 Statue in Thomastown | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish name | Oilibhéar Breathnach | ||
| Sport | Hurling | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Born |
Patrick Oliver Walsh 13 July 1937 Thomastown, County Kilkenny, Ireland | ||
| Died |
9 March 1996 (aged 58) St. Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny, Ireland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Nickname | Ollie | ||
| Occupation | Sales manager | ||
| Club(s) | |||
| Years | Club | ||
| Thomastown | |||
| Club titles | |||
| Football | Hurling | ||
| Kilkenny titles | 1 | 0 | |
| Inter-county(ies)* | |||
| Years | County | Apps (scores) | |
1956–1972 | Kilkenny | 42 (0-00) | |
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Leinster titles | 10 | ||
| All-Irelands | 5 | ||
| NHL | 2 | ||
| All Stars | 3 | ||
| *Inter County team apps and scores correct as of 18:06, 5 May 2020. | |||
Patrick Oliver Walsh (13 July 1937 – 9 March 1996) was an Irish hurler and hurling manager. His career included All-Ireland Championship victories as a player and later as a manager with the Kilkenny senior hurling team.
After beginning his career at club level with Thomastown, Walsh joined the Kilkenny minor team as a 15-year-old in 1953 and won a Leinster Minor Championship in 1955. After a brief stint with the junior side, he was promoted to the Kilkenny senior team in 1956. From his debut, Walsh was ever-present as a goalkeeper and made a total of 42 championship appearances in a career that ended with his last game in 1972. During that time he was part of five All-Ireland Championship-winning teams – in 1957, 1963, 1967, 1969 and 1972. Walsh also secured 10 Leinster Championship medals and two National Hurling League medals.
After his playing career, Walsh found success as both a club and inter-county manager. After gaining managerial experience with the Carlow senior hurling team, he guided his own Thomastown club to a Kilkenny Intermediate Championship title in 1983. After a hugely successful tenure with the Kilkenny junior team, Walsh managed the senior team to several All-Ireland Championship, Leinster Championship and National League successes over a five-year period.
Noted for his swashbuckling style, which included blocking, side-stepping his opponents and clearing the sliotar down the field, Walsh is regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of the game.[1][2][3][4] He was named Texaco Hurler of the Year in 1967, and was also selected on the Gaelic Weekly Team of the Year on three occasions.
- ^ Doody, Derry J. F. "Rated as Kilkenny's greatest ever custodian". Scoreboard Memories. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
- ^ Grennan, Aidan. "Stonewall Ollie - a goalkeeping legend". Ireland's Own. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
- ^ Keys, Colm & Breheny, Martin (5 November 2009). "The 125 greatest stars of the GAA: 51-75". Irish Independent. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Considine, Tony (29 April 2020). "The Tony Considine column: Hurling goalkeepers really are a special breed". The Echo. Retrieved 5 May 2020.