Dick Grace (Tullaroan)
Encyclopedia
Dick Grace was an Irish
sportsperson. He played hurling
with his local club Tullaroan
and was a member of the Kilkenny
senior inter-county team from 1909 until 1926. Grace is one of only a handful of players to have won All-Ireland
medals in each of three decades.
, County Kilkenny
in 1891. He was educated at the local national school and, in time, would go on to become one of his county’s greatest-ever hurlers. The Graces of Tullaroan were synonymous with both hurling
and Gaelic football
. Between them the three brothers – Dick, Jack
and Pierce
- won a total of 15 All-Ireland senior medals – eight in hurling and seven in football.
with his local Tullaroan club and enjoyed much success, winning his first county title in 1910. He added more county titles to his collection in 1911, 1915, 1924 and 1925. At the end of the 20th century Grace was chosen on the Tullaroan Hurling Team of the Century.
in 1909. That year he came on as a substitute in the All-Ireland final against Tipperary
in Cork
. The game was a high-scoring one as Tipperary suffered their first defeat in nine All-Ireland final appearances. A 4-6 to 0-12 victory gave Grace his first All-Ireland
medal. Kilkenny surrendered their Leinster and All-Ireland crowns in 1910, however, 1911 saw Grace picking up his first Leinster
winners’ medal. There was controversy in the All-Ireland final as Kilkenny were destined to play Limerick
. On the first occasion the pitch in Cork was water-logged and the game was refixed for Thurles
. Limerick pulled out of the replay and the title was awarded to Kilkenny. Limerick defeated Kilkenny in a challenge match later that same year; however, Grace was the one who had collected a second All-Ireland medal. The following year Grace collected a second Leinster medal before lining out in another All-Ireland final. Cork provided the opposition on that occasion in a low-scoring but close game. A 2-1 to 1-3 victory gave Grace a third All-Ireland medal. In 1913 Kilkenny were attempting to make history by capturing their third championship in-a-row. Kilkenny retained their provincial dominance with Walsh collecting a third Leinster title. The All-Ireland final saw ‘the Cats’ square up to Tipperary in the first fifteen-a-side final. Kilkenny had the lead at half-time and only scored a goal in the second-half. They won the game by 2-4 to 1-2 giving Grace a fourth All-Ireland winners’ medal.
Four All-Ireland titles in-a-row proved beyond this Kilkenny team as they were beaten by Laois in 1914. Two years later in 1916 Grace added a fourth Leinster title to his collection as his team defeated Wexford
in the provincial decider. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Kilkenny take on their near rivals Tipperary. In an exciting game which saw Grace and Tommy Shanahan of Tipp being sent off, Kilkenny went five points ahead, however, Tipp bounced back to win the game by 5-4 to 3-2. Kilkenny went into decline following this defeat. The team lost Leinster finals to Dublin in 1917, 1919, 1920 and 1921. The team bounced back in 1922 and Grace won his fifth Leinster title following an eight-point victory over Dublin. This victory allowed ‘the Cats’ to advance to the All-Ireland final where Tipperary were the opponents. With three minutes left in the game Tipp were leading by three points, however, last-minute goals by Paddy Donoghue and Dick Tobin
secured a 4-2 to 2-6 victory for Kilkenny. Grace had captured his fifth All-Ireland medal in his third decade as a player. It would be 45 years before Kilkenny would beat Tipp in the championship again. Grace added a sixth Leinster title to his collection in 1923 following another trouncing of Dublin, however, Galway accounted for Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-final. Two years late rin 1925 Grace captured a seventh Leinster medal, however, Galway won the day in the All-Ireland semi-final oncae again. The following year Grace captained Kilkenny to yet another Leinster title, his eighth overall. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Kilkenny line out against Cork at a snow-covered Croke Park
. Cork took the lead at half-time and went on to win the game by 4-6 to 2-0. Following this defeat Grace decided to retire from inter-county hurling.
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 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 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...
and was 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 from 1909 until 1926. Grace is one of only a handful of players to have won 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....
medals in each of three decades.
Biography
Dick Grace 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 1891. He was educated at the local national school and, in time, would go on to become one of his county’s greatest-ever hurlers. The Graces of Tullaroan were synonymous with both 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...
and Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
. Between them the three brothers – Dick, Jack
Jack Grace
Jack Grace is an American alternative country rock singer, songwriter, bandleader and guitarist who maintains a residence in Brooklyn and another in Bearsville, New York. Jack has made a career out of following no one’s rules but his own and is probably going to keep doing his thing until his...
and Pierce
Pierce Grace
Pierce Grace was a famous Irish dual player. He played hurling with his local club Tullaroan and with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1911 until 1914. Grace also played Gaelic football with his local club Kickhams and with the Dublin senior inter-county team from 1906 until 1907....
- won a total of 15 All-Ireland senior medals – eight in hurling and seven in football.
Club
Grace played his club hurlingHurling
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 Tullaroan club and enjoyed much success, winning his first county title in 1910. He added more county titles to his collection in 1911, 1915, 1924 and 1925. At the end of the 20th century Grace was chosen on the Tullaroan Hurling Team of the Century.
Inter-county
Grace first came to prominence on the inter-county scene for 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...
in 1909. That year he came on as a substitute in the All-Ireland final against 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...
in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
. The game was a high-scoring one as Tipperary suffered their first defeat in nine All-Ireland final appearances. A 4-6 to 0-12 victory gave Grace 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. Kilkenny surrendered their Leinster and All-Ireland crowns in 1910, however, 1911 saw Grace picking up 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....
winners’ medal. There was controversy in the All-Ireland final as Kilkenny were destined to play 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...
. On the first occasion the pitch in Cork was water-logged and the game was refixed for Thurles
Thurles
Thurles is a town situated in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty and is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly...
. Limerick pulled out of the replay and the title was awarded to Kilkenny. Limerick defeated Kilkenny in a challenge match later that same year; however, Grace was the one who had collected a second All-Ireland medal. The following year Grace collected a second Leinster medal before lining out in another All-Ireland final. Cork provided the opposition on that occasion in a low-scoring but close game. A 2-1 to 1-3 victory gave Grace a third All-Ireland medal. In 1913 Kilkenny were attempting to make history by capturing their third championship in-a-row. Kilkenny retained their provincial dominance with Walsh collecting a third Leinster title. The All-Ireland final saw ‘the Cats’ square up to Tipperary in the first fifteen-a-side final. Kilkenny had the lead at half-time and only scored a goal in the second-half. They won the game by 2-4 to 1-2 giving Grace a fourth All-Ireland winners’ medal.
Four All-Ireland titles in-a-row proved beyond this Kilkenny team as they were beaten by Laois in 1914. Two years later in 1916 Grace added a fourth Leinster title to his collection as his team defeated 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 provincial decider. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Kilkenny take on their near rivals Tipperary. In an exciting game which saw Grace and Tommy Shanahan of Tipp being sent off, Kilkenny went five points ahead, however, Tipp bounced back to win the game by 5-4 to 3-2. Kilkenny went into decline following this defeat. The team lost Leinster finals to Dublin in 1917, 1919, 1920 and 1921. The team bounced back in 1922 and Grace won his fifth Leinster title following an eight-point victory over Dublin. This victory allowed ‘the Cats’ to advance to the All-Ireland final where Tipperary were the opponents. With three minutes left in the game Tipp were leading by three points, however, last-minute goals by Paddy Donoghue and Dick Tobin
Dick Tobin
Richard "Dick" Tobin was an Irish hurler who played as a right corner-forward for the Kilkenny senior team from 1916 until 1925.Tobin made his first appearance for the team during the 1916 championship and became a regular player over the next decade. During that time he won one All-Ireland...
secured a 4-2 to 2-6 victory for Kilkenny. Grace had captured his fifth All-Ireland medal in his third decade as a player. It would be 45 years before Kilkenny would beat Tipp in the championship again. Grace added a sixth Leinster title to his collection in 1923 following another trouncing of Dublin, however, Galway accounted for Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-final. Two years late rin 1925 Grace captured a seventh Leinster medal, however, Galway won the day in the All-Ireland semi-final oncae again. The following year Grace captained Kilkenny to yet another Leinster title, his eighth overall. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Kilkenny line out against Cork at a snow-covered Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
. Cork took the lead at half-time and went on to win the game by 4-6 to 2-0. Following this defeat Grace decided to retire from inter-county hurling.