J. J. Delaney

J. J. Delaney
Personal information
Irish name S. S. Ó Dúláinne
Sport Hurling
Position Left wing-back
Born (1982-03-06) 6 March 1982 (age 42)
Waterford, Ireland
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Occupation Sales rep
Club(s)
Years Club
Fenians
Club titles
Kilkenny titles 0
Colleges(s)
Years College
Waterford Institute of Technology
College titles
Fitzgibbon titles 2
Inter-county(ies)*
Years County Apps (scores)
2001–2014
Kilkenny 66 (0–1)
Inter-county titles
Leinster titles 11
All-Irelands 9
NHL 8
All Stars 7
*Inter County team apps and scores correct as of 14:01, 17 April 2016.
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James John Delaney (born 6 March 1982) is an Irish hurler who played as a left wing-back and full-back at senior level for the Kilkenny county team.[1]

Born in Waterford in 1982, Delaney is a native of Johnstown, County Kilkenny. Delaney first played competitive hurling during his schooling at Coláiste Mhuire. He arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of seventeen when he first linked up with the Kilkenny minor team, before later joining the under-21 side. He made his senior debut during the 2001 championship. Delaney immediately became a regular member of the starting fifteen, and won nine All-Ireland medals, eleven Leinster medals and eight National League medals on the field of play. He was an All-Ireland runner-up on two occasions.

As a member of the Leinster inter-provincial team on a number of occasions, Delaney won two Railway Cup medals. At club level Delaney continues to play with Fenians.

Delaney's uncles, Billy Fitzpatrick and Pat Delaney, won nine All-Ireland medals between them between 1969 and 1983, while his father, Shem Delaney, shared in one of these All-Ireland successes as a non-playing substitute. His first cousin, P. J. Delaney, won an All-Ireland medal in 1993.[2]

Throughout his career Delaney made 66 championship appearances, setting him out as the third most "capped" player of all-time. He announced his retirement from inter-county hurling on 5 December 2014.[3][4][5][6] [7][8]

Delaney is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all-time.[9] In 2003 he won the first of six All-Star awards, while he also made a clean sweep of all the top individual awards, winning the All-Star, Texaco and GPA Hurler of the Year awards. Delaney was also chosen as one of the 125 greatest hurlers of all-time in a 2009 poll. That same year he was chosen on the Leinster team of the past twenty-five years.[10]

  1. ^ "Profile: J. J. Delaney". Kilkenny GAA website. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  2. ^ Bellew, Ronnie (12 September 2004). "JJ: bred to have all the answers on final day". Irish Independent. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  3. ^ "JJ Delaney calls time on Kilkenny career". RTÉ Sport. 5 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  4. ^ Byrne, Cormac (5 December 2014). "Kilkenny legend JJ Delaney announces his retirement from inter-county hurling". Irish Independent. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  5. ^ "Another Kilkenny hurling legend bows out as JJ Delaney retires". The Score. 5 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  6. ^ Moran, Seán (5 December 2014). "JJ Delaney announces Kilkenny retirement". Irish Times. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  7. ^ Hynes, Robert (5 December 2014). "JJ Delaney retires from Kilkenny hurling". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  8. ^ "Kilkenny star Delaney retires from intercounty hurling". Breaking News. 5 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  9. ^ Duggan, Keith (6 December 2014). "JJ Delaney has gone but power of 'the panel' endures in Kilkenny". Irish Times. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  10. ^ "Carey among seven Cats included on best Leinster team of past 25 years". Irish Independent. 7 July 2009. Retrieved 4 September 2010.