin gave Doheny a fourth Leinster title to add to his collection in 1898. This victory allowed Kilkenny to advance to the All-Ireland final where, for the second time in history, Tipperary provided the opposition. Doheny's side dominated the first twenty-three minutes, however, Tipp then took command. In the second-half Mikey Maher
Mikey Maher
Mikey Maher was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Tubberadora and with the Tipperary senior inter-county team from 1890 until 1900. Maher is one of only three players to captain a team to three All-Ireland successes.-Biography:Mikey Maher was born in Tubberadora,...
scored a hat-trick of goals while Bill Devane scored a remarkable point, kicking the sliotar over off the top of the goalpost. At the long whistle Tipp had recorded a 7-13 to 3-10 victory. It was Doheny's fourth All-Ireland final defeat.
After losing their Leinster title again in 1899, Kilkenny were back the following year. A narrow 4-11 to 4-10 defeat of Dublin gave Doheny a fifth provincial winners' medal. Kilkenny later lined out against Tipperary in the All-Ireland sei-final, however, victory on that occasion went to Tipp once again.
Two years later in 1902 Doheny was appointed captain of Kilkenny for the first time. It was an unsuccessful years as his team were defeated in the Leinster final.
In 1903 Doheny picked up a sixth Leinster winners' medal. The game against Dublin ended in a 1-5 apiece draw, however, Kilkenny were subsequently awarded the title. Doheny's side later trounced Antrim
Antrim GAA
The Antrim County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Antrim GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Antrim. The county board is also responsible for the Antrim inter-county teams...
before lining out against Cork in the All-Ireland 'home' final. Cork's Andy 'Dooric' Buckley scored the majority of Cork's points as Kilkenny were trounced by 8-9 to 0-8.
1904 saw Doheny being appointed captain of the Kilkenny team for the second time in three years. That year he led his men to a 2-8 to 2-6 defeat of Dublin in the provincial decider. It was his seventh Leinster winners' title and it set up a subsequent All-Ireland final showdown with Cork. It was the beginning of a hugely successful era for ‘the Cats’ as Cork were heading into decline. Doheny's team won the game thanks to Dick Doyle
Dick Doyle
Richard ‘Dick’ Doyle was an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Castlebridge and with the Wexford senior inter-county team in the early 1900s. Doyle captained Wexford to their first All-Ireland title in 1910.-Biography:...
’s first-half goal, while Pat ‘Fox’ Maher
Pat Maher
Patrick 'Fox' Maher was an Irish hurler who played as a goalkeeper for the Kilkenny senior team.Maher made his first appearance for the team during the 1893 championship and became a regular player over the next decade. During that time he won one All-Ireland winner's medal and eight Leinster...
made a great save at the end to help his team to a 1-9 to 1-8 defeat of Cork. It was Kilkenny's very first All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
title.
In 1905 Doheny won an eighth Leinster title with Kilkenny. The 2-8 to 2-2 defeat of Dublin ensured victory for 'the Cats'. Kilkenny later qualified for the All-Ireland final, however, Doheny played no part in that game. He retired from inter-county hurling shortly afterwards.
Post-playing career
Shortly after his retirement from inter-county hurling Doheny became involved in the administrative affairs of the GAAGaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
. He served as chairman of the Kilkenny County Board from 1908 until 1912 and remained active in GAA affairs for the rst of his life.
Doheny married Annie Keoghan in 1913. She was a sister of Jack Keoghan
Jack Keoghan
Jack Keoghan was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Tullaroan and with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1907 until 1914.-Club:...
, a winner of five All-Ireland medals with Kilkenny in 1907, 1909, 1911, 1912 and 1913. Their son, Jer Doheny Jr. (1919–2005), played hurling for a brief period with Erin's Own
Erin's Own GAA
Erin's Own GAA may refer to:* Erin's Own GAA , Antrim GAA club* Erin's Own GAA , Carlow GAA club* Erin's Own GAA , Cork GAA club* Erin's Own GAA , Kilkenny GAA club* Erin's Own GAA , Waterford GAA club...
in Waterford. He won a county senior championship winners' medal with the club in 1942, before lining out with Waterford
Waterford GAA
The Waterford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Waterford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for all levels of Gaelic games in County Waterford. The County Board is also responsible for the Waterford inter-county teams. The county...
in the Munster final of 1943.
Jer Doheny died in 1929 aged fifty-five.
Sources
- Corry, Eoghan, The GAA Book of Lists (Hodder Headline Ireland, 2005).
- Fullam, Brendan, Captains of the Ash (Wolfhound Press, 2002).