Dick Walsh facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish name | Risteárd Breathnach | ||
| Sport | Hurling | ||
| Position | Centre-back | ||
| Born | 31 December 1877 Mooncoin, County Kilkenny, Ireland |
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| Died | 28 July 1958 (aged 80) Freshford Road, Kilkenny, Ireland |
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| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Occupation | Farmer | ||
| Club(s) | |||
| Years | Club | ||
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1897–1917
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Mooncoin | ||
| Club titles | |||
| Kilkenny titles | 4 | ||
| Inter-county(ies) | |||
| Years | County | ||
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1904–1914
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Kilkenny | ||
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Leinster titles | 7 | ||
| All-Irelands | 7 | ||
Richard (Dick) "Drug" Walsh (born December 30, 1877 – died July 28, 1958) was a famous Irish hurler. He played as a centre-forward for the Kilkenny county team. Dick Walsh was born in Mooncoin, County Kilkenny. He started playing for the Kilkenny senior team when he was twenty-four. His first big game was in the 1904 championship.
Dick quickly became a key player. He won seven All-Ireland medals and seven Leinster medals. He was the team captain when Kilkenny won the All-Ireland titles in 1907, 1909, and 1913. He also captained the Leinster team to win the Railway Shield. For his club, Mooncoin, he won the county championship four times. Dick Walsh stopped playing inter-county hurling after the 1914 championship. After he retired from playing, he became a coach. He trained the Laois team that won the All-Ireland title in 1915.
Dick's Hurling Journey
Playing for His Club: Mooncoin
Dick Walsh played club hurling for his local team, Mooncoin. He had a very successful career that lasted for thirty years.
In 1900, Mooncoin won the county final. They beat Freshford with a score of 5–9 to 1–15. This win gave Dick his first Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship medal.
Mooncoin won again in 1906. The county final against Tullaroan was a draw, but Mooncoin was later given the title. This was Dick Walsh's second championship medal.
In 1908, Mooncoin reached the championship final again. Dick was the team captain. They had a huge win against Threecastles, scoring 5–17 to 3–5. This earned Dick his third championship medal.
Mooncoin won their next county final in 1913. Dick was captain once more. They defeated Tullaroan 5–7 to 3–4, and Dick collected his fourth championship medal.
Playing for His County: Kilkenny
Starting Strong with Kilkenny
Dick Walsh played his first championship game for Kilkenny in 1904. That year, he won his first Leinster medal. Kilkenny beat Dublin 2-8 to 2-6 in the final. The All-Ireland final was played much later, in June 1906. Kilkenny played against Cork. Kilkenny won 1-9 to 1-8. This was Dick's first All-Ireland win, and Kilkenny's first ever!
In 1905, Dick won his second Leinster medal. Kilkenny beat Dublin again. The All-Ireland final was a replay against Cork. Kilkenny won by a score of 7-7 to 2-9. This gave Dick his second All-Ireland medal.
More Wins for Kilkenny
In 1907, Dick Walsh won his third Leinster medal as captain. Kilkenny beat Dublin 4-14 to 1-9. In June 1908, Kilkenny played Cork in the All-Ireland final. It was a very close game. Kilkenny won 3-12 to 4-8. This was Dick Walsh's third All-Ireland medal.
Kilkenny did not play in the 1908 competition. But they returned in 1909, with Dick Walsh as captain again. They easily beat Laois 5-16 to 2-7, earning Dick his fourth Leinster medal. The All-Ireland final in December 1909 was against Tipperary. Tipperary had never lost an All-Ireland final before. Kilkenny won 4-6 to 0-12. This victory gave Dick his fourth All-Ireland medal and his second as captain.
Three All-Ireland Wins in a Row
Two years later, Dick won his fifth Leinster medal. Kilkenny beat Dublin 4-6 to 3-1. They then went on to the All-Ireland final against Limerick. The game was delayed due to bad weather. Limerick could not make it to the replay, so Kilkenny was awarded the All-Ireland title. This was Dick Walsh's fifth All-Ireland win.
In 1912, Dick won his sixth Leinster medal. Kilkenny defeated Laois 6-6 to 2-4. The All-Ireland final was against Cork. It was a very tight game. Kilkenny won by a small margin, 2-1 to 1-3. This was Dick Walsh's sixth All-Ireland medal.
In 1913, Kilkenny tried to win their third championship in a row. Dick Walsh was captain for the third time. He won his seventh Leinster medal after beating Dublin in a replay. The All-Ireland final was against Tipperary. Kilkenny won 2-4 to 1-2. This victory gave Dick a record-breaking seventh All-Ireland medal. He shared this record with other Kilkenny players. Dick Walsh also made history that day. He was the first player to captain both fifteen-a-side and seventeen-a-side teams to All-Ireland victories. He was also the second person to captain a team to three championships.
The End of His County Career
Kilkenny tried to win four All-Ireland titles in a row in 1914. But they were beaten by Laois in the provincial final. This loss marked the end of Dick Walsh's amazing inter-county hurling career.
Playing for His Province: Leinster
Dick Walsh also played for the Leinster team in a special competition. This competition was similar to the later Railway Cup. He was the captain of the Leinster team that won the Railway Shield title in 1908.
Dick as a Trainer
After he stopped playing, Dick Walsh stayed involved in hurling. In 1915, he became the trainer for the Laois senior hurling team. His training helped the team a lot. Laois won their Leinster title again, beating Dublin. This led them to the All-Ireland final against Cork. Cork was expected to win easily. But Laois surprised everyone and won the game 6–2 to 4–1.
About Dick's Life
Dick Walsh was born in Rathkieran, Mooncoin, County Kilkenny in 1877. He grew up on a farm. He got his nickname "Drug" when he was at school. He liked to sing a song called "Clare's Dragoons". When he sang it, he said "drugoons" instead of "dragoons". So, his school friends started calling him "Drug". He didn't like the nickname later in life. He preferred "Dhroog" /ˈðruːɡ/, which was a local way of saying the first part of "dragoon."
Dick Walsh passed away in a hospital in Kilkenny on July 28, 1958. He was buried in Carrigeen cemetery.
Awards and Achievements
Player
- Mooncoin
- Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship (4): 1900, 1906, 1908, 1913
- Kilkenny
- All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (7): 1904, 1905, 1907 (c), 1909 (c), 1911, 1912, 1913 (c)
- Leinster Senior Hurling Championship (7): 1904, 1905, 1907 (c), 1909 (c), 1911, 1912, 1913 (c)
- Leinster
- Railway Shield (3): 1905, 1907, 1908 (c)
Trainer
- Laois
- All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (1): 1915
- Leinster Senior Hurling Championship (1): 1915
