John Fenton
Encyclopedia
John Fenton is an Irish
retired sportsperson. He played hurling
with his local club Midleton
and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1975 until 1987. Fenton is regarded as one of Cork's greatest-ever players.
with his local Midleton
club and enjoyed much success. He played for the club’s minor team at the age of thirteen and started out his hurling life as a goalkeeper. Fenton’s talents were later deployed to midfield where he became a key play-maker. He enjoyed little success in the minor or under-21 grades, however, in 1978 he captured a county intermediate championship
winners’ medal with the club. This victory catapulted Midleton into the senior ranks of the county championship where he enjoyed the ultimate in terms of success throughout the 1980s.
Fenton won his first senior county senior championship
title with the club in 1983. It was Midleton’s first senior county final triumph since 1916. Fenton’s side later had the honour of representing Cork in the provincial club championship. A 1-14 to 1-11defeat of Tipperary’s Borrisoleigh in the replay of provincial decider gave Fenton a coveted Munster
club winners’ medal. Midleton were later defeated by Gort
in the All-Ireland club semi-final.
Three years later in 1986 Fenton captured a second county title before adding a third county winners’ medal to his collection in 1987. Later that year Midleton won a second Munster club title following a one-point win over Cappawhite
of Tipperary. On St. Patrick's Day, 1988 Midleton lined out in the All-Ireland club final. Athenry
of Galway provided the opposition, however, two early goals by Kevin Hennessy
and a kicked goal by Colm O’Neill gave Midleton a 3-8 to 0-9 victory. This victory also gave Fenton a coveted All-Ireland
club winners’ medal.
Fenton won a fourth county title with the club in 1991, before retiring completely from hurling. He has remained involved with the club as a coach to the juvenile team.
Fenton enjoyed his first major success at inter-county level in 1975 when he captured his first Munster
under-21 winners’ title following a 3-12 to 2-6 win over Limerick
. The subsequent All-Ireland final pitted Cork against fierce rivals. An entertaining and high-scoring hour of hurling followed, however, at the full-time whistle Kilkenny were the winners by 5-13 to 2-9.
Fenton was still eligible to play for the Cork under-21 team in 1976. That year he added a second Munster winners’ title to his collection as Clare
were accounted for. The subsequent All-Ireland final pitted Cork against Kilkenny once again, however, on this occasion Cork had the upper hand. A 2-17 to 1-8 victory gave Fenton a coveted All-Ireland
under-21 winners’ medal.
winners’ medal at senior level. Cork were defeated in the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final, however, the team captured three consecutive All-Ireland titles from 1976 until 1978.
Fenton, however, found it difficult to break onto that team and it was 1979 before he enjoyed further success. A 2-14 to 0-9 defeat of Limerick gave him a second Munster title on the field of play. Cork were later stopped in their bid to win a fourth All-Ireland title in-a-row when they were defeated by Galway
in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Cork’s championship success came to an end in 1980, however, Fenton did win a coveted National Hurling League
title following a win over Limerick. A second National League title followed in 1980.
In 1982 Fenton had another tough year as a senior hurler as he was dropped from the Cork team for certain key championship games. He did come on as a substitute in the 5-31 to 3-6 Munster final defeat of Waterford
. It was his third Munster winners’ medal on the field of play. Cork later lost the All-Ireland final to Kilkenny; however, Fenton played no part in that game.
In 1983 Fenton’s time on the subs’ bench was at an end and became a key member of Cork’s starting fifteen. He won a fourth Munster title that year as Cork trounced Waterford once again. The subsequent All-Ireland final pitted Cork against Kilkenny for the second consecutive year. ‘The Cats’ used a strong wind to dominate the opening half and built up a strong lead. Cork came storming back with goals by Tomás Mulcahy
and Seánie O'Leary
, however, at the full-time whistle Kilkenny had won by 2-14 to 2-12. In spite of this defeat Fenton was still presented with his first All-Star award.
Midleton’s club success in 1983 paved the way for Fenton to be appointed captain of the Cork team for 1984, the centenary year of the Gaelic Athletic Association
. The year began well with Fenton guiding his team to victory in the special Centenary Cup
competition. A fifth Munster winners’ medal soon followed for Fenton as Cork defeated Tipperary
by 4-15 to 3-14 in a memorable Munster final. The subsequent All-Ireland final, played at Semple Stadium
in Thurles
, saw Cork take on Offaly
for the first time ever in championship history. The centenary-year final failed to live up to expectations and Cork recorded a relatively easy 3-16 to 1-12 victory. Not only did Fenton capture a coveted All-Ireland
winners’ medal but he also had the honour of lifting the Liam McCarthy Cup
on behalf of his county. A second All-Star award quickly followed as well as a Texaco Hurler of the Year
award.
In 1985 Fenton added a sixth Munster title to his collection as Cork defeated Tipperary by 4-17 to 4-11 in the provincial decider. Cork, however, were later defeated by Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final. Fenton finished off the year by winning a third All-Star award.
In 1986 Cork made it five-in-a-row in Munster as Cork defeated Clare by 2-18 to 3-12 to take the provincial title. It was Fenton’s seventh Munster winners’ medal. This victory paved the way for an All-Ireland final meeting with Galway. The men from the west were the red-hot favourites against an ageing Cork team, however, on the day a different story unfolded. Four Cork goals, one from Fenton, two from Tomás Mulcahy and one from Kevin Hennessy, stymied the Galway attack and helped ‘the Rebels’ to a 4-13 to 2-15 victory. It was Fenton’s second All-Ireland winners’ medal. His fourth All-Star award followed.
In 1987 Fenton played in his last championship season with Cork. In the Munster semi-final replay against Limerick
Fenton scored, what is often regarded as, the greatest hurling goal of all-time. Playing in his usual midfield position he struck the sliotar on the ground and scored a goal from forth-five yards out. In 2005 this goal was listed as one of RTÉ
s Top 20 GAA Moments
. Fenton played his last game for Cork in a thrilling Munster final replay against Tipperary. The game ended in a 4-22 to 1-22 victory for Tipp and it was the first time in five years that Cork were not provincial champions. Fenton's performance in the Munster championship was honoured yet again when he was presented with a fifth consecutive All-Star award.
in the inter-provincial hurling competition and enjoyed much success. He first lined out with his province in 1981 as Munster defeated arch-rivals Leinster
by 2-16 to 2-6. It was his first Railway Cup winners’ medal. After a brief hiatus Fenton was back on the Munster team as captain in 1984. That year Leinster were the opponents again, however, Munster recorded another comprehensive victory giving Fenton a second Railway Cup title. In 1985 a third Railway Cup title followed as Connacht
were accounted for. He was a member of the Munster team again in 1986 and 1987, however, the southern province was defeated on both these occasions.
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...
retired 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 Midleton
Midleton GAA
Midleton Hurling and Football Club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the town of Midleton in County Cork, Ireland.-History:The concept of a Gaelic Athletic Association was first mooted in 1883 when a sub-committee of the Irish Republican Brotherhood was formed with the ideal of...
and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1975 until 1987. Fenton is regarded as one of Cork's greatest-ever players.
Club
Fenton 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 Midleton
Midleton GAA
Midleton Hurling and Football Club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the town of Midleton in County Cork, Ireland.-History:The concept of a Gaelic Athletic Association was first mooted in 1883 when a sub-committee of the Irish Republican Brotherhood was formed with the ideal of...
club and enjoyed much success. He played for the club’s minor team at the age of thirteen and started out his hurling life as a goalkeeper. Fenton’s talents were later deployed to midfield where he became a key play-maker. He enjoyed little success in the minor or under-21 grades, however, in 1978 he captured a county intermediate championship
Cork Intermediate Hurling Championship
Cork Intermediate Hurling Championship is the second-tier hurling competition organized by the Cork Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The winners usually will play in the senior grade the following year for the Cork Senior Hurling Championship. This championship has been played for since 1909...
winners’ medal with the club. This victory catapulted Midleton into the senior ranks of the county championship where he enjoyed the ultimate in terms of success throughout the 1980s.
Fenton won his first senior county senior championship
Cork Senior Hurling Championship
The Evening Echo Cork County Senior Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Cork County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in the county of Cork in Ireland....
title with the club in 1983. It was Midleton’s first senior county final triumph since 1916. Fenton’s side later had the honour of representing Cork in the provincial club championship. A 1-14 to 1-11defeat of Tipperary’s Borrisoleigh in the replay of provincial decider gave Fenton a coveted Munster
Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 for the top hurling clubs in the province of Munster in Ireland...
club winners’ medal. Midleton were later defeated by Gort
Gort GAA
Gort GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in Gort, County Galway, Republic of Ireland. The club is almost exclusively concerned with hurling...
in the All-Ireland club semi-final.
Three years later in 1986 Fenton captured a second county title before adding a third county winners’ medal to his collection in 1987. Later that year Midleton won a second Munster club title following a one-point win over Cappawhite
Cappawhite GAA
Cappawhite GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club is located in the village of Cappawhite, South Tipperary, bordering on County Limerick in Ireland.-Honours:* Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship Winners 1987* Tipperary U-21 'A' hurling Champions 1999...
of Tipperary. On St. Patrick's Day, 1988 Midleton lined out in the All-Ireland club final. Athenry
Athenry GAA
St. Mary's, Athenry is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the town of Athenry in County Galway. The club is almost exclusively concerned with hurling.-History:...
of Galway provided the opposition, however, two early goals by Kevin Hennessy
Kevin Hennessy
Kevin Hennessy is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Midleton and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1982 until 1993.-Club:...
and a kicked goal by Colm O’Neill gave Midleton a 3-8 to 0-9 victory. This victory also gave Fenton a coveted All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling tournament played between hundreds of senior hurling clubs in Ireland. The Tommy Moore Cup is awarded to the winners. The current champions are Clarinbridge...
club winners’ medal.
Fenton won a fourth county title with the club in 1991, before retiring completely from hurling. He has remained involved with the club as a coach to the juvenile team.
Minor & under-21
Fenton first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Cork minor hurling team in the early 1970s. He enjoyed little success in this grade before later joining the county under-21 team.Fenton enjoyed his first major success at inter-county level in 1975 when he captured his first Munster
Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Under-21 Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 for players aged between 18 and 21 in the province of Munster in Ireland...
under-21 winners’ title following a 3-12 to 2-6 win 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...
. The subsequent All-Ireland final pitted Cork against fierce rivals. An entertaining and high-scoring hour of hurling followed, however, at the full-time whistle Kilkenny were the winners by 5-13 to 2-9.
Fenton was still eligible to play for the Cork under-21 team in 1976. That year he added a second Munster winners’ title to his collection as 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....
were accounted for. The subsequent All-Ireland final pitted Cork against Kilkenny once again, however, on this occasion Cork had the upper hand. A 2-17 to 1-8 victory gave Fenton 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...
under-21 winners’ medal.
Senior
Fenton’s performances on the under-21 team earned him a call-up to the Cork senior team. He made his debut for at senior level in 1975 and came on as a substitute in the Munster final trouncing of Limerick. It was his first MunsterMunster Senior Hurling Championship
The Munster 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 Munster in Ireland....
winners’ medal at senior level. Cork were defeated in the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final, however, the team captured three consecutive All-Ireland titles from 1976 until 1978.
Fenton, however, found it difficult to break onto that team and it was 1979 before he enjoyed further success. A 2-14 to 0-9 defeat of Limerick gave him a second Munster title on the field of play. Cork were later stopped in their bid to win a fourth All-Ireland title in-a-row when they were 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.
Cork’s championship success came to an end in 1980, however, Fenton did win a coveted 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...
title following a win over Limerick. A second National League title followed in 1980.
In 1982 Fenton had another tough year as a senior hurler as he was dropped from the Cork team for certain key championship games. He did come on as a substitute in the 5-31 to 3-6 Munster final defeat of 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 his third Munster winners’ medal on the field of play. Cork later lost the All-Ireland final to Kilkenny; however, Fenton played no part in that game.
In 1983 Fenton’s time on the subs’ bench was at an end and became a key member of Cork’s starting fifteen. He won a fourth Munster title that year as Cork trounced Waterford once again. The subsequent All-Ireland final pitted Cork against Kilkenny for the second consecutive year. ‘The Cats’ used a strong wind to dominate the opening half and built up a strong lead. Cork came storming back with goals by Tomás Mulcahy
Tomás Mulcahy
Tomás Mulcahy is an Irish hurling manager and former player. He played hurling with his local club Glen Rovers and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1983 until 1994. Mulcahy currently works as a pundit with The Sunday Game...
and Seánie O'Leary
Seánie O'Leary
Seanie O'Leary is a former Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Youghal and with the Cork senior inter-county team from 1971 until 1984.-Early & private life:...
, however, at the full-time whistle Kilkenny had won by 2-14 to 2-12. In spite of this defeat Fenton was still presented with his first All-Star award.
Midleton’s club success in 1983 paved the way for Fenton to be appointed captain of the Cork team for 1984, the centenary year of the 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...
. The year began well with Fenton guiding his team to victory in the special Centenary Cup
Centenary Cup
The Centenary Cup was a Gaelic Games competition arranged by the Gaelic Athletic Association to mark the centenary of the GAA in 1984.The hurling competition was won by Cork and the football competition was won by Meath.-Hurling:-Football:...
competition. A fifth Munster winners’ medal soon followed for Fenton as Cork defeated 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...
by 4-15 to 3-14 in a memorable Munster final. The subsequent All-Ireland final, played at Semple Stadium
Semple Stadium
Semple Stadium, located in Thurles, North Tipperary, Ireland, is the home of hurling for Tipperary GAA and for the province of Munster. It is the second largest stadium in Ireland with a capacity of 53,500....
in 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...
, saw Cork take on 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...
for the first time ever in championship history. The centenary-year final failed to live up to expectations and Cork recorded a relatively easy 3-16 to 1-12 victory. Not only did Fenton capture a coveted 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....
winners’ medal but he also had the honour of lifting the 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:...
on behalf of his county. A second All-Star award quickly followed as well as a Texaco Hurler of the Year
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....
award.
In 1985 Fenton added a sixth Munster title to his collection as Cork defeated Tipperary by 4-17 to 4-11 in the provincial decider. Cork, however, were later defeated by Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final. Fenton finished off the year by winning a third All-Star award.
In 1986 Cork made it five-in-a-row in Munster as Cork defeated Clare by 2-18 to 3-12 to take the provincial title. It was Fenton’s seventh Munster winners’ medal. This victory paved the way for an All-Ireland final meeting with Galway. The men from the west were the red-hot favourites against an ageing Cork team, however, on the day a different story unfolded. Four Cork goals, one from Fenton, two from Tomás Mulcahy and one from Kevin Hennessy, stymied the Galway attack and helped ‘the Rebels’ to a 4-13 to 2-15 victory. It was Fenton’s second All-Ireland winners’ medal. His fourth All-Star award followed.
In 1987 Fenton played in his last championship season with Cork. In the Munster semi-final replay against 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...
Fenton scored, what is often regarded as, the greatest hurling goal of all-time. Playing in his usual midfield position he struck the sliotar on the ground and scored a goal from forth-five yards out. In 2005 this goal was listed as one of RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
s Top 20 GAA Moments
Top 20 GAA Moments
Top 20 GAA Moments was a poll of the best moments of Gaelic football and hurling in the television era. In early 2005, the Irish public chose its favourite from 20 memorable moments from the last 40 years, as selected by ten RTÉ sports personalities and featured on the "Sunday Sport" programme...
. Fenton played his last game for Cork in a thrilling Munster final replay against Tipperary. The game ended in a 4-22 to 1-22 victory for Tipp and it was the first time in five years that Cork were not provincial champions. Fenton's performance in the Munster championship was honoured yet again when he was presented with a fifth consecutive All-Star award.
Inter-provincial
Fenton also lined out with MunsterMunster 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:...
in the inter-provincial hurling competition and enjoyed much success. He first lined out with his province in 1981 as Munster defeated arch-rivals 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...
by 2-16 to 2-6. It was his first Railway Cup winners’ medal. After a brief hiatus Fenton was back on the Munster team as captain in 1984. That year Leinster were the opponents again, however, Munster recorded another comprehensive victory giving Fenton a second Railway Cup title. In 1985 a third Railway Cup title followed as 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:...
were accounted for. He was a member of the Munster team again in 1986 and 1987, however, the southern province was defeated on both these occasions.