Pa Dillon
Encyclopedia
Pa Dillon is an Irish
retired sportsperson. He played hurling
with his local club St. Lachtain's and was a member of the Kilkenny
senior inter-county team from 1964 until 1972. Dillon is regarded as one of Kilkenny's greatest-ever players.
Dillon subsequently joined the St. Lachtain's under-16 team where he enjoyed further success. He added a winners' medal to his collection in this grade in 1954 when the club beat Thomastown by 4-6 to 2-3.
In the mid-1950s St. Lachtain's became a major force on the club hurling scene as minor level. Dillon was a key member of this team and lined out in his first county minor decider in 1954. Old rivals Thomastown provided the opposition and went on to defeat St. Lachtain's by 5-1 to 2-1.
St. Lachtain's reached the county minor final again in 1955, however, this time Glenmore
were the opponents. A huge 8-5 to 4-5 score line gave Dillon's side the victory.
In 1956 Dillon was in his final year as a minor as St. Lachtain's aimed to retain their title. The club reached the county final for the third year in succession. Thomastown provided the opposition and went on to secure an 8-4 to 5-3 victory.
Three years later in 1959 Dillon was at full back on the St. Lachtain's junior hurling team that contested the county championship final in that grade. Once again it was a Thomastown selection that provided the opposition, however, after facing defeat to their old rivals at under-age levels, Dillon won a county junior championship title following a 4-7 to 4-2 victory.
Just two years after winning promotion from the junior grade St. Lachtain's reached the final of the county senior championship. The opponents were Near South, however, St. Lachtain's ability to score goals while conceding none proved decisive in the 4-5 to 0-12 victory. It was Dillon's first senior county championship winners' medal.
After surrendering the title the following year, St. Lachtain's reached the championship decider again in 1963. Tullogher provided the opposition, however, they were no match for Dillon's side as a 1-7 to 0-3 score line gave him a second county title.
minor hurling selectors and he joined the team in 1955. That year he won a Leinster
in the minor grade as Wexford
were accounted for after a draw and a replay. Kilkenny were later beaten by Galway
in the All-Ireland semi-final.
In 1956 Dillon added a second Leinster minor winners' medal to his collection as Wexford were defeated in the provincial decider once again. This victory allowed Kilkenny advance to the All-Ireland final where Tipperary
were waiting. An absolute rout took place as Tipp won the game by 4-16 to 1-5.
in a tournament game in 1960, however, it took him another few years to gain a permanent foothold in the county team. Jim 'Link Walsh
was the regular full-back at the time while 'Cha' Whelan of Thomastown held the position for the 1963 championship. By 1964 Dillon had taken over the position and became the first-choice number three for the majority of the next decade.
That year Dillon won his first Leinster
winners' medal in the senior grade following a huge win over Dublin
. Staunch local rivals Tipperary later provided the opposition in the All-Ireland final, however, Kilkenny were the pundits’ favourites to retain the title. Jimmy Doyle
had other ideas, however, as he scored 10 points and set up Seán McLoughlin
for a goal. Tipperary’s fourteen-point winning margin, 5-13 to 2-8, was the biggest All-Ireland final win since Tipperary had overwhelmed Laois
in the 1949 decider. It was a disappointing end to Dillon's debut season, however, he was subsequently presented with the Cú Chulainn
award for best full-back of the season.
Kilkenny lost their provincial crown in 1965, however, Kilkenny bounced back in 1966 with Dillon collecting his first National Hurling League
winners' medal and a second Leinster title. Dillon had been redeployed to the full-forward poistion for the season, however, the move proved short-lived. The provincial victory allowed Kilkenny to advance directly to the All-Ireland final where arch-rivals Cork provided the opposition. It was the first meeting of these two great sides since 1947 and ‘the Cats’ were installed as the firm favourites. In spite of this two goals by Colm Sheehan
and a third from John O'Halloran
gave Cork a merited 3-9 to 1-10 victory over an Eddie Keher
-inspired Kilkenny. For the second time in three years Dillon found himself on the losing side on All-Ireland final day.
The following year Kilkenny continued their provincial dominance with Dillon picking up a third Leinster title before lining out in a third All-Ireland final at Croke Park
. Tipperary were Kilkenny’s opponents on the day, however, by this stage Tipp’s pool of players was ageing and the county’s hurling fortunes were in decline. Kilkenny proved more than a match for the Munster champions. Goals from Paddy Moran
, Martin Brennan
and Tom Walsh at vital times laid to rest a bogey that Tipperary had over Kilkenny since 1922.A 3-8 to 2-7 score line gave Dillon his first All-Ireland
winners' medal. He later collected a second Cú Chulainn award.
Wexford put an end to Kilkenny’s hopes of retaining the title in 1968, however, the Noresiders bounced back the following year with Dillon collecting a fourth Leinster medal. Cork faced Kilkenny in the subsequent All-Ireland final and revenge for 1966 was foremost in the minds of the Kilkenny team. For a while it looked as if the Leesiders would triumph over their great rivals once again, however, five points from Kilkenny in the last seven minutes gave Dillon a second All-Ireland winners' medal.
Kilkenny lost their provincial and All-Ireland titles in 1970, however, 1971 saw Dillon capture a fifth provincial winners' medal as Kilkenny began to assert their dominance over Wexford. The Leinster champions later played Tipperary in the only eighty minute final between these great rivals. The game has gone down in All-Ireland final folklore for a number of reasons. As the first All-Ireland final to be broadcast in colour by Telefís Éireann
, the nation saw Eddie Keher score a remarkable 2-11 and still end up on the losing side. Kilkenny’s ever-dependable goalkeeper, Ollie Walsh
, had a nightmare of a game in which he conceded five goals, one of which passed through his legs, while that year’s Hurler of the Year, Michael 'Babs' Keating, played out the closing stages of the game in his bare feet. After a thrilling game Tipp emerged the victors on a score line of 5-17 to 5-14.
In 1972 Keher won a seventh Leinster title following a victory over Wexford in a replay of the provincial final. Once again, Cork provided the opposition in the All-Ireland final, a game which is often considered to be one of the classic games of the modern era. Half-way through the second-half Cork were on form and stretched their lead to eight points. Drastic action was required and Kilkenny's star forward Eddie Keher was deployed closer to the Cork goal. He finished the game with a tally of 2-9 as 'the Cats' powered to a 3-24 to 5-11 victory. It was Dillon's fourth All-Ireland winners' medal. He retired from inter-county hurling following this victory.
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 St. Lachtain's 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 1964 until 1972. Dillon is regarded as one of Kilkenny's greatest-ever players.
Club
Dillon played his club hurling with the St. Lachtain's club in Freshford and enjoyed a very successful under-age career. He first came to prominence on the club's under-14 team that was defeated by Thomastown in the 'B' county final in 1951. Dillons's side built on this success and went on to secure the county under-14 title in 1952.Dillon subsequently joined the St. Lachtain's under-16 team where he enjoyed further success. He added a winners' medal to his collection in this grade in 1954 when the club beat Thomastown by 4-6 to 2-3.
In the mid-1950s St. Lachtain's became a major force on the club hurling scene as minor level. Dillon was a key member of this team and lined out in his first county minor decider in 1954. Old rivals Thomastown provided the opposition and went on to defeat St. Lachtain's by 5-1 to 2-1.
St. Lachtain's reached the county minor final again in 1955, however, this time Glenmore
Glenmore GAA
Glenmore is a Gaelic Athletic Association club situated in the south of County Kilkenny, Ireland. The club was founded in 1888 and has achieved hurling success at county, provincial and national level. Glenmore has also provided the Kilkenny intercounty team with several top players...
were the opponents. A huge 8-5 to 4-5 score line gave Dillon's side the victory.
In 1956 Dillon was in his final year as a minor as St. Lachtain's aimed to retain their title. The club reached the county final for the third year in succession. Thomastown provided the opposition and went on to secure an 8-4 to 5-3 victory.
Three years later in 1959 Dillon was at full back on the St. Lachtain's junior hurling team that contested the county championship final in that grade. Once again it was a Thomastown selection that provided the opposition, however, after facing defeat to their old rivals at under-age levels, Dillon won a county junior championship title following a 4-7 to 4-2 victory.
Just two years after winning promotion from the junior grade St. Lachtain's reached the final of the county senior championship. The opponents were Near South, however, St. Lachtain's ability to score goals while conceding none proved decisive in the 4-5 to 0-12 victory. It was Dillon's first senior county championship winners' medal.
After surrendering the title the following year, St. Lachtain's reached the championship decider again in 1963. Tullogher provided the opposition, however, they were no match for Dillon's side as a 1-7 to 0-3 score line gave him a second county title.
Minor
Dillon's success at club level brought him to the attention of the 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...
minor hurling selectors and he joined the team in 1955. That year he won a 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...
in the minor grade as 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...
were accounted for after a draw and a replay. Kilkenny were later beaten 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.
In 1956 Dillon added a second Leinster minor winners' medal to his collection as Wexford were defeated in the provincial decider once again. This victory allowed Kilkenny advance to the All-Ireland final where 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...
were waiting. An absolute rout took place as Tipp won the game by 4-16 to 1-5.
Senior
Dillon's first senior outing in a Kilkenny jersey was against WaterfordWaterford 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...
in a tournament game in 1960, however, it took him another few years to gain a permanent foothold in the county team. Jim 'Link Walsh
Jim Walsh (hurler)
Jim 'Link' Walsh was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Dunnamaggin and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1957 until 1962. With Kilkenny Walsh won an All-Ireland title and three Leinster titles. His brother Tom Walsh also played with...
was the regular full-back at the time while 'Cha' Whelan of Thomastown held the position for the 1963 championship. By 1964 Dillon had taken over the position and became the first-choice number three for the majority of the next decade.
That year Dillon won 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 in the senior grade following a huge win over Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
. Staunch local rivals Tipperary later provided the opposition in the All-Ireland final, however, Kilkenny were the pundits’ favourites to retain the title. Jimmy Doyle
Jimmy Doyle
James 'Jimmy' Doyle , is a retired Irish hurling manager and former player. He played hurling with the famous Thurles Sarsfields club from 1956 until 1975 and was a member of the Tipperary senior inter-county team from 1957 until 1973...
had other ideas, however, as he scored 10 points and set up Seán McLoughlin
Seán McLoughlin
Seán McLoughlin is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Thurles Sarsfields and with the Tipperary senior inter-county team from 1958 until 1969.-References:-Teams:...
for a goal. Tipperary’s fourteen-point winning margin, 5-13 to 2-8, was the biggest All-Ireland final win since Tipperary had overwhelmed Laois
Laois GAA
The Laois County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Laois GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Laois and the Laois inter-county teams.-History:...
in the 1949 decider. It was a disappointing end to Dillon's debut season, however, he was subsequently presented with the Cú Chulainn
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 for best full-back of the season.
Kilkenny lost their provincial crown in 1965, however, Kilkenny bounced back in 1966 with Dillon collecting his first 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...
winners' medal and a second Leinster title. Dillon had been redeployed to the full-forward poistion for the season, however, the move proved short-lived. The provincial victory allowed Kilkenny to advance directly to the All-Ireland final where arch-rivals Cork provided the opposition. It was the first meeting of these two great sides since 1947 and ‘the Cats’ were installed as the firm favourites. In spite of this two goals by Colm Sheehan
Colm Sheehan
Colm Sheehan is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Éire Óg and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1965 until 1968.-Club:...
and a third from John O'Halloran
John O'Halloran
John O'Halloran is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local clubs UCC and Blackrock and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1963 until 1969.-Inter-county:...
gave Cork a merited 3-9 to 1-10 victory over an 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....
-inspired Kilkenny. For the second time in three years Dillon found himself on the losing side on All-Ireland final day.
The following year Kilkenny continued their provincial dominance with Dillon picking up a third Leinster title before lining out in a third All-Ireland final 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...
. Tipperary were Kilkenny’s opponents on the day, however, by this stage Tipp’s pool of players was ageing and the county’s hurling fortunes were in decline. Kilkenny proved more than a match for the Munster champions. Goals from 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:...
, Martin Brennan
Martin Brennan (hurler)
Martin Brennan is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Erin's Own and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 19678 until 1969.-References:...
and Tom Walsh at vital times laid to rest a bogey that Tipperary had over Kilkenny since 1922.A 3-8 to 2-7 score line gave Dillon 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....
winners' medal. He later collected a second Cú Chulainn award.
Wexford put an end to Kilkenny’s hopes of retaining the title in 1968, however, the Noresiders bounced back the following year with Dillon collecting a fourth Leinster medal. Cork faced Kilkenny in the subsequent All-Ireland final and revenge for 1966 was foremost in the minds of the Kilkenny team. For a while it looked as if the Leesiders would triumph over their great rivals once again, however, five points from Kilkenny in the last seven minutes gave Dillon a second All-Ireland winners' medal.
Kilkenny lost their provincial and All-Ireland titles in 1970, however, 1971 saw Dillon capture a fifth provincial winners' medal as Kilkenny began to assert their dominance over Wexford. The Leinster champions later played Tipperary in the only eighty minute final between these great rivals. The game has gone down in All-Ireland final folklore for a number of reasons. As the first All-Ireland final to be broadcast in colour by Telefís Éireann
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...
, the nation saw Eddie Keher score a remarkable 2-11 and still end up on the losing side. Kilkenny’s ever-dependable 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...
, had a nightmare of a game in which he conceded five goals, one of which passed through his legs, while that year’s Hurler of the Year, Michael 'Babs' Keating, played out the closing stages of the game in his bare feet. After a thrilling game Tipp emerged the victors on a score line of 5-17 to 5-14.
In 1972 Keher won a seventh Leinster title following a victory over Wexford in a replay of the provincial final. Once again, Cork provided the opposition in the All-Ireland final, a game which is often considered to be one of the classic games of the modern era. Half-way through the second-half Cork were on form and stretched their lead to eight points. Drastic action was required and Kilkenny's star forward Eddie Keher was deployed closer to the Cork goal. He finished the game with a tally of 2-9 as 'the Cats' powered to a 3-24 to 5-11 victory. It was Dillon's fourth All-Ireland winners' medal. He retired from inter-county hurling following this victory.