Willie O'Connor
Encyclopedia
Willie O’Connor is an Irish
retired sportsperson. He played hurling
with his local club Glenmore
and was a member of the Kilkenny
senior inter-county team from 1988 until 2001. O'Connor captained Kilkenny to the All-Ireland
title in 2000.
and enjoyed much success as the club became a new force in hurling throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
In 1987 Glenmore reached the final of the county senior championship with Ballyhale Shamrocks
providing the opposition. An exciting game developed over the hour, and a 4-10 to 3-9 victory gave O'Connor his first county winners' medal.
After surrendering their title in 1988 and losing the championship decider to Ballyhale Shamrocks the following year, O'Connor's side reached the final again in 1990. Glenmore faced Clara
on that occasion, however, O'Connor's side had a comfortable 3-15 to 2-6 victory. The club subsequently represented Kilkenny in the provincial series of games and even reached the final. Camross provided the opposition, however, O'Connor collected a Leinster
club winners' medal following a 0-15 to 1-9 victory. An All-Ireland final showdown with Patrickswell
of Limerick
. The game was an exciting one, however, Patrickswell only held the lead on one occasion when Leonard Enright
opened the scoring. A 1-13 to 0-12 score line gave Glenmore the title and gave O'Connor a coveted All-Ireland
club winners' medal.
Glenmore lost their county, provincial and All-Ireland titles the following year, however, in 1992 O'Connor picked up a third county winners' medal following a 1-14 to 2-6 defeat of club kingpins Tullaroan
.
Once again Glenmore failed to retain their title the following year. It was 1995 before O'Connor's side reached the county championship decider once again. Fenians provided the opposition in a high-scoring hour of hurling. Glenmore were never really troubled as a 3-19 to 1-14 score line gave O'Connor a fourth county championship title.
Many believed that this Glenmore team had reached the end of their life-cycle, however, in 1999 the club bounced back to reach the county final once again. Graigue-Ballycallan
were the opponents and a close game developed. A 1-14 to 2-8 victory gave O'Connor a fifth and final county championship winners' medal.
minor and under-21 hurling teams throughout the 1980s, however, he enjoyed little success. He subsequently joined the county's senior team, making his debut against Waterford
in a National Hurling League
game in late 1988. O'Connor made his championship debut the following summer as Kilkenny reached the Leinster final. Offaly
retained the provincial title for the second year in succession with a 3-15 to 4-9 victory.
O'Connor remained on the fringes of the team for the next few years as Kilkenny prepared for a return to the big time. He missed Kilkenny's Leinster final triumph in 1991, however, he was named in the starting fifteen for the subsequent All-Ireland final meeting with Tipperary
, the first such calsh in twenty years. The opening thirty-five minutes saw both sides trade score-for-score, however, a controversial 20-metre free, miss-hit by Michael Cleary
, landed in the net and gave Tipp a lead which they never surrendered. The final score of 1-16 to 0-15 resulted in a loss for Kilkenny.
In 1992 Kilkenny bounced back from the All-Ireland defeat and O'Connor collected his first Leinster
winners' medal following a comprehensive 3-16 to 2-9 defeat of Wexford. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw ‘the Cats’ take on Cork for the first time in nearly a decade. The game was well balanced for the first-half, however, D. J. Carey
scored a goal four minutes before the break. This seemed to give Kilkenny the impetus to go on and win the game. Two more goals by John Power
and Michael Phelan
in the second-half secured a win for Kilkenny and a first All-Ireland
winners' medal for O'Connor. He was later honoured with his first All-Star
award
In 1993 O'Connor's brother Eddie
was captain as Kilkenny remained on top of the hurling world. A defeat of Wexford gave O'Connor his second Leinster winners' medal while he later lined out in his second successive All-Ireland final, this time against Galway
. The game was a close affair with the westerners going a point ahead coming into the last quarter; however, Kilkenny won the match by five points, giving O'Connor a second All-Ireland winners' medal.
Kilkenny failed in their bid to make in three-in-a-row the following year, however, in 1995 it looked as if Kilkenny’s hurling fortunes were turning. At the start of the year O'Connor won his first National Hurling League
title as Kilkenny defeated Clare
. In spite of this victory 1995 proved to be an unhappy year as Kilkenny were trounced by Offaly in the Leinster final.
The next few years proved to be frustrating ones for O'Connor and for Kilkenny. It was 1998 before O'Connor added a third Leinster winners' medal to his collection as Offaly were accounted for in the provincial final. Kilkenny later cruised to an All-Ireland final appearance where Offaly provided the opposition once again. The defeated Leinster finalists had certainly learned from their mistakes with Joe Errity
and Brian Whelahan
scoring key goals. At the full-time whistle Offaly emerged as the winners by 2-16 to 1-13. It was the first time that a defeated team had won the All-Ireland title via the ‘back-door’ system.
In 1999 Brian Cody
took over as manager, however, O'Connor remained a key member of the team. That year he won his fourth Leinster title as Offaly, the All-Ireland champions, fell heavily by 5-14 to 1-16 in the provincial final. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Kilkenny take on Cork, their age-old rivals, for the first time since 1992. On that occasion O'Connor won his first All-Ireland medal, however, there was to be no success for him in 1999. A poor game on a wet day gave one of the youngest Cork teams ever the All-Ireland title on a score line of 0-13 to 0-12.
In 2000 O'Connor was appointed captain of the Kilkenny team. He subsequently guided his team to another Leinster crown, his fifth in all. Offaly were accounted for once again, however, on this occasion the score line was a more respectable 2-21 to 1-13 in favour of ‘the Cats’. An appearance in his sixth All-Ireland soon followed for O'Connor as 'the Cats' lined out against Offaly for the second time that season. After just six minutes D. J. Carey scored the first of five goals as Kilkenny exposed the Offaly full-back line. Carey scored 2-4 that day and shared his second goal with a young Henry Shefflin
. Further goals by Charlie Carter
and Eddie Brennan
saw Kilkenny win on a score line of 5-15 to 1-14 and allowed O'Connor capture his third All-Ireland medal. He also had the honour of lifting the Liam McCarthy Cup
on behalf of the team. He later collected his second All-Star award. In captaining Kilkenny to the All-Ireland title O'Connor became the second member of his family to do so. His brother Eddie was captain when Kilkenny won in 1993. It was the second time that two brothers had guided their county to championship honours as Liam
and Ger Fennelly
had both earlier guided Kilkenny to All-Ireland titles.
In 2001 O'Connor was almost thirty-four years-old, an age when most inter-county players would contemplate retirement. He played no part in Kilkenny's National League campaign, however, he intended returning in time for the championship. When Brian Cody announced his twenty nine-man panel prior to the opening of the summer campaign, O'Connor was not included. This effectively brought his inter-county career to an end.
team in the inter-provincial series of games. He first tasted success with his province in 1993 when he lined out in the inter-provincial final. A 1-15 to 2-6 defeat of Ulster
gave O'Connor his first Railway Cup winners' medal.
After a few years being sidelined O'Connor was back on the team again in 1998, this time as captain. Once again Leinster reached the final where Connacht
provided the opposition. The eastern province beat the western province by the narrowest of margins on a score line of 0-16 to 2-9. It was O'Connor's second Railway Cup winners' medal while he also had the honour of lifting the cup.
O'Connor was included on the team again in 2000, however, Leinster were beaten by Munster
in the final on that occasion.
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 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...
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 1988 until 2001. O'Connor captained Kilkenny to the 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....
title in 2000.
Club
O'Connor played his club hurling with GlenmoreGlenmore 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...
and enjoyed much success as the club became a new force in hurling throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
In 1987 Glenmore reached the final of the county senior championship with Ballyhale Shamrocks
Ballyhale Shamrocks GAA
Ballyhale Shamrocks is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the parish of Ballyhale in County Kilkenny, Ireland. The club was founded in 1972 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling...
providing the opposition. An exciting game developed over the hour, and a 4-10 to 3-9 victory gave O'Connor his first county winners' medal.
After surrendering their title in 1988 and losing the championship decider to Ballyhale Shamrocks the following year, O'Connor's side reached the final again in 1990. Glenmore faced Clara
Clara GAA
Clara GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club situated in the small parish of Clara in County Kilkenny, Ireland. Focused mainly on hurling and camogie, the dominant sports in the county, Clara's greatest achievement to date was victory in the Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship in 1986, their...
on that occasion, however, O'Connor's side had a comfortable 3-15 to 2-6 victory. The club subsequently represented Kilkenny in the provincial series of games and even reached the final. Camross provided the opposition, however, O'Connor collected a Leinster
Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship
The Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual Hurling tournament played between the winners of the senior club hurling championships of the counties in Leinster. The current holders of the Leinster title are Ballyhale Shamrocks from Kilkenny. The first Leinster senior club hurling...
club winners' medal following a 0-15 to 1-9 victory. An All-Ireland final showdown with Patrickswell
Patrickswell GAA
Patrickswell GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the small village of Patrickswell in County Limerick, Ireland. The club is almost exclusively concerned with the game of hurling.-Honours:*Munster Senior Club Hurling Championships: 2...
of Limerick
County Limerick
It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...
. The game was an exciting one, however, Patrickswell only held the lead on one occasion when Leonard Enright
Leonard Enright
Leonard Enright is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Patrickswell and with the Limerick senior inter-county team from 1971 until 1988.-References:...
opened the scoring. A 1-13 to 0-12 score line gave Glenmore the title and gave O'Connor 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.
Glenmore lost their county, provincial and All-Ireland titles the following year, however, in 1992 O'Connor picked up a third county winners' medal following a 1-14 to 2-6 defeat of club kingpins Tullaroan
Tullaroan GAA
Tullaroan is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the village of Tullaroan in County Kilkenny, Ireland. The club was founded in 1884 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling. Tullaroan is the most successful club in the history of the Kilkenny Senior Hurling...
.
Once again Glenmore failed to retain their title the following year. It was 1995 before O'Connor's side reached the county championship decider once again. Fenians provided the opposition in a high-scoring hour of hurling. Glenmore were never really troubled as a 3-19 to 1-14 score line gave O'Connor a fourth county championship title.
Many believed that this Glenmore team had reached the end of their life-cycle, however, in 1999 the club bounced back to reach the county final once again. Graigue-Ballycallan
Graigue-Ballycallan GAA
Graigue-Ballycallan is a Gaelic Athletic Association club situated in County Kilkenny, Ireland. The club has enjoyed success at county and provincial level, and several players from the club have gone on to play a part in the Kilkenny intercounty team. The catchment area for the club is the...
were the opponents and a close game developed. A 1-14 to 2-8 victory gave O'Connor a fifth and final county championship winners' medal.
Inter-county
O’Connor played with 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 and under-21 hurling teams throughout the 1980s, however, he enjoyed little success. He subsequently joined the county's senior team, making his debut against 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...
in a 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...
game in late 1988. O'Connor made his championship debut the following summer as Kilkenny reached the Leinster final. 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...
retained the provincial title for the second year in succession with a 3-15 to 4-9 victory.
O'Connor remained on the fringes of the team for the next few years as Kilkenny prepared for a return to the big time. He missed Kilkenny's Leinster final triumph in 1991, however, he was named in the starting fifteen for the subsequent All-Ireland final meeting 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...
, the first such calsh in twenty years. The opening thirty-five minutes saw both sides trade score-for-score, however, a controversial 20-metre free, miss-hit by Michael Cleary
Michael Cleary (hurler)
Michael Cleary is a former Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Nenagh Éire Óg and with the Tipperary senior inter-county team in the 1980s and 1990s.-Early life:...
, landed in the net and gave Tipp a lead which they never surrendered. The final score of 1-16 to 0-15 resulted in a loss for Kilkenny.
In 1992 Kilkenny bounced back from the All-Ireland defeat and O'Connor collected 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 following a comprehensive 3-16 to 2-9 defeat of Wexford. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw ‘the Cats’ take on Cork for the first time in nearly a decade. The game was well balanced for the first-half, however, D. J. Carey
D. J. Carey
Denis Joseph Carey , better known as D.J. Carey , is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Young Irelands from 1988 until 2007 and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1990 until 2005...
scored a goal four minutes before the break. This seemed to give Kilkenny the impetus to go on and win the game. Two more goals by John Power
John Power (hurler)
John Power is a former Irish sportsperson who played hurling with his local club John Lockes and Kilkenny from 1986 to 2004. In that time, he won four All-Ireland titles and two All Star awards, as well as having the honour of being included on the Kilkenny Hurling Team of the Century...
and Michael Phelan
Michael Phelan (hurler)
Michael 'Titch' Phelan , from Glenmore, County Kilkenny, Ireland, is a former inter-county hurler. Phelan was formally recognised as a sportsperson of national significance in 1992 when nominated as a GAA Allstar. He played both for his local club Glenmore and as a member of the Kilkenny senior...
in the second-half secured a win for Kilkenny and a 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 for O'Connor. He was later honoured with his 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 1993 O'Connor's brother Eddie
Eddie O'Connor
Eddie O’Connor is retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Glenmore and with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team in the 1980s and 1990s.-Early life:...
was captain as Kilkenny remained on top of the hurling world. A defeat of Wexford gave O'Connor his second Leinster winners' medal while he later lined out in his second successive All-Ireland final, this time against 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,...
. The game was a close affair with the westerners going a point ahead coming into the last quarter; however, Kilkenny won the match by five points, giving O'Connor a second All-Ireland winners' medal.
Kilkenny failed in their bid to make in three-in-a-row the following year, however, in 1995 it looked as if Kilkenny’s hurling fortunes were turning. At the start of the year O'Connor won 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...
title as Kilkenny defeated 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....
. In spite of this victory 1995 proved to be an unhappy year as Kilkenny were trounced by Offaly in the Leinster final.
The next few years proved to be frustrating ones for O'Connor and for Kilkenny. It was 1998 before O'Connor added a third Leinster winners' medal to his collection as Offaly were accounted for in the provincial final. Kilkenny later cruised to an All-Ireland final appearance where Offaly provided the opposition once again. The defeated Leinster finalists had certainly learned from their mistakes with Joe Errity
Joe Errity
Joe Errity is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Birr and was a member of the Offaly senior inter-county team between 1998 and 2003. During a glittering career Errity won All-Ireland minor medals in 1986 and 1987 and All-Ireland senior medals in 1994 and 1998. He also won...
and Brian Whelahan
Brian Whelahan
Brian Whelahan is an Irish sportsperson. He currently plays hurling with his local club Birr and was a member of the Offaly senior inter-county team from 1989 until 2006...
scoring key goals. At the full-time whistle Offaly emerged as the winners by 2-16 to 1-13. It was the first time that a defeated team had won the All-Ireland title via the ‘back-door’ system.
In 1999 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...
took over as manager, however, O'Connor remained a key member of the team. That year he won his fourth Leinster title as Offaly, the All-Ireland champions, fell heavily by 5-14 to 1-16 in the provincial final. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Kilkenny take on Cork, their age-old rivals, for the first time since 1992. On that occasion O'Connor won his first All-Ireland medal, however, there was to be no success for him in 1999. A poor game on a wet day gave one of the youngest Cork teams ever the All-Ireland title on a score line of 0-13 to 0-12.
In 2000 O'Connor was appointed captain of the Kilkenny team. He subsequently guided his team to another Leinster crown, his fifth in all. Offaly were accounted for once again, however, on this occasion the score line was a more respectable 2-21 to 1-13 in favour of ‘the Cats’. An appearance in his sixth All-Ireland soon followed for O'Connor as 'the Cats' lined out against Offaly for the second time that season. After just six minutes D. J. Carey scored the first of five goals as Kilkenny exposed the Offaly full-back line. Carey scored 2-4 that day and shared his second goal with a young Henry Shefflin
Henry Shefflin
Henry Shefflin is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Ballyhale Shamrocks and has been a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team since 1999...
. Further goals by Charlie Carter
Charlie Carter
Charles "Charlie" Carter born 1970) is a former Irish sportsperson. He still plays his club hurling with his local Young Irelands GAA Club and played with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team in the 1990s and 2000s.-Club:...
and Eddie Brennan
Eddie Brennan
Eddie Brennan is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Graigue-Ballycallan and has been a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team since 2000.-Biography:...
saw Kilkenny win on a score line of 5-15 to 1-14 and allowed O'Connor capture his third All-Ireland medal. 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 the team. He later collected his second All-Star award. In captaining Kilkenny to the All-Ireland title O'Connor became the second member of his family to do so. His brother Eddie was captain when Kilkenny won in 1993. It was the second time that two brothers had guided their county to championship honours as Liam
Liam Fennelly
Liam Fennelly is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Ballyhale Shamrocks and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1981 until 1992.-Biography:...
and 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...
had both earlier guided Kilkenny to All-Ireland titles.
In 2001 O'Connor was almost thirty-four years-old, an age when most inter-county players would contemplate retirement. He played no part in Kilkenny's National League campaign, however, he intended returning in time for the championship. When Brian Cody announced his twenty nine-man panel prior to the opening of the summer campaign, O'Connor was not included. This effectively brought his inter-county career to an end.
Inter-provincial
O'Connor also had the honour of being called for duty on the 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...
team in the inter-provincial series of games. He first tasted success with his province in 1993 when he lined out in the inter-provincial final. A 1-15 to 2-6 defeat of Ulster
Ulster GAA
The Ulster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, and handball in the province of Ulster. The headquarters of the Ulster GAA is based in Armagh City....
gave O'Connor his first Railway Cup winners' medal.
After a few years being sidelined O'Connor was back on the team again in 1998, this time as captain. Once again Leinster reached the final where 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:...
provided the opposition. The eastern province beat the western province by the narrowest of margins on a score line of 0-16 to 2-9. It was O'Connor's second Railway Cup winners' medal while he also had the honour of lifting the cup.
O'Connor was included on the team again in 2000, however, Leinster were beaten by 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:...
in the final on that occasion.
Quotes
- "For the last six years this cup has wandered around and didn't know where twas going. Now it knows it's going home." - O'Connor's speech after accepting the Liam McCarthy Cup in 2000. It was Kilkenny's first All-Ireland title since 1993 and brought an end to the so-called hurling revolution.