Tommy Walsh (hurler)
Encyclopedia
Tommy Walsh is an Irish
hurler
who currently plays as a right wing-back for the Kilkenny
senior team. He joined the team during the 2002 championship
and became a regular member of the starting fifteen the following year.
Walsh is regarded as one of the greatest players of all-time. He has won six All-Ireland
winner's medals, eight Leinster
winner's medals and four National League
winner's medal. He has ended up as an All-Ireland runner-up on two occasions.
Walsh has a number of personal achievements. He is only the second player in hurling history to have won eight consecutive All-Star
awards, receiving one award for every year of his playing career. In 2009 he made a clean sweep of all the top individual awards, winning the All-Star
, Texaco
and GPA Hurler of the Year
awards. That same year he was chosen on the Leinster team of the last twenty-five years.
At club level, Walsh plays with Tullaroan
, the all-time roll of honour leaders in club hurling in Kilkenny, however, during Walsh's playing days the team have failed to reach the summit of club hurling.
At international level, Walsh has played for the composite rules shinty-hurling
team, captaining his country to the title over Scotland in 2009.
, County Kilkenny
in 1983. He was educated at the local national school before later attending St. Kieran's College, a famed hurling nursery in Kilkenny. It was here that Walsh's talent first came to the fore on the hurling field. In 1999 he was a key member of the college hurling team that captured the Leinster title. Walsh later lined out in the All-Ireland final, however, St. Flannan's College
of Ennis
won the game by 2-15 to 2-10. In 2000 he added a second Leinster colleges' title to his collection as St. Kieran's retained the provincial title. A second consecutive All-Ireland showdown with St. Flannan's soon followed. At the second time of asking St. Kieran's defeated the Clare side by 1-10 to 0-9 and Walsh collected a coveted All-Ireland
winners' medal.
Following the completion of his Leaving Certificate
, Walsh attended University College Cork (UCC) were he joined the university's hurling team. He enjoyed little success here as UCC
lost out to Waterford Institute of Technology
in the 2003-04 Fitzgibbon Cup
final.
After graduating from UCC Walsh worked as a bank official with Bank of Ireland
.
, one of the most famous and successful clubs in the county. He has enjoyed some success at underage levels; however, Walsh has yet to win or even appear in a senior county championship decider.
minor hurling team at the turn of the century. He won his sole Leinster
title in this grade in 2001, however, his side were later defeated by Galway
in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Walsh later moved on to the county under-21 team with whom he won his first Leinster
title in 2003. Kilkenny later played Galway in the All-Ireland final and, following the heartbreak of losing to the westerners in the minor grade, Walsh reversed the trend and collected his first All-Ireland
under-21 winners' medal following a 2-13 to 0-12 victory.
In 2004 Walsh added a second consecutive Leinster title to his collection before later lining out in a second consecutive All-Ireland final. Arch rivals Tipperary
were the opponents on that occasion, however. 'the Cats' were unstoppable and powered to a 3-21 to 1-6 victory. It was Walsh’s second All-Ireland medal and his last outing in the under-21 grade.
and All-Ireland
triumphs, however, Walsh was yet to make his debut.
In 2003 Walsh became a key member of the Kilkenny half-forward line as the team's dominance of all hurling competitions continued. For the second consecutive year Shefflin's side qualified for the final of the National Hurling League
. Old rivals Tipperary were the opponents and a cracking game of hurling developed between the two. Henry Shefflin
bagged 2-6, as Kilkenny claimed a narrow 5-14 to 5-13 victory. It was Walsh's first National League winners' medal. The Leinster hurling counties provided little opposition in the subsequent championship campaign and Kilkenny marched to yet another Leinster title. The 2-23 to 2-12 defeat of Wexford
gave Walsh his very first Leinster winners' medal. Subsequent success over Tipperary gave Kilkenny a save passage into an All-Ireland final showdown with Cork. Walsh's side were the overwhelming favourites going into the game, however, they never led by more than four points at any stage of the game. Setanta Ó hAilpín
scored the equalising goal for Cork after the restart, however, Martin Comerford
's goal five miutes before the end clinched a 1-14 to 1-11 victory for Kilkenny. It was Walsh's first All-Ireland winners' medal in the senior grade. He was subsequently presented with his first All-Star
award..
In 2004 Kilkenny were aiming for an elusive third All-Ireland victory in-a-row, however, the team was now under severe pressure from all quarters. Walsh was redeployed from the forwards to wing-back, however, 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 at the semi-final stage. Kilkenny took the scenic route via the qualifiers system, however, after a scare against Clare
they still reached the All-Ireland final. For the second year in-a-row 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, however, in spite of this Walsh was still presented with a second All-Star award.
Kilkenny were back in form in 2005 and duly qualified for the National League final. Clare were the opponents on that occasion, however, they provided little opposition as 'the Cats' secures a huge 3-20 to 0-15 victory and a second National League title for Walsh. Kilkenny later proved that the 2004 defeat in Leinster was just a temporary blip. A 0-22 to 1-16 defeat of Wexford in the final gave Kilkenny possession of the provincial title and gave Walsh a second Leinster winners' medal. While a third successive All-Ireland showdown with Cork seemed likely, Galway defeated Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-final in one of the game's of the decade. In spite of failing to reach the championship decider a third successive All-Star award was quickly added to Walsh's collection.
In 2006 Walsh captured a third National League title following a 3-11 to 0-14 victory over Limerick
. Walsh later won his third Leinster title following another facile victory over Wexford, before lining out in the All-Ireland final. 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 as 'the Cats' secured a 1-16 to 1-13 victory. It was Walsh's second All-Ireland winners' medal. A fourth All-Star award quickly followed for Walsh.
In 2007 Kilkenny were aiming for a third consecutive National League title, however, Waterford
triumphed in the final for the first time in forty-four years. Kilkenny moved on undeterred and Walsh captured a fourth Leinster medal following another facile victory in the final. Once again Kilkenny later qualified for the All-Ireland final where, surprisingly, Limerick provided the opposition. Kilkenny got off to a flying start with Eddie Brennan
and Henry Shefflin combining to score two goals within the first ten minutes. Unfortunately, Shefflin sustained an injury during the game and had to retire at half-time. In spite of losing their captain and star player Kilkenny still went on to win the game by 2-19 to 1-15. This victory gave Walsh a third All-Ireland medal, while his fifth consecutive All-Star award soon followed.
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’ a minor scare. In the end Walsh collected his fifth Leinster winners' medal after a 5-21 to 0-17 victory. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Kilkenny take on Waterford. It was their first meeting in the championship decider in forty-five years. 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. 'The Cats' gave an almost flawless performance as the team romped to an enormous 3-30 to 1-13 win. It was Shefflin's fourth All-Ireland winners' medal. A sixth consecutive All-Star award soon followed for Walsh as Kilkenny dominated the team of the year selection.
With the three-in-a-row taken care of, 2009 Kilkenny set out to break Cork's seemingly unbeatable record of four championship titles in succession, a record which had stood since 1944. Tipperary were seen as the main challengers to Kilkenny's dominance and both sides lined out against each other in the final of the National League. Tipperary 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 battling to the very end Tipp were beaten and Kilkenny won by 2-26 to 4-17. It was Walsh's fourth National League winners' medal. The subsequent championship campaign saw 'the Cats' line out against Dublin
in the Leinster final. While many expected 'the Dubs' to be lambs to the slaughter in that game, Kilkenny found it difficult to cope. It took two goals from Martin Comerford
to secure a 2-18 to 0-18 victory and a sixth Leinster winners' medal for Walsh. After a six-week lay-off and a thrilling semi-final with Waterford, Kilkenny qualified for a fourth successive final and the chance to make history. In a repeat of the league final, Tipperary were the opponents. 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. Two quick goals in the space of a minute, one from a penalty by Henry Shefflin, sealed a 2-22 to 0-23 victory. It was the fourth time in-a-row that the famed Liam McCarthy Cup
was presented to a Kilkenny team. It was also Walsh's fifth All-Ireland medal. He was subsequently honoured when he was presented with a seventh consecutive All-Star award, as well as picking up the Texaco
, Vodafone
and GPA Hurler of the Year
awards.
in the inter-provincial hurling competition and has enjoyed some success. He captured his first Railway Cup title in 2006 following a nine-point defeat of Connacht
in the final. After surrendering the title the following year, Walsh secured a second Railway Cup title as captain in 2008 when Leinster defeated Munster
by 1-15 to 1-12. He added a third inter-provincial winners' medal to his collection in 2009 as Leinster defeated Connacht by 3-18 to 1-17 to take the very last Railway Cup title.
team in the composite rules shinty-hurling
series of games. He was in the number four position on the team in 2008 as a close game developed between the near neighbours. A narrow 1-10 to 1-9 score line gave victory to the Scots.
In 2009 Walsh had the honour of being named captain of the Irish side that travelled to Inverness
. A close game developed, however, Ireland withstood a dramatic six minutes of injury-time as a Shane Dooley
goal ensured a 1-11 to 1-8 victory. It was Walsh's first title in this game while he also had the honour of collecting the cup as captain.
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...
hurler
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...
who currently plays as a right wing-back for 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 team. He joined the team during the 2002 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....
and became a regular member of the starting fifteen the following year.
Walsh is regarded as one of the greatest players of all-time. He has won six 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....
winner's medals, eight 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....
winner's medals and four National 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's medal. He has ended up as an All-Ireland runner-up on two occasions.
Walsh has a number of personal achievements. He is only the second player in hurling history to have won eight consecutive 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...
awards, receiving one award for every year of his playing career. In 2009 he made a clean sweep of all the top individual awards, winning the All-Star
Vodafone Hurler of the Year
The Gaelic Athletic Association Gaelic Players' Association All Stars Hurler of the of the Year, formerly known as the Vodafone Hurler of the Year and the Eircell Hurler of the Year, is a hurling award, created in 1995, that honours the achievements of a hurler of outstanding excellence...
, Texaco
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....
and GPA Hurler of the Year
GPA Hurler of the Year
The GPA Hurler of the Year is a hurling award that honours the achievements of a hurler of outstanding excellence. At the end of every Hurling Championship the members of the Gaelic Players Association, the players 'union', vote on which of its members has played the best hurling in the previous...
awards. That same year he was chosen on the Leinster team of the last twenty-five years.
At club level, Walsh plays with 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...
, the all-time roll of honour leaders in club hurling in Kilkenny, however, during Walsh's playing days the team have failed to reach the summit of club hurling.
At international level, Walsh has played for the composite rules shinty-hurling
Composite rules shinty-hurling
Composite rules shinty-hurling , sometimes known simply as shinty-hurling) is a hybrid sport which was developed to facilitate international matches between shinty players and hurling players....
team, captaining his country to the title over Scotland in 2009.
Biography
Tommy Walsh was born in TullaroanTullaroan
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:...
, 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 1983. He was educated at the local national school before later attending St. Kieran's College, a famed hurling nursery in Kilkenny. It was here that Walsh's talent first came to the fore on the hurling field. In 1999 he was a key member of the college hurling team that captured the Leinster title. Walsh later lined out in the All-Ireland final, however, St. Flannan's College
St. Flannan's College
Saint Flannan's College is an Irish secondary school located in Ennis, County Clare. Formerly an all-boys boarding school, the first girls class was entered in 2002 and in 2005 the boarding school was closed. In 2003 an extension which added over 20 new rooms to the college was completed...
of Ennis
Ennis
Ennis is the county town of Clare in Ireland. Situated on the River Fergus, it lies north of Limerick and south of Galway. Its name is a shortening of the original ....
won the game by 2-15 to 2-10. In 2000 he added a second Leinster colleges' title to his collection as St. Kieran's retained the provincial title. A second consecutive All-Ireland showdown with St. Flannan's soon followed. At the second time of asking St. Kieran's defeated the Clare side by 1-10 to 0-9 and Walsh collected a coveted All-Ireland
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.
Following the completion of his Leaving Certificate
Leaving Certificate
The Leaving Certificate Examinations , commonly referred to as the Leaving Cert is the final examination in the Irish secondary school system. It takes a minimum of two years preparation, but an optional Transition Year means that for those students it takes place three years after the Junior...
, Walsh attended University College Cork (UCC) were he joined the university's hurling team. He enjoyed little success here as UCC
UCC GAA
UCC is a football and hurling club associated with University College Cork. UCC teams play in the Cork Senior Football Championship and Cork Senior Hurling Championship as well as the two main third-level competitions namely the Sigerson Cup in football and the Fitzgibbon Cup in hurling...
lost out to Waterford Institute of Technology
Waterford IT GAA
Waterford IT GAA club was set up in 1981. Its hurling team play in the Fitzgibbon Cup and Waterford Crystal Cup as well as Higher Education Leagues. Its football team play in the Sigerson Cup and McGrath Cup as well as Higher Education Leagues.-History:...
in the 2003-04 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...
final.
After graduating from UCC Walsh worked as a bank official with Bank of Ireland
Bank of Ireland
The Bank of Ireland is a commercial bank operation in Ireland, which is one of the 'Big Four' in both parts of the island.Historically the premier banking organisation in Ireland, the Bank occupies a unique position in Irish banking history...
.
Club
Walsh plays his local club hurling with 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...
, one of the most famous and successful clubs in the county. He has enjoyed some success at underage levels; however, Walsh has yet to win or even appear in a senior county championship decider.
Minor and under-21
Walsh 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...
minor hurling team at the turn of the century. He won his sole Leinster
Leinster Minor Hurling Championship
The ESB Leinster Minor Hurling Championship is the Minor "knockout" competition in the game of Hurling played in the province of Leinster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Leinster Council...
title in this grade in 2001, however, his side were later defeated 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.
Walsh later moved on to the county under-21 team with whom he won his first Leinster
Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship
For the Senior equivalent see: Leinster Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe Leinster U-21 Hurling Championship or for sponsorship reasons the Erin Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship is an U-21 hurling tournament. The first tournament took place in 1964 when Wexford were crowned champions. Wexford...
title in 2003. Kilkenny later played Galway in the All-Ireland final and, following the heartbreak of losing to the westerners in the minor grade, Walsh reversed the trend and collected his first 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...
under-21 winners' medal following a 2-13 to 0-12 victory.
In 2004 Walsh added a second consecutive Leinster title to his collection before later lining out in a second consecutive All-Ireland final. Arch rivals 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...
were the opponents on that occasion, however. 'the Cats' were unstoppable and powered to a 3-21 to 1-6 victory. It was Walsh’s second All-Ireland medal and his last outing in the under-21 grade.
Senior
Walsh was still a member of the under-21 panel when he joined the Kilkenny senior team in 2002. That year he shared in his county's LeinsterLeinster 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 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....
triumphs, however, Walsh was yet to make his debut.
In 2003 Walsh became a key member of the Kilkenny half-forward line as the team's dominance of all hurling competitions continued. For the second consecutive year Shefflin's side qualified for the final of the 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...
. Old rivals Tipperary were the opponents and a cracking game of hurling developed between the two. 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...
bagged 2-6, as Kilkenny claimed a narrow 5-14 to 5-13 victory. It was Walsh's first National League winners' medal. The Leinster hurling counties provided little opposition in the subsequent championship campaign and Kilkenny marched to yet another Leinster title. The 2-23 to 2-12 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...
gave Walsh his very first Leinster winners' medal. Subsequent success over Tipperary gave Kilkenny a save passage into an All-Ireland final showdown with Cork. Walsh's side were the overwhelming favourites going into the game, however, they never led by more than four points at any stage of the game. Setanta Ó hAilpín
Setanta Ó hAilpín
Setanta "Carlos" Ó hAilpín is an Australian-Irish sportsman. He was a hurler with the Cork senior team before becoming a professional Australian Rules footballer. He is of mixed Irish and Rotuman background...
scored the equalising goal for Cork after the restart, however, 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:...
's goal five miutes before the end clinched a 1-14 to 1-11 victory for Kilkenny. It was Walsh's first All-Ireland winners' medal in the senior grade. He was subsequently presented with his 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 2004 Kilkenny were aiming for an elusive third All-Ireland victory in-a-row, however, the team was now under severe pressure from all quarters. Walsh was redeployed from the forwards to wing-back, however, 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 at the semi-final stage. Kilkenny took the scenic route via the qualifiers system, however, after a scare against 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....
they still reached the All-Ireland final. For the second year in-a-row 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, however, in spite of this Walsh was still presented with a second All-Star award.
Kilkenny were back in form in 2005 and duly qualified for the National League final. Clare were the opponents on that occasion, however, they provided little opposition as 'the Cats' secures a huge 3-20 to 0-15 victory and a second National League title for Walsh. Kilkenny later proved that the 2004 defeat in Leinster was just a temporary blip. A 0-22 to 1-16 defeat of Wexford in the final gave Kilkenny possession of the provincial title and gave Walsh a second Leinster winners' medal. While a third successive All-Ireland showdown with Cork seemed likely, Galway defeated Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-final in one of the game's of the decade. In spite of failing to reach the championship decider a third successive All-Star award was quickly added to Walsh's collection.
In 2006 Walsh captured a third National League title following a 3-11 to 0-14 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...
. Walsh later won his third Leinster title following another facile victory over Wexford, before lining out in the All-Ireland final. 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 as 'the Cats' secured a 1-16 to 1-13 victory. It was Walsh's second All-Ireland winners' medal. A fourth All-Star award quickly followed for Walsh.
In 2007 Kilkenny were aiming for a third consecutive National League title, however, 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...
triumphed in the final for the first time in forty-four years. Kilkenny moved on undeterred and Walsh captured a fourth Leinster medal following another facile victory in the final. Once again Kilkenny later qualified for the All-Ireland final where, surprisingly, Limerick provided 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 combining to score two goals within the first ten minutes. Unfortunately, Shefflin sustained an injury during the game and had to retire at half-time. In spite of losing their captain and star player Kilkenny still went on to win the game by 2-19 to 1-15. This victory gave Walsh a third All-Ireland medal, while his fifth consecutive All-Star award soon followed.
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’ a minor scare. In the end Walsh collected his fifth Leinster winners' medal after a 5-21 to 0-17 victory. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Kilkenny take on Waterford. It was their first meeting in the championship decider in forty-five years. 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. 'The Cats' gave an almost flawless performance as the team romped to an enormous 3-30 to 1-13 win. It was Shefflin's fourth All-Ireland winners' medal. A sixth consecutive All-Star award soon followed for Walsh as Kilkenny dominated the team of the year selection.
With the three-in-a-row taken care of, 2009 Kilkenny set out to break Cork's seemingly unbeatable record of four championship titles in succession, a record which had stood since 1944. Tipperary were seen as the main challengers to Kilkenny's dominance and both sides lined out against each other in the final of the National League. Tipperary 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 battling to the very end Tipp were beaten and Kilkenny won by 2-26 to 4-17. It was Walsh's fourth National League winners' medal. The subsequent championship campaign saw 'the Cats' line out against 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...
in the Leinster final. While many expected 'the Dubs' to be lambs to the slaughter in that game, Kilkenny found it difficult to cope. It took two goals from 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:...
to secure a 2-18 to 0-18 victory and a sixth Leinster winners' medal for Walsh. After a six-week lay-off and a thrilling semi-final with Waterford, Kilkenny qualified for a fourth successive final and the chance to make history. In a repeat of the league final, Tipperary were the opponents. 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. Two quick goals in the space of a minute, one from a penalty by Henry Shefflin, sealed a 2-22 to 0-23 victory. It was the fourth time in-a-row that the famed 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:...
was presented to a Kilkenny team. It was also Walsh's fifth All-Ireland medal. He was subsequently honoured when he was presented with a seventh consecutive All-Star award, as well as picking up the Texaco
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....
, Vodafone
Vodafone Hurler of the Year
The Gaelic Athletic Association Gaelic Players' Association All Stars Hurler of the of the Year, formerly known as the Vodafone Hurler of the Year and the Eircell Hurler of the Year, is a hurling award, created in 1995, that honours the achievements of a hurler of outstanding excellence...
and GPA Hurler of the Year
GPA Hurler of the Year
The GPA Hurler of the Year is a hurling award that honours the achievements of a hurler of outstanding excellence. At the end of every Hurling Championship the members of the Gaelic Players Association, the players 'union', vote on which of its members has played the best hurling in the previous...
awards.
Inter-provincial
Walsh has also lined out with LeinsterLeinster 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...
in the inter-provincial hurling competition and has enjoyed some success. He captured his first Railway Cup title in 2006 following a nine-point defeat of Connacht
Connacht 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 final. After surrendering the title the following year, Walsh secured a second Railway Cup title as captain in 2008 when Leinster defeated 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:...
by 1-15 to 1-12. He added a third inter-provincial winners' medal to his collection in 2009 as Leinster defeated Connacht by 3-18 to 1-17 to take the very last Railway Cup title.
International
Walsh also had the honour of being called up for duty on the IrelandIreland national compromise rules shinty-hurling team
The Ireland national compromise rules shinty-hurling team is the representative team for Ireland in Composite rules shinty-hurling consisting of hurling players...
team in the composite rules shinty-hurling
Composite rules shinty-hurling
Composite rules shinty-hurling , sometimes known simply as shinty-hurling) is a hybrid sport which was developed to facilitate international matches between shinty players and hurling players....
series of games. He was in the number four position on the team in 2008 as a close game developed between the near neighbours. A narrow 1-10 to 1-9 score line gave victory to the Scots.
In 2009 Walsh had the honour of being named captain of the Irish side that travelled to Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
. A close game developed, however, Ireland withstood a dramatic six minutes of injury-time as a Shane Dooley
Shane Dooley
Shane Dooley is an Irish sportsperson. He playes hurling and Gaelic football with his local club Tullamore and has been a member of the Offaly senior hurling team since 2007.-Biography:...
goal ensured a 1-11 to 1-8 victory. It was Walsh's first title in this game while he also had the honour of collecting the cup as captain.
Tullaroan
- Kilkenny Senior Club Hurling ChampionshipKilkenny Senior Club Hurling ChampionshipThe Kilkenny Senior Hurling Club Championship is an annual club competition between the top Kilkenny Gaelic Athletic Association Clubs. The winners of the Kilkenny Championship qualify to represent their county in the Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship and in turn, go on to the All-Ireland...
:- Winner (0):
- Runner-up (0):
Kilkenny
- 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 (6): 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011
- Runner-up (2): 2004, 2010
- Leinster Senior Hurling ChampionshipLeinster Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe 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 (8): 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
- 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 (4): 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009
- Runner-up (1): 2007, 2010
- Walsh CupWalsh 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
Leinster
- Railway Cup:
- Winner (3): 2006, 2008 (c), 2009
- Runner-up (1): 2005
Ireland
- Composite RulesComposite rules shinty-hurlingComposite rules shinty-hurling , sometimes known simply as shinty-hurling) is a hybrid sport which was developed to facilitate international matches between shinty players and hurling players....
:- Winner (1): 2009 (c)
- Runner-up (1): 2008
Individual
- All-Stars: 9
- 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
- Texaco Hurler of the YearTexaco Hurler of the YearThe 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....
: 1- 2009
- All-Stars Hurler of the YearVodafone Hurler of the YearThe Gaelic Athletic Association Gaelic Players' Association All Stars Hurler of the of the Year, formerly known as the Vodafone Hurler of the Year and the Eircell Hurler of the Year, is a hurling award, created in 1995, that honours the achievements of a hurler of outstanding excellence...
: 1- 2009
- GPA Hurler of the YearGPA Hurler of the YearThe GPA Hurler of the Year is a hurling award that honours the achievements of a hurler of outstanding excellence. At the end of every Hurling Championship the members of the Gaelic Players Association, the players 'union', vote on which of its members has played the best hurling in the previous...
: 1- 2009