Joe Connolly (hurler)
Encyclopedia
Joe Connolly is an Irish
retired sportsperson. He played hurling
with his local club Castlegar
and was a member of the Galway
senior inter-county team from 1976 until 1984. Connolly captained Galway to the All-Ireland
title in 1980.
, County Galway
in 1956. He was educated locally at Briarhill national school and later attended St. Mary’s College
in Galway
. Here Connolly's hurling skills were first developed, however, he faced the disappointment of losing three consecutive Connacht colleges' finals. He later attended University College Galway (UCG) where he became a star on the university's hurling team. Connolly won a Fitzgibbon Cup
winners' medal with UCG in 1977 following a defeat of Maynooth.
and enjoyed much success. He first tasted victory with his club in 1979 when he captured a senior county championship winners' medal following a 2-13 to 0-6 trouncing of Kinvara
. Castlegar later represented Galway in the provincial club championship and duly defeated Tremane of Roscommon to take the Connacht
club title. Castlegar subsequently qualified for the All-Ireland club final with Ballycastle of Antrim providing the opposition. Connolly and his five brothers line dout against the six Donnelly brotehrs of Ballycastle. A first-half goal for the Ulster champions failed to ignite the team. Five minute safter the restart Liam Mulryan turned Connolly's pass straight into the net for a decisive goal. Ballycastle cut the lead back to a point, however, Gerry Connolly scored another point before Joe sent a penalty over the bar. At the full-time whistle Castlegar were the champions by 1-11 o 1-8. It was a first ever All-Ireland
club title for Galway.
After losing back-to-back county finals in 1982 an 1983 Castlegar bounced back in 1984 and avoided being three-in-a-row losers. A 3-10 to 0-11 defeat of Killimordaly gave Connolly a second county title. Castlegar later defeated Tooreen of Mayo by 2-14 to 2-7, giving Connolly a second Connacht club winners' medal. Connolly's side later qualified for a second All-Ireland club final. St. Martin's
of Kilkenny provided the opposition on this occasion. An exciting contest ensued, however, a later goal for Castlegar forced a 2-9 to 3-6 draw and a reply. The second outing saw Connolly coming on as a substitute, however, victory went to the Kilkenny men.
senior team in the 1975-76 National Hurling League
. He became a key member of the team in time for the subsequent championship campaign, however, Wexford
defeated Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Connolly enjoyed little success in his first few seasons with Galway, however, in 1979 he lined out in the National League final. Tipperary
trounced Galway on that ocacsion by 3-15 to 0-8, however, it was a sign that Galway had intent. In the subsequent championship Connolly's side shocked four-in-a-row hopefuls Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final and qualified for an All-Ireland final showdown with Kilkenny
. In one of the worst All-Ireland finals of recent decades Galway goalkeeper Séamus Shinnors
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 capatin of the team as Galway defeated Kildare
and Offaly
to reach a second All-Ireland final. Munster champions Limerick
provided the opposition on this occasion and an exciting championship decider followed. Bernie Forde
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
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 Conor Hayes
and nonchalantly drove the ball over the bar. It was not enough to stem the tide and Galway went on to win the game. It was the county’s first All-Ireland title since 1923 and the celebrations surpassed anything ever seen in Croke Park
. It took Connolly ten minutes to reach the rostrum in the Hogan Stand to collect the Liam McCarthy Cup
, however, once there he delivered one of the most famous acceptance speeches of all-time. Delivered through his native Irish
, Connolly was clearly overcome with emotion. The following is an excert in English of that famous speech:
The final phrase is an echo of Pope John Paul II
’s address to the young people of Ireland the previous year. The celebrations didn’t just end with Connolly’s speech as Joe McDonagh
seized the microphone and lead the crown in a version of the West’s Awake. Connolly rounded of the year by collecting a coveted All-Star
award, as well as being named as the Texaco Hurler of the Year
.
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 an unprecedented second consecutive All-Ireland title. Offalt 'keeper Damien Martin
was doing great work in batting out a 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
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.
in the inter-provincial hurling championship and enjoyed some success. In 1980 Connolly was captain of his province as Connacht qualified for the final. Munster
provided the opposition on that occasion and, after a poor game, Connacht emerged as the winners by 1-5 to 0-7. It was Connolly's first Railway Cup winners' medal. Two years later in 1982 Connacht were back in the final with Leinster
lining out against Connoll's province. This game was a much more exciting affair with victory going to Connacht by 3-8 to 2-9. It was Connolly's second Railway Cup title.
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...
retired 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...
with his local club Castlegar
Castlegar GAA
Castlegar GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the parish of Castlegar in County Galway, Ireland. The club is almost exclusively concerned with the game of hurling.-Overview:...
and was a member of the Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
senior inter-county team from 1976 until 1984. Connolly captained Galway to the 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 1980.
Biography
Joe Connolly was born in CastlegarCastlegar, County Galway
Castlegar is a village and parish in County Galway, Ireland, located just outside of the city of Galway. It extends from Lough Corrib across to Merlin Park by the old Galway-Dublin road....
, County Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
in 1956. He was educated locally at Briarhill national school and later attended St. Mary’s College
St Mary's College, Galway
St Mary's College is a boys secondary school in Galway, Ireland. It educates students aged 12 to 18 for the Junior and Leaving Certificate examinations. It was founded in 1912 as the junior seminary of the Roman Catholic Galway and Kilmacduagh dioceses. It teaches boys to the Junior Certificate...
in Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
. Here Connolly's hurling skills were first developed, however, he faced the disappointment of losing three consecutive Connacht colleges' finals. He later attended University College Galway (UCG) where he became a star on the university's hurling team. Connolly won a Fitzgibbon Cup
Fitzgibbon Cup
The Fitzgibbon Cup the championship for top division of university hurling in Ireland. It is administrated by the Higher Education committee which is part of the Gaelic Athletic Association...
winners' medal with UCG in 1977 following a defeat of Maynooth.
Club
Connolly played his club hurling with his local club in CastlegarCastlegar GAA
Castlegar GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the parish of Castlegar in County Galway, Ireland. The club is almost exclusively concerned with the game of hurling.-Overview:...
and enjoyed much success. He first tasted victory with his club in 1979 when he captured a senior county championship winners' medal following a 2-13 to 0-6 trouncing of Kinvara
Kinvara GAA
Kinvara GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the town of Kinvara in County Galway, Ireland. The club is almost exclusively concerned with hurling but also plays Gaelic Football at Junior level.-History:...
. Castlegar later represented Galway in the provincial club championship and duly defeated Tremane of Roscommon to take the Connacht
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 it became defunct after the conclusion of the 2007/08 season due to the predominance of the Galway champions coupled with a lack of meaningful...
club title. Castlegar subsequently qualified for the All-Ireland club final with Ballycastle of Antrim providing the opposition. Connolly and his five brothers line dout against the six Donnelly brotehrs of Ballycastle. A first-half goal for the Ulster champions failed to ignite the team. Five minute safter the restart Liam Mulryan turned Connolly's pass straight into the net for a decisive goal. Ballycastle cut the lead back to a point, however, Gerry Connolly scored another point before Joe sent a penalty over the bar. At the full-time whistle Castlegar were the champions by 1-11 o 1-8. It was a first ever All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling tournament played between hundreds of senior hurling clubs in Ireland. The Tommy Moore Cup is awarded to the winners. The current champions are Clarinbridge...
club title for Galway.
After losing back-to-back county finals in 1982 an 1983 Castlegar bounced back in 1984 and avoided being three-in-a-row losers. A 3-10 to 0-11 defeat of Killimordaly gave Connolly a second county title. Castlegar later defeated Tooreen of Mayo by 2-14 to 2-7, giving Connolly a second Connacht club winners' medal. Connolly's side later qualified for a second All-Ireland club final. St. Martin's
St. Martin's GAA
St. Martin's are a Gaelic Athletic Association Club based in the Ballyfoyle/Coon/Muckalee area of County Kilkenny, Ireland.-History:The club was formed in 1982 following an amalgamation of the clubs in the parishes Muckalee/Ballyfoyle Rangers and Coon...
of Kilkenny provided the opposition on this occasion. An exciting contest ensued, however, a later goal for Castlegar forced a 2-9 to 3-6 draw and a reply. The second outing saw Connolly coming on as a substitute, however, victory went to the Kilkenny men.
Inter-county
Connolly first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the GalwayGalway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
senior team in the 1975-76 National Hurling League
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
. He became a key member of the team in time for the subsequent championship campaign, however, 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...
defeated Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Connolly enjoyed little success in his first few seasons with Galway, however, in 1979 he lined out in the National League final. 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...
trounced Galway on that ocacsion by 3-15 to 0-8, however, it was a sign that Galway had intent. In the subsequent championship Connolly's side shocked four-in-a-row hopefuls Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final and qualified for an All-Ireland final showdown with 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...
. In one of the worst All-Ireland finals of recent decades Galway goalkeeper Séamus Shinnors
Séamus Shinnors
Séamus Shinnors 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:...
had an absolute nightmare of a game. A 70-yards free by Liam 'Chunky' O’Brien
Liam O'Brien (hurler)
-Teams:...
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 capatin of the team as Galway defeated Kildare
Kildare GAA
For more information see Kildare Senior Club Football Championship or Kildare Senior Club Hurling Championship.The Kildare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Kildare GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kildare...
and Offaly
Offaly GAA
The Offaly County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Offaly GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Offaly...
to reach a second All-Ireland final. Munster champions 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...
provided the opposition on this occasion and an exciting championship decider followed. Bernie Forde
Bernie Forde
Bernie Forde is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Ardrahan and was a member of the Galway senior inter-county team in the 1970s and 1980s.-References:...
and P.J. Molloy
P.J. Molloy
P. J. Molloy is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Athenry and was a member of the Galway senior inter-county team in the 1970s and 1980s...
goals for Galway meant that the men from the west led by 2-7 to 1-5 at half-time. Éamonn Cregan
Éamonn Cregan
Éamonn Cregan 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 and 1990s.-Club:...
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 Conor Hayes
Conor Hayes
Conor Hayes is an Irish retired sportsperson and manager. He played hurling with his local club Kiltormer and was a member of the Galway senior inter-county team from 1979 until 1989. Hayes captained Galway to back-to-back All-Ireland titles.-Club:Hayes played his club hurling with his local club...
and nonchalantly drove the ball over the bar. It was not enough to stem the tide and Galway went on to win the game. It was the county’s first All-Ireland title since 1923 and the celebrations surpassed anything ever seen in Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
. It took Connolly ten minutes to reach the rostrum in the Hogan Stand to collect the Liam McCarthy Cup
Liam McCarthy Cup
The MacCarthy Perpetual Challenge Cup is a trophy awarded annually by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the hurling team that wins the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.-The trophy:...
, however, once there he delivered one of the most famous acceptance speeches of all-time. Delivered through his native Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
, Connolly was clearly overcome with emotion. The following is an excert in English of that famous speech:
"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
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
’s address to the young people of Ireland the previous year. The celebrations didn’t just end with Connolly’s speech as Joe McDonagh
Joe McDonagh
Joe McDonagh is a retired Irish sportsman and former President of the Gaelic Athletic Association. He played hurling with his local club Ballinderren and with the Galway senior inter-county team in the 1970s and 1980s.During his presidency, he'd set in motion the removal of the ban on security...
seized the microphone and lead the crown in a version of the West’s Awake. Connolly rounded of the year by collecting a coveted All-Star
GAA All Stars Awards
The All Stars Awards, currently sponsored by Vodafone, are given annually since 1971 by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the best player in each of the fifteen positions in Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. Additionally, one player in each code is selected as the player of the year...
award, as well as being named as the Texaco Hurler of the Year
Texaco Hurler of the Year
The Texaco Hurler of the Year is a hurling award, created in 1958, that honours the achievements of a hurler of outstanding excellence. The award is part of the Texaco Sportstars Awards, in which Irish sportspeople from all fields are honoured....
.
1981 saw Galway reach a third consecutive All-Ireland final and Offaly
Offaly GAA
The Offaly County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Offaly GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Offaly...
were the opponents. Everything seemed to be going well for Connolly's side as Galway hoped to capture an unprecedented second consecutive All-Ireland title. Offalt 'keeper Damien Martin
Damien Martin
Damien Martin is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club St. Rynagh's and was a member of the Offaly senior inter-county team from the 1960s until the 1980s. Martin has the distinction of being presented with the very first All-Star award...
was doing great work in batting out a 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
Johnny Flaherty is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Kinnitty and with the Offaly senior inter-county team in the 1970s and 1980s.-Club:...
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 ConnachtConnacht GAA
The Connacht Council are a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Connacht.-Constituent counties:*Galway*Leitrim*Mayo*Roscommon*Sligo-Special counties:...
in the inter-provincial hurling championship and enjoyed some success. In 1980 Connolly was captain of his province as Connacht qualified for the final. Munster
Munster GAA
The Munster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Munster.-Constituent counties:*Cork*Clare*Kerry*Limerick*Tipperary*Waterford-Honours:...
provided the opposition on that occasion and, after a poor game, Connacht emerged as the winners by 1-5 to 0-7. It was Connolly's first Railway Cup winners' medal. Two years later in 1982 Connacht were back in the final with Leinster
Leinster GAA
The Leinster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Leinster. The Leinster Council has been partnered with the European County Board to help develop Gaelic Games in Europe...
lining out against Connoll's province. This game was a much more exciting affair with victory going to Connacht by 3-8 to 2-9. It was Connolly's second Railway Cup title.
Castlegar
- All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling ChampionshipAll-Ireland Senior Club Hurling ChampionshipThe All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling tournament played between hundreds of senior hurling clubs in Ireland. The Tommy Moore Cup is awarded to the winners. The current champions are Clarinbridge...
:- Winner (1): 1980
- Runner-up (1): 1985
- Connacht Senior Club Hurling ChampionshipConnacht Senior Club Hurling ChampionshipThe Connacht Senior Club Hurling Championship was an annual hurling tournament played between the senior hurling clubs in Connacht contested from 1970 until it became defunct after the conclusion of the 2007/08 season due to the predominance of the Galway champions coupled with a lack of meaningful...
:- Winner (2): 1979, 1984
- Galway Senior Hurling Championship:
- Winner (2): 1979, 1984
- Runner-up (1): 1974, 1982, 1983
Galway
- All-Ireland Senior Hurling ChampionshipAll-Ireland Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe 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....
:- Winner (1): 1980All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1980-Miscellaneous:* For the first time since 1969 the Leinster final sees a pairing other than Kilkenny and Wexford.* The Leinster final sees Offaly defeat Kilkenny to take their very first provincial title....
(C) - Runner-up (2): 1979, 1981
- Winner (1): 1980
- National Hurling LeagueNational Hurling LeagueThe National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
:- Winner (0):
- Runner-up (1): 1979