Noel Skehan
Encyclopedia
Noel Skehan is an Irish
retired sportsperson. He played hurling
with his local Bennettsbridge
club and was a member of the Kilkenny
senior inter-county team from 1963 and 1985. Skehan is regarded as one of the greatest hurling goalkeepers of all-time.
Skehan's status as one of the all-time greats is self-evident. In a senior inter-county career that lasted for two decades he won a record nine All-Ireland
titles (three of which were as a substitute), eight Leinster
titles on the field of play, three National Hurling League
titles and four Railway Cup titles with Leinster
..
Skehan has also been the recipient of many awards and honours off the field. In 1982 his hurling prowess earned him the prestigious Texaco Hurler of the Year
award. He is only the second goalkeeper to be presented with that award. Skehan also collected an impressive tally of seven All-Star
awards.
, County Kilkenny
in 1945. He was born into a family, and into an area, that had a strong association with hurling. His uncle, Dan Kennedy
, captained Kilkenny to victory over Cork in the 1947 All-Ireland final, while his mother, May, was a first cousin of the legendary Kilkenny goalkeeper Ollie Walsh
. He lived on the famous Woodlawn Estate with many other famous hurlers including Paddy Moran
, Séamus Cleere
, Liam Cleere, John Kinsella
, Pat Lawlor
and Liam Simpson
. Together these players have over twenty All-Ireland medals. Skehan was educated locally in Bennettsbridge and naturally showed a great skill at the game of hurling in his youth.
and enjoyed much success. He won his first senior county title in 1960 when he was just sixteen years old. Two years later in 1962 Skehan was just out of the minor grade when he collected his second county title with ‘the bridge’. The club seemed to develop a pattern of winning county titles every other year as Skehan picked up further honours in 1964 and 1966. Skehan added a fifth winners’ medal to his ever-growing collection in 1967. Four years later in 1971 Bennettsbridge won its twelfth county championship title ever, a sixth personal triumph for goalkeeper Skehan.
selectors. He joined the county minor hurling team in 1962 with success coming immediately. That year he was the goalkeeper as Kilkenny defeated Wexford
by 5-7 to 5-4 to take the Leinster
title at minor level. He later lined out in the All-Ireland final with Tipperary
providing the opposition. Skehan kept a clean sheet in that game and collected a coveted All-Ireland
minor medal following a 3-6 to 0-9 victory.
. For the next nine championship seasons Skehan did make some cameo appearances as a substitute, however, Walsh’s position as first-choice ‘keeper was secure. In spite of not being a first-team regular he still won six Leinster
and three All-Ireland
medals as a member of the senior panel in 1963, 1967 and 1969.
In 1972 Skehan finally succeeded in displacing Walsh as the number-one goalkeeper on the Kilkenny team. Not only was it his first full championship season in goal but he also had the honour of being named captain of the team. It was another successful year as Skehan captured his first Leinster medal on the field of play following a victory over Wexford
. Another victory over Galway
in the All-Ireland semi-final allowed Kilkenny to advance to the championship decider where Cork provided the opposition. The game itself is regarded as one of the classic games of the modern era. With time running out Cork were cruising to victory and led the 'Cats' by eight points. A Kilkenny fight-back, however, saw the team draw level with Cork and score seven further points without reply to capture a 3-24 to 5-11 victory. It was a huge blow to a Cork team that seemed destined for victory, however, it gave Skehan hi first All-Ireland title on the field of play as well as the honour of lifting the Liam McCarthy Cup
on behalf of his county. He was also named man of the match
before collecting his very first All-Star
award.
In 1973 Skehan claimed his second consecutive Leinster medal on the field of play after another victory over Wexford. Between that victory and the All-Ireland final with Limerick
the Kilkenny team suffered a series of misfortunes and injuries that depleted the team. It was a bad afternoon at Croke Park
for Kilkenny. A goal by Limerick's Mossie Dowling
and an attack spear-headed by Richie Bennis
led to Limerick winning the game by 1-21 to 1-14. There was some consolation as Skehan was later presented with a second All-Star.
Wexford were once again narrowly defeated by Kilkenny in the 1974 Leinster final, giving Skehan a third provincial title on the field of play. In a repeat of the previous year Limerick provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland final, however, revenge was foremost in the minds of Kilkenny supporters. The Munster champions stormed to a five-point lead in the first 11 minutes, however, a converted penalty by Eddie Keher
, supplemented by two further Kilkenny goals gave Kilkenny a twelve-point win and gave Skehan a second All-Ireland medal. He late picked up a third All-Star award.
In 1975 Kilkenny defeated Wexford for the fifth consecutive year in the provincial final, giving Skehan a fourth Leinster medal in-a-row. Skehan later lined out in his fourth consecutive All-Ireland final with surprise semi-final winners Galway
providing the opposition on this occasion. The men from the West led by three points at half-time, however, Eddie Keher’s huge tally of 2 goals and 7 points kept Galway at bay giving Kilkenny a 2-22 to 2-10 victory. Skehan's goalkeeping skills were also noted as he subsequently collected a fourt All-Star to go with his third All-Ireland medal.
1976 began well for Skehan when he played a key role in Kilkenny’s National Hurling League
victory over Clare
. A fifth consecutive All-Star soon followed. His side later went into decline and surrendered their provincial crown to Wexford in both 1976 and 1977.
In 1978 Skehan lined out in yet another Leinster final against Wexford, the reigning champions. The game developed into a close affair; however, victory went to ‘the Cats’ by 2-16 to 1-16. It was Skehan's fifth Leinster title on the field of play. Following a subsequent victory over Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final Kilkenny faced arch-rivals Cork in the All-Ireland championship decider. Much was at stake as Cork were aiming to capture a third All-Ireland victory in-a-row and nothing would give Kilkenny greater pleasure than stopping them. Both sides remained neck and neck for much of the game. Cork’s Jimmy Barry-Murphy
scored the winning goal for Cork with thirteen minutes left in the game. For the second time that decade Skehan ended up on the losing side on All-Ireland final day.
In 1979 Kilkenny qualified for the provincial decider once again with Wexford providing the opposition. The game developed into a close affair; however, victory went to ‘the Cats’ by 2-21 to 2-17. It was Skehan's sixth Leinster title. This victory allowed Kilkenny to advance directly to the All-Ireland final. Galway provided the opposition on that occasion, however, the game turned out to be one of the least exciting finals of the decade. A goal by Noel Lane
after forty-seven minutes gave Galway a two-point lead; however, Galway failed to score for the rest of the game. Kilkenny, on the other hand, scored two long-range goals to secure a 2-12 to 1-8 victory. It was Skehan's fourth All-Ireland medal on the field of play.
Skehan was still a key feature of the team in 1980; however, Offaly
emerged as a new force in Leinster in both 1980 and 1981.
In 1982 Skehan added to his medal collection when Kilkenny captured the National Hurling League title before later lining out in Croke Park
for the Leinster final. Offaly, the reigning provincial and All-Ireland champions were the opponents on that occasion and an interesting game developed. After a close seventy minutes of hurling Kilkenny emerged victorious by just two points and Skehan collected his seventh Leinster winners’ medal. He subsequently lined out in the All-Ireland championship decider against Cork. Christy Heffernan
was the hero of the day as he scored two goals in a forty second spell just before half-time. Ger Fennelly
captured a third goal in the second half as Kilkenny completely trounced ‘the Rebels’ by 3-18 to 1-15. This victory gave Skehan an impressive fifth All-Ireland medal while he was also named man of the match. A sixth All-Star award followed while he was also named Texaco Hurler of the Year
.
In 1983 Skehan had another great season in the black and amber jersey. He began the year by capturing a second consecutive National League victory, his third in all, before lining out in the Leinster final against Offaly. It was their second consecutive meeting in the provincial decider, however, on this occasion the victory was more comprehensive. A 1-17 to 0-13 win gave Skehan his eighth Leinster medal, his fourteenth over all including ones won as a substitute. For the second year in-a-row ‘the Cats’ squared up to Cork in the All-Ireland final. Once again Kilkenny dominated the game, assisted by a strong wind in the first-half, and hung on in the face of a great fight-back by Cork. At the full-time whistle Kilkenny emerged victorious by 2-14 to 2-12. It was Skehan's sixth and final All-Ireland medal and a record-breaking ninth winners' medal in all. He was later presented with a seventh All-Star award.
Skehan continued playing with Kilkenny until 1985 when he retired from hurling without any further success.
in the inter-provincial hurling competition and enjoyed much success. He captured his first Railway Cup title in 1973 when Leinster defeated arch-rivals Munster
. Skehan made it three in-a-row with further victories over Munster in 1974 and 1975. Four years later in 1979 he captured his fourth and final Railway Cup medal as Connacht
fell in the final.
series of games. He guided his county to the championship decider in 1998, however, Kilkenny were defeated by Limerick on that occasion. Following Kevin Fennelly
's departure as manager of the KIlkenny senior team at the end of 1998, Skehan was one of the names mentioned as a possible successor. The job eventually went to his former team-mate Brian Cody
.
Skehan was one of Kilkenny's best prospects for the goalkeeping position on the Team of the Millennium, however, he faced still opposition from such legends as his fellow county man Ollie Walsh
, Cork's Ger Cunningham
and Wexford's Art Foley
. In the end the honour went to Tipperary's three in-a-row winning 'keeper Tony Reddin
. He was also beaten into second place for the 'keeper position on the Kilkenny Hurling Team of the Century. In spite of this Skehan is unique among exponents of Gaelic games. No player in hurling history has matched the astonishing record of nine All-Ireland medals won by Skehan from 1963 to 1983. With three of those medals won as a substitute, his record is surpassed by the eight All-Ireland's won by both Christy Ring
and John Doyle
, which were all won on the field of play.
Skehan has also served as a selector with the Kilkenny senior hurlers under Brian Cody. During his tenure as a selector in the early 2000s Kilkenny captured back-to-back All-Ireland titles in 2002 and 2003. Those two years also saw Skehan guide the Leinster provincial team to back-to-back Railway Cup titles.
On February 7, 2008 Skehan was profiled on the TG4
television programme Laochra Gael
.
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 Bennettsbridge
Bennettsbridge GAA
Bennettsbridge is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Bennettsbridge, County Kilkenny, Ireland. The Bridge last won the Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship in 1971, although they are no longer a senior championship side.-Achievements:...
club 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 1963 and 1985. Skehan is regarded as one of the greatest hurling goalkeepers of all-time.
Skehan's status as one of the all-time greats is self-evident. In a senior inter-county career that lasted for two decades he won a record nine 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....
titles (three of which were as a substitute), 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....
titles on the field of play, three 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...
titles and four Railway Cup titles with 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...
..
Skehan has also been the recipient of many awards and honours off the field. In 1982 his hurling prowess earned him the prestigious 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. He is only the second goalkeeper to be presented with that award. Skehan also collected an impressive tally of seven 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.
Early life
Noel Skehan was born in BennettsbridgeBennettsbridge
Bennettsbridge is a village in County Kilkenny in Ireland.It is situated on the river Nore south of Kilkenny city, in the centre of the county. It is located in the province of Leinster in the south-east of the island of Ireland...
, 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 1945. He was born into a family, and into an area, that had a strong association with hurling. His uncle, Dan Kennedy
Dan Kennedy (hurler)
Dan Kennedy was an Irish sportsman. He is best known as a hurler for several teams Thomastown, Dicksboro and Bennettsbridge clubs and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team in the 1940s and 1950s. Dan Kennedy captained Kilkenny in 1947.-Club:Kennedy first played hurling with his...
, captained Kilkenny to victory over Cork in the 1947 All-Ireland final, while his mother, May, was a first cousin of the legendary Kilkenny goalkeeper Ollie Walsh
Ollie Walsh
Patrick Oliver Walsh , better known as Ollie Walsh, was an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1956 until 1972 and subsequently served as manager of the team from 1990 until 1995...
. He lived on the famous Woodlawn Estate with many other famous hurlers including Paddy Moran
Paddy Moran (hurler)
Paddy Moran is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Bennettsbridge and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1963 until 1972.-Early life:...
, Séamus Cleere
Séamus Cleere
Séamus Cleere is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Bennetsbridge and with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1960 until 1968. Cleere captained Kilkenny to the All-Ireland title in 1963.-Club:Cleere played his club hurling with his local Bennettsbridge club...
, Liam Cleere, John Kinsella
John Kinsella (hurler)
John Kinsella is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Bennettsbridge and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1967 until 1973....
, Pat Lawlor
Pat Lawlor
Patrick M. Lawlor is a video game and pinball machine designer.Lawlor's pinball career began as an engineer for Williams in 1987, when he co-designed a dual-playfield machine called Banzai Run with Larry DeMar. Pat Lawlor had previously been a video game designer and had entered the coin-operated...
and Liam Simpson
Liam Simpson
Liam Simpson is a former Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Bennettsbridge and with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team in the 1990s.-Early life:...
. Together these players have over twenty All-Ireland medals. Skehan was educated locally in Bennettsbridge and naturally showed a great skill at the game of hurling in his youth.
Club
Skehan played his club hurling with his local club in BennettsbridgeBennettsbridge GAA
Bennettsbridge is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Bennettsbridge, County Kilkenny, Ireland. The Bridge last won the Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship in 1971, although they are no longer a senior championship side.-Achievements:...
and enjoyed much success. He won his first senior county title in 1960 when he was just sixteen years old. Two years later in 1962 Skehan was just out of the minor grade when he collected his second county title with ‘the bridge’. The club seemed to develop a pattern of winning county titles every other year as Skehan picked up further honours in 1964 and 1966. Skehan added a fifth winners’ medal to his ever-growing collection in 1967. Four years later in 1971 Bennettsbridge won its twelfth county championship title ever, a sixth personal triumph for goalkeeper Skehan.
Minor
Skehan’s performances for his club brought him to the attention of the KikennyKilkenny 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...
selectors. He joined the county minor hurling team in 1962 with success coming immediately. That year he was the goalkeeper as Kilkenny 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...
by 5-7 to 5-4 to take the 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 at minor level. He later lined out in the All-Ireland final with 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...
providing the opposition. Skehan kept a clean sheet in that game and collected a coveted All-Ireland
All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship is an annual competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for competitors under eighteen years of age in the game of hurling played in Ireland.The series of games are played during the summer months with the All-Ireland final...
minor medal following a 3-6 to 0-9 victory.
Senior
In 1963 Skehan joined the Kilkenny senior hurling panel as understudy to his first cousin and legendary goalkeeper Ollie WalshOllie Walsh
Patrick Oliver Walsh , better known as Ollie Walsh, was an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1956 until 1972 and subsequently served as manager of the team from 1990 until 1995...
. For the next nine championship seasons Skehan did make some cameo appearances as a substitute, however, Walsh’s position as first-choice ‘keeper was secure. In spite of not being a first-team regular he still won six 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....
and three 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 as a member of the senior panel in 1963, 1967 and 1969.
In 1972 Skehan finally succeeded in displacing Walsh as the number-one goalkeeper on the Kilkenny team. Not only was it his first full championship season in goal but he also had the honour of being named captain of the team. It was another successful year as Skehan captured his first Leinster medal on the field of play following a victory over 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...
. Another victory over 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 allowed Kilkenny to advance to the championship decider where Cork provided the opposition. The game itself is regarded as one of the classic games of the modern era. With time running out Cork were cruising to victory and led the 'Cats' by eight points. A Kilkenny fight-back, however, saw the team draw level with Cork and score seven further points without reply to capture a 3-24 to 5-11 victory. It was a huge blow to a Cork team that seemed destined for victory, however, it gave Skehan hi first All-Ireland title on the field of play as well as 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. He was also named man of the match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
before collecting his very 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 1973 Skehan claimed his second consecutive Leinster medal on the field of play after another victory over Wexford. Between that victory and the All-Ireland final with 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 Kilkenny team suffered a series of misfortunes and injuries that depleted the team. It was a bad afternoon at Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
for Kilkenny. A goal by Limerick's Mossie Dowling
Mossie Dowling
Mossie Dowling is a former Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Kilmallock and with the Limerick senior inter-county team in the 1970s.-References:...
and an attack spear-headed by Richie Bennis
Richie Bennis
Richie Bennis is a retired Irish hurling manager and former player. He played hurling with his local club Patrickswell and with the Limerick senior inter-county in the 1960s and 1970s. Bennis later served as manager of the Limerick senior team from 2006 until 2008.As a player Bennis was involved...
led to Limerick winning the game by 1-21 to 1-14. There was some consolation as Skehan was later presented with a second All-Star.
Wexford were once again narrowly defeated by Kilkenny in the 1974 Leinster final, giving Skehan a third provincial title on the field of play. In a repeat of the previous year Limerick provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland final, however, revenge was foremost in the minds of Kilkenny supporters. The Munster champions stormed to a five-point lead in the first 11 minutes, however, a converted penalty by Eddie Keher
Eddie Keher
Edward Peter Keher , better known as Eddie Keher, is a retired Irish hurling manager and former player. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the game....
, supplemented by two further Kilkenny goals gave Kilkenny a twelve-point win and gave Skehan a second All-Ireland medal. He late picked up a third All-Star award.
In 1975 Kilkenny defeated Wexford for the fifth consecutive year in the provincial final, giving Skehan a fourth Leinster medal in-a-row. Skehan later lined out in his fourth consecutive All-Ireland final with surprise semi-final winners 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,...
providing the opposition on this occasion. The men from the West led by three points at half-time, however, Eddie Keher’s huge tally of 2 goals and 7 points kept Galway at bay giving Kilkenny a 2-22 to 2-10 victory. Skehan's goalkeeping skills were also noted as he subsequently collected a fourt All-Star to go with his third All-Ireland medal.
1976 began well for Skehan when he played a key role in Kilkenny’s 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...
victory over 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....
. A fifth consecutive All-Star soon followed. His side later went into decline and surrendered their provincial crown to Wexford in both 1976 and 1977.
In 1978 Skehan lined out in yet another Leinster final against Wexford, the reigning champions. The game developed into a close affair; however, victory went to ‘the Cats’ by 2-16 to 1-16. It was Skehan's fifth Leinster title on the field of play. Following a subsequent victory over Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final Kilkenny faced arch-rivals Cork in the All-Ireland championship decider. Much was at stake as Cork were aiming to capture a third All-Ireland victory in-a-row and nothing would give Kilkenny greater pleasure than stopping them. Both sides remained neck and neck for much of the game. Cork’s Jimmy Barry-Murphy
Jimmy Barry-Murphy
James "Jimmy" Barry-Murphy is a former Irish hurler, Gaelic footballer and association footballer and is the current manager of the Cork senior hurling team...
scored the winning goal for Cork with thirteen minutes left in the game. For the second time that decade Skehan ended up on the losing side on All-Ireland final day.
In 1979 Kilkenny qualified for the provincial decider once again with Wexford providing the opposition. The game developed into a close affair; however, victory went to ‘the Cats’ by 2-21 to 2-17. It was Skehan's sixth Leinster title. This victory allowed Kilkenny to advance directly to the All-Ireland final. Galway provided the opposition on that occasion, however, the game turned out to be one of the least exciting finals of the decade. A goal by Noel Lane
Noel Lane
Noel Lane is a retired Irish hurling manager and former player. He played hurling with his local club Ballinderreen and with the Galway senior inter-county team from 1977 until 1990. Lane served as manager of the Galway senior inter-county team from 2000 until 2002...
after forty-seven minutes gave Galway a two-point lead; however, Galway failed to score for the rest of the game. Kilkenny, on the other hand, scored two long-range goals to secure a 2-12 to 1-8 victory. It was Skehan's fourth All-Ireland medal on the field of play.
Skehan was still a key feature of the team in 1980; however, 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...
emerged as a new force in Leinster in both 1980 and 1981.
In 1982 Skehan added to his medal collection when Kilkenny captured the National Hurling League title before later lining out in Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
for the Leinster final. Offaly, the reigning provincial and All-Ireland champions were the opponents on that occasion and an interesting game developed. After a close seventy minutes of hurling Kilkenny emerged victorious by just two points and Skehan collected his seventh Leinster winners’ medal. He subsequently lined out in the All-Ireland championship decider against Cork. Christy Heffernan
Christy Heffernan
Christy Heffernan is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Glenmore and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team in the 1980s and 1990s. Heffernan is regarded as one of Kilkenny's greatest-ever players.-Club:...
was the hero of the day as he scored two goals in a forty second spell just before half-time. Ger Fennelly
Ger Fennelly
Ger Fennelly is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Ballyhale Shamrocks and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1974 until 1989. Fennelly captained Kilkenny to the All-Ireland title in 1979.-Biography:Ger Fennelly was born in Piltown, County...
captured a third goal in the second half as Kilkenny completely trounced ‘the Rebels’ by 3-18 to 1-15. This victory gave Skehan an impressive fifth All-Ireland medal while he was also named man of the match. A sixth All-Star award followed while he was also named 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....
.
In 1983 Skehan had another great season in the black and amber jersey. He began the year by capturing a second consecutive National League victory, his third in all, before lining out in the Leinster final against Offaly. It was their second consecutive meeting in the provincial decider, however, on this occasion the victory was more comprehensive. A 1-17 to 0-13 win gave Skehan his eighth Leinster medal, his fourteenth over all including ones won as a substitute. For the second year in-a-row ‘the Cats’ squared up to Cork in the All-Ireland final. Once again Kilkenny dominated the game, assisted by a strong wind in the first-half, and hung on in the face of a great fight-back by Cork. At the full-time whistle Kilkenny emerged victorious by 2-14 to 2-12. It was Skehan's sixth and final All-Ireland medal and a record-breaking ninth winners' medal in all. He was later presented with a seventh All-Star award.
Skehan continued playing with Kilkenny until 1985 when he retired from hurling without any further success.
Provincial
Skehan 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 enjoyed much success. He captured his first Railway Cup title in 1973 when Leinster defeated arch-rivals 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:...
. Skehan made it three in-a-row with further victories over Munster in 1974 and 1975. Four years later in 1979 he captured his fourth and final Railway Cup medal 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:...
fell in the final.
Post-playing career
In retirement from playing Skehan, as well as maintaining a keen interest in the game, has also come to be regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all-time. In 1997 he took charge of the Kilkenny intermediate hurling team for the newly-revived All-IrelandAll-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Championship is a hurling competition played between the strong hurling counties of Ireland. In some cases the teams consist of players who are not on the senior squads for their county , or in others of players who are from junior or intermediate clubs...
series of games. He guided his county to the championship decider in 1998, however, Kilkenny were defeated by Limerick on that occasion. Following Kevin Fennelly
Kevin Fennelly
Kevin Fennelly is a retired Irish hurling manager and former player. He played hurling with his local club Ballyhale Shamrocks and with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from the late 1970s until the late 1980s. Fennelly later served as Kilkenny Senior hurling manager for the 1998 season, and...
's departure as manager of the KIlkenny senior team at the end of 1998, Skehan was one of the names mentioned as a possible successor. The job eventually went to his former team-mate Brian Cody
Brian Cody
Brian Cody is an Irish hurling manager and former player, currently managing the Kilkenny senior inter-county team, where he has been in charge since 1998...
.
Skehan was one of Kilkenny's best prospects for the goalkeeping position on the Team of the Millennium, however, he faced still opposition from such legends as his fellow county man Ollie Walsh
Ollie Walsh
Patrick Oliver Walsh , better known as Ollie Walsh, was an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1956 until 1972 and subsequently served as manager of the team from 1990 until 1995...
, Cork's Ger Cunningham
Ger Cunningham
Ger Cunningham is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club St. Finbarr's and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1981 until 1998. Cunningham is regarded as one of the greatest hurling goalkeepers of all-time.Cunningham's status as one of Cork's...
and Wexford's Art Foley
Art Foley
Michael Arthur Foley , better known as Art Foley, is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club St. Aidan's of Enniscorthy and with the Wexford senior inter-county team from 1946 until 1956.-Club:...
. In the end the honour went to Tipperary's three in-a-row winning 'keeper Tony Reddin
Tony Reddin
Martin Charles Reddington , better known as Tony Reddin, is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling at various times with his local clubs Castlegar in Galway and Lorrha-Dorrha in Tipperary from the 1930s until the 1950s...
. He was also beaten into second place for the 'keeper position on the Kilkenny Hurling Team of the Century. In spite of this Skehan is unique among exponents of Gaelic games. No player in hurling history has matched the astonishing record of nine All-Ireland medals won by Skehan from 1963 to 1983. With three of those medals won as a substitute, his record is surpassed by the eight All-Ireland's won by both Christy Ring
Christy Ring
Nicholas Christopher Michael Ring , better known as Christy Ring, was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with the Glen Rovers club from 1941 until 1967 and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1939 until 1963. Ring is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers in...
and John Doyle
John Doyle (hurler)
John Doyle was an Irish sportsperson and politician, hailed as one of the best defenders in hurling and his county's most iconic player upon his death. He played hurling with his local Holycross-Ballycahill club from the 1940s until the 1970s and was a member of the Tipperary senior inter-county...
, which were all won on the field of play.
Skehan has also served as a selector with the Kilkenny senior hurlers under Brian Cody. During his tenure as a selector in the early 2000s Kilkenny captured back-to-back All-Ireland titles in 2002 and 2003. Those two years also saw Skehan guide the Leinster provincial team to back-to-back Railway Cup titles.
On February 7, 2008 Skehan was profiled on the TG4
TG4
TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland....
television programme Laochra Gael
Laochra Gael
Laochra Gael which means Gaelic heroes in the Irish language is an Irish television programme. Now its seventh series the show profiles and celebrates some of the greatest names in Gaelic games since the 1940s. Each of the programmes contains interviews with the subject, archive footage of their...
.
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): 1972All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1972The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship of 1972 was the 85th staging of Ireland's premier hurling knock-out competition. Kilkenny won the championship, beating Cork 3-24 to 5-11 in the final at Croke Park, Dublin.- Calendar :-Overview:...
, 1974All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1974-Miscellaneous:* In the Munster final Clare's Seán Stack scores a remarkable own goal for Limerick.* The All-Ireland 'B' champions were allowed to participate in the All-Ireland series for the first time...
, 1975All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1975-Miscellaneous:* All championship games were reduced from eighty to seventy minutes.* The All-Ireland semi-final sees Galway's defeat Cork for the very first time in the history of the championship...
, 1979All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1979-Miscellaneous:* Cork capture a record-equalling fifth successive Munster title following a victory over Limerick. It is the second time that Cork have achieved the five-in-a-row, the first since 1905....
, 1982All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1982The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship of 1982 was the 96th staging of Ireland's premier hurling knock-out competition. Kilkenny won the championship, beating Cork 3-18 to 1-13 in the final at Croke Park, Dublin.-Participating counties:...
, 1983All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1983-Miscellaneous:* Tipperary's victory over Clare in the Munster quarter-final is the team's first in the provincial championship since 1973.* The attendance of 20,816 at the Munster final is the lowest at the provincial decider since 1972....
- As sub (3): 1963All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1963-Miscellaneous:* Waterford's Munster final victory was their last until 2002.* The All-Ireland final was Waterford's ninth time playing at Croke Park. It would be 1998 before the team returned to the stadium for an All-Ireland semi-final against Kilkenny...
, 1967All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1967-Season:-References:* Corry, Eoghan, The GAA Book of Lists .* Donegan, Des, The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games ....
, 1969All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1969-Scoring:*Hat-trick heroes:**First hat-trick of the championship: Charlie McCarthy for Cork against Clare **Second hat-trick of the championship: Paddy Molloy for Offaly against Laois...
- As sub (3): 1963
- Runner-up (4): 1973All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1973-Sources:* Corry, Eoghan, The GAA Book of Lists .* Donegan, Des, The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games .* Sweeney, Éamonn, Munster Hurling Legends ....
, 1978All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1978The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1978 was the 92nd series of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, Ireland's premier hurling knock-out competition...
- As sub (2): 1964All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1964-Season:-Single game:-Debutantes:The following players made their début in the 1969 championship:-References:* Corry, Eoghan, The GAA Book of Lists ....
, 1966All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1966-Miscellaneous:* Tipperary's defeat by Limerick in the first round of the Munster championship was the team's first defeat since the provincial decider of 1963. It also put an end to Tipperary's hopes of capturing a third All-Ireland title in-a-row....
- As sub (2): 1964
- Winner (6): 1972
- 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): 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983
- As sub (6): 1963, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971
- Runner-up (3): 1976, 1977, 1980
- As sub (3): 1965, 1968, 1970
- Winner (8): 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983
- 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 (3): 1975-1976, 1981–1982, 1982–1983
- As sub (1): 1965-1966
- Runner-up (2): 1976-1977, 1977–1978
- As sub (1): 1966-1967
- Winner (3): 1975-1976, 1981–1982, 1982–1983
- All-Ireland Minor Hurling ChampionshipAll-Ireland Minor Hurling ChampionshipThe GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship is an annual competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for competitors under eighteen years of age in the game of hurling played in Ireland.The series of games are played during the summer months with the All-Ireland final...
:- Winner (1): 1962
- Leinster Minor Hurling ChampionshipLeinster Minor Hurling ChampionshipThe 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...
:- Winner (1): 1962
Sources
- Corry, Eoghan, The GAA Book of Lists (2005)
- Donegan, Des, The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games (2005)
- Fullam, Brendan, Captains of the Ash (2004)
- Keane, Colm, Hurling's Top 20, (2002)