John Kelly
Personal information
Sport Hurling
Position Full-back
Born 1948 (1948)
Cappawhite,
County Tipperary, Ireland
Died (aged 75)
Cappawhite,
County Tipperary, Ireland
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Occupation Secondary school teacher
Club(s)
Years Club
 Cappawhite
→ University College Cork
Kilruane MacDonaghs
Club titles
Cork titles 1
Colleges(s)
Years College
 University College Cork
College titles
Fitzgibbon titles 1
Inter-county(ies)
Years County
1967–1975
 Tipperary
Inter-county titles
Munster titles 1
All-Irelands 1
NHL 1
All Stars 0

John Kelly (1948 – 8 September 2023) was an Irish hurler. At club level he played with University College Cork, Cappawhite and Kilruane MacDonaghs, and also lined out at inter-county level with various Tipperary teams.

Playing career

Kelly first played hurling at juvenile and underage levels with the Cappawhite club. After winning back-to-back under-15 juvenile titles, he was part of the club's minor team that claimed their first Tipperary MAHC title in 1965. As a student, Kelly later lined out with University College Cork and won a Cork SHC medal in 1970 after a defeat of Muskerry.[1]

Kelly first appeared on the inter-county scene with Tipperary during an unsuccessful three-year tenure with the minor team. He was a panel member in 1964 before making the starting team in 1965 and captaining the team in 1966. Kelly was in his final year with the minor team when he was drafted onto the Tipperary under-21 team. His four years in that grade yielded an All-Ireland U21HC title in 1967.[2] He captained the team in his final year with the team in 1969.

By that stage, Kelly had already lined out with the senior team, having made his debut during the Oireachtas Tournament in 1967. He was part of the team during the successful 1967–68 National League-winning campaign but was dropped for the subsequent championship. Kelly earned a recall at the end of 1968 and immediately became first-choice full-back. He lined out in that position when Tipperary beat Kilkenny to win the All-Ireland SHC title in 1971.[3][4]

Kelly also won a Railway Cup medal with Munster in 1970.[5] He switched club allegiance by joining Kilruane MacDonaghs in 1972, however, he returned to the Cappawhite club after two unsuccessful seasons. Kelly ended his club career by winning a West Tipperary JAHC title in 1982.[6]

Coaching career

Kelly was still a player when he became involved in team management and club administration. He was a selector with the Tipperary minor team in 1979, while he also spent two different periods as a selector with the senior team. Kelly was chairman of the Cappawhite club from 1981 to 1984, served as a senior team selector and was later named Life President of the club.[7]

Personal life and death

Kelly worked as a secondary school teacher. He was principal of Cappawhite Vocational School and, following its closure, he ran a Youthreach programme before retiring in 2013. Kelly was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2015.[8][9]

Kelly died on 8 September 2023, at the age of 75.[10]

Honours

Cappawhite
  • West Tipperary Junior A Hurling Championship: 1982
  • Tipperary Minor A Hurling Championship: 1965
  • West Tipperary Minor A Hurling Championship: 1965, 1966
University College Cork
Tipperary
Munster

References

  1. ↑ "Classic county hurling finals: UCC denied Muskerry the double in 1970". Echo Live. 8 May 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  2. ↑ "Under-21 hurling". Munster GAA website. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  3. ↑ "Heroes of 1971 honoured". The Nenagh Guardian. 15 September 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  4. ↑ "Tipperary profile". Hogan Stand. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  5. ↑ "Railway Cup Hurling". Munster GAA website. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  6. ↑ "John Kelly - Cappawhite Player of the Past". Séamus J. King website. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  7. ↑ "Who's Who". Cappawhite GAA website. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  8. ↑ "Former Tipp hurling great honours hero doctor who saved his life". Tipperary Live. 23 August 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  9. ↑ "'They brought the Liam MacCarthy to him in hospital': Former All-Ireland winner on the long road to recovery". The Journal. 20 August 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  10. ↑ "Tipperary All-Ireland winner John Kelly passes away". Hogan Stand. 12 September 2023. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
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