Michael Kavanagh
Encyclopedia
Michael Kavanagh is an Irish
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 plays 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 St. Lachtain's and has 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 since 1998.

Biography

Mick Kavanagh was born in Freshford
Freshford, Ireland
Freshford is a village in the barony of Crannagh, County Kilkenny, Ireland.-History:The village is the site of a monastery dating to the early 7th century...

, County Kilkenny
County 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 1979. He was educated locally at St. Lachtain's national school and later attended St. Kieran's College in Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...

, a famous nursery for young hurling talent. Here his hurling skills were nurtured and developed and he won an All-Ireland colleges'
Dr. Croke Cup
The Dr. Croke Cup is an inter-county GAA competition in hurling. The first Croke Cups took place between 1896 and 1915. Clare was the first winner of the Dr Croke Cup for Hurling in 1896. In 1909 Ulster were expelled from the Dr...

 winners' medal with the school. Kavanagh later studied at the Waterford Institute of Technology
Waterford Institute of Technology
Waterford Institute of Technology is a state funded third-level educational institution situated in the city of Waterford, Ireland. The Institute has six Schools and 16 Departments....

. Here he played on the college's senior hurling team, winning back-to-back 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...

 titles in 1999 and 2000.

Kavanagh currently works as a financial advisor with Royal Liver.

Club

Kavanagh plays his club hurling with St. Lachtain's Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic 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...

 club.

Inter-county

Kavanagh first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as 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...

 minor hurling team in the mid-1990s. He won back-to-back Leinster titles at this level in 1996 and 1997, however, Kilkenny were beaten at the semi-final stage of the All-Ireland series in both years. Kavanagh was later drafted into the Kilkenny under-21 team. Here he won successive Leinster titles again in 1998 and 1999. He also won a coveted All-Ireland
All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of hurling played in Ireland...

 medal in this grade in 1999.

By this stage Kavanagh had already made his senior debut for Kilkenny. He won his first Leinster
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....

 title in 1998 after a defeat of 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...

 in the provincial final. The two sides later met again in the All-Ireland final, however, a rejuvenated Offaly came back and defeated Kavanagh’s side in the championship decider. In 1999 Kavanagh won a second Leinster title following a comprehensive victory over the All-Ireland champions. He later lined out in his second consecutive All-Ireland final, with arch-rivals Cork providing the opposition. In an unexciting championship decider a Cork team, with an average age of 22, came back from four-points down to win the game by the narrowest of margins. In 2000 Kavanagh captured a third Leinster title as Kilkenny steamrolled Offaly once again in the provincial final. The two sides later met in the All-Ireland final, however, two goals from Henry Shefflin
Henry Shefflin
Henry Shefflin is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Ballyhale Shamrocks and has been a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team since 1999...

 helped ‘the Cats’ to secure a huge victory in one of the most one-sided finals in decades. Kavanagh had just captured his 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....

 medal. In 2001 he added a fourth successive Leinster medal to his collection as Kilkenny completely overpowered 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...

 in the final. After such a huge win ‘the Cats’ were hot favourites to retain the title, however, Kilkenny were outsmarted by 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,...

 in the All-Ireland semi-final. ‘The Cats’ bounced back in 2002 with Kavanagh claiming a first 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...

 medal. He subsequently claimed yet another Leinster title before later lining out in a fourth All-Ireland final. Clare
Clare GAA
The Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Clare GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Clare. The county board is also responsible for the Clare inter-county teams....

, who were defeated in the first-round of the Munster championship but had made it to the final via the newly introduced qualifier system, put up a good fight. A combined tally of 2-13 for Henry Shefflin and D.J. Carey gave Kilkenny a seven-point victory. Shortly after collecting his second All-Ireland medal Kavanagh was also presented with a first 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.

In 2003 Kavanagh captured a second National League title before later winning a sixth consecutive Leinster medal. Kilkenny later faced Cork in an exciting and close All-Ireland final. The Leinstermen never led by more than four-points and only secured victory with a late Martin Comerford
Martin Comerford
Martin Comerford is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club O'Loughlin Gaels and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 2002 until 2010.-References:-Teams:...

 goal. Kavanagh won his third All-Ireland medal that day and later collected a second All-Star award. In 2004 Kilkenny were aiming for an unprecedented third All-Ireland victory in-a-row, however, the team was now under severe pressure from all quarters. For the first time in seven years Kilkenny failed in their bid to become Leinster champions as a last-gasp Wexford goal ended an almost unprecedented run of success. Kilkenny took the scenic route via the qualifiers system, however, after a scare against Clare they still reached the All-Ireland final. Once again Cork provided the opposition on a gloomy and overcast day. The sides were level for much of the game, however, in the final twenty minutes Cork scored nine points without reply and secured the victory. Kilkenny ended the year with no silverware. Kilkenny were back in form in 2005 with Kavanagh adding a third National League medal to his ever-growing collection. He later won a seventh Leinster title as ‘the Cats’ had a narrow win over reigning provincial champions Wexford. While a third successive All-Ireland showdown with Cork seemed extremely likely, Galway defeated Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-final in one of the game’s of the decade. In 2006 Kavanagh captured his fourth National League title in a close victory over 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...

. He later won his eighth Leinster title before lining out in the All-Ireland final once again. The game that everyone had predicted would happen in 2005 was now taking place as Cork squared up to Kilkenny for the third time in four years. The Leesiders were aiming for a third All-Ireland victory in-a-row, however, revenge was foremost in the minds of Kilkenny as it was Cork who denied their three-in-a-row bid in 2004. On the day Kilkenny were far too strong for Cork and Kavanagh played a huge role in capturing Kilkenny's 29th title and his own fourth All-Ireland medal.

In 2007 Kilkenny proved that their All-Ireland final victory the previous year was far from a flash in the pan. That year Kavanagh added yet another Leinster title to his collection following a defeat of 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...

. A second consecutive All-Ireland final appearance beckoned with surprise semi-final winners 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...

 providing the opposition. Kilkenny got off to a flying start with Eddie Brennan
Eddie Brennan
Eddie Brennan is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Graigue-Ballycallan and has been a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team since 2000.-Biography:...

 and Henry Shefflin
Henry Shefflin
Henry Shefflin is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Ballyhale Shamrocks and has been a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team since 1999...

 scoring two goals within the first ten minutes. Unfortunately, inspirational forward Shefflin sustained an injury during the game and had to retire at half-time. In spite of losing their captain and being outscored in the final sixty minutes, Kilkenny still went on to win the game by 2-19 to 1-15. It was Kavanagh's fifth All-Ireland winners' medal. A third All-Star award quickly followed, his first in four years.

2008 saw Kilkenny launch an all-out attack in an attempt to capture a third All-Ireland title in-a-row. The team had an easy passage through the Leinster Championship, however, the opening half of the provincial final against Wexford gave ‘the Cats’ another minor scare. In the end Kavanagh collected a tenth Leinster medal after a 5-21 to 0-17 victory. This victory allowed Kilkenny to advance directly to the All-Ireland semi-final where arch-rivals Cork were the opponents. The game was an interesting encounter that failed to live up to expectations; however, Kilkenny claimed a 1-23 to 0-17 victory nonetheless. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Kilkenny take on 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...

. It was their first meeting in the championship decider since 1963. A classic game of hurling was expected by many, however, Kilkenny started stronger. Two goals by Eddie Brennan after twenty minutes effectively killed the game, however, ‘the Cats’ ploughed on and recorded an enormous 3-30 to 1-13 victory over their near neighbours. A near perfect performance gave Kavanagh his sixth All-Ireland medal. A fourth All-Star award soon followed.

At the start of 2009 Kilkenny proved that their status as possibly the greatest team of all-time was well-deserved when they cruised into the final of the National League. Tipperary provided the opposition and attacked and harassed 'the Cats' from the throw-in. The Munster men stormed into a decisive lead as they took the game by the scruff of the neck; however, ‘the Cats’ clawed their way back into the game. At the end of normal time both sides were level. A period of extra-time followed, however, in spite of a 2-26 to 4-17 defeat, Tipp were widely lauded for their performance. It was Kavanagh's fifth winners' medal in hurling's secondary competition. The subsequent championship campaign went to plan, with Kilkenny reaching yet another provincial final. 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...

, the new kids on the block, were the opponents and another test of Kilkenny took place. 'The Cats' kept a clean-sheet once again and a 2-18 to 0-18 victory gave Kavanagh a remarkable eleventh Leinster winners' medal in twelve seasons. An exciting semi-final victory over Waterford allowed KIlkenny to advance to a fourth consecutive All-Ireland final and the chance to achieve hurling immortality. That game was a replay of the National League final, with Tipperary providing the opposition. For much of the match it looked as if Tipp would pull off a shock and deny 'the Cats' a record-equaling four-in-a-row. Goalkeeper P. J. Ryan
P. J. Ryan
Patrick James "P. J." Ryan is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Fenians and has been a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team since 1999.-Club:...

 gave a remarkable display of his often under-appreciated goalkeeping skills and denied Tipperary four goal chances. The game was characterised by tit-for-tat scores, however, two quick goals, one from a Henry Shefflin penalty and one from play by Martin Comerford
Martin Comerford
Martin Comerford is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club O'Loughlin Gaels and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 2002 until 2010.-References:-Teams:...

, sealed a 2-22 to 0-23 victory. With that Kilkenny became the second team to capture four All-Ireland titles in-a-row in hurling. It was Kavanagh's seventh All-Ireland winners' medal on the field of play, just one away from the all-time record held by Christy Ring
Christy Ring
Nicholas Christopher Michael Ring , better known as Christy Ring, was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with the Glen Rovers club from 1941 until 1967 and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1939 until 1963. Ring is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers in...

 and John Doyle
John Doyle (hurler)
John Doyle was an Irish sportsperson and politician, hailed as one of the best defenders in hurling and his county's most iconic player upon his death. He played hurling with his local Holycross-Ballycahill club from the 1940s until the 1970s and was a member of the Tipperary senior inter-county...

.

On September 8, 2010 it was announced that Kavanagh alongside his team-mate James Ryall were retiring from Inter-county following the defeat by 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...

 however, it was later confirmed that Kavanagh retirement news was considered to be misquoted.

Inter-provincial

Kavanagh has also won three Railway Cup medals 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...

.

Kilkenny

  • All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
    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....

    :
    • Winner (8): 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011
    • Runner-up (4): 1998, 1999, 2004, 2010
  • Leinster Senior Hurling 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....

    :
    • Winner (12): 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
  • 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...

    :
    • Winner (5): 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009
    • Runner-up (2): 2007, 2011
  • Walsh Cup
    Walsh Cup (hurling)
    The Walsh Cup is an annual hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1954 for the top inter-county and third-level hurling teams in the province of Leinster in Ireland. The cup was named after Tom Walsh , Chairman of the Leinster Council...

    :
    • Winner (4): 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009

Teams

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