Jim Langton
Encyclopedia
Jim Langton was an Irish
sportsperson. He played hurling
with his local club Éire Óg
and with the Kilkenny
senior inter-county team from 1939 until 1954. Langton's inclusion on the GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium
mark him out as one of the greatest players of all-time.
with his local Éire Óg
club. He enjoyed much success with the club in the county championship, winning his first county title in 1939. It was the first time ever that Éire Óg had won the county final. Langton won three more county hurling medals in 1944, 1945 and 1947.
medal. He repeated this feat in 1936 and added two more Leinster and All-Ireland medals to his collection. Langton quickly joined the Kilkenny senior hurling team, however, it would be 1939 before he won his first senior Leinster
title. Kilkenny subsequently played Cork in what has become known as the ‘thunder and lightning’ All-Ireland final. A huge thunder storm interrupted the game half-way through, however, Kilkenny went on to win by a point and Langton collected his first senior All-Ireland
medal.
In 1940 Langton was captain of the Kilkenny team. That year he collected a second Leinster title, however, his team were beaten by Limerick
in the All-Ireland final. The next few years proved difficult for Langton, as Kilkenny were not allowed to play in the championship because of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. The team returned in 1945 with Langton collecting a fourth Leinster title. Unfortunately, his side were later defeated by Tipperary
in the All-Ireland final. 1946 saw Langton win a fifth provincial medal, however, for the second year in-a-row Kilkenny were beaten in the championship decider, this time by old rivals Cork. In 1947 Langton added a sixth Leinster title to his collection and once again Kilkenny qualified to play Cork in the All-Ireland final. The prospect of losing three consecutive All-Ireland finals was a daunting one, however, in a game described as the greatest of all-time, Kilkenny beat Cork by a point and Langton collected his second All-Ireland medal.
It was 1950 before Langton won his seventh Leinster title, however, Kilkenny were beaten by Tipperary in the All-Ireland final. He retired from inter-county hurling in 1954.
Jim Langton died aged 69 on April 18, 1987.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
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 Éire Óg
Éire Óg GAA
Éire Óg GAA may refer to:*Éire Óg Anacarty GAA*Éire Óg Greystones GAA*Nenagh Éire Óg GAA*Éire Óg GAA...
and with 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 1939 until 1954. Langton's inclusion on the GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium
GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium
The GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium was announced by GAA President Seán McCague at a special dinner at Croke Park on 24 July 2000. The initiative was sponsored by An Post who issued special commemorative stamps of the Millennium team members. The team was chosen to comprise, as a...
mark him out as one of the greatest players of all-time.
Club
Langton played his club hurlingHurling
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 Éire Óg
Éire Óg GAA
Éire Óg GAA may refer to:*Éire Óg Anacarty GAA*Éire Óg Greystones GAA*Nenagh Éire Óg GAA*Éire Óg GAA...
club. He enjoyed much success with the club in the county championship, winning his first county title in 1939. It was the first time ever that Éire Óg had won the county final. Langton won three more county hurling medals in 1944, 1945 and 1947.
Inter-county
Langton first came to prominence on the inter-county hurling scene in the mid-1930s. He won a Leinster minor championship medal in 1935 before later converting this into an All-IrelandAll-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...
medal. He repeated this feat in 1936 and added two more Leinster and All-Ireland medals to his collection. Langton quickly joined the Kilkenny senior hurling team, however, it would be 1939 before he won his first senior 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....
title. Kilkenny subsequently played Cork in what has become known as the ‘thunder and lightning’ All-Ireland final. A huge thunder storm interrupted the game half-way through, however, Kilkenny went on to win by a point and Langton collected his first senior 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....
medal.
In 1940 Langton was captain of the Kilkenny team. That year he collected a second Leinster title, however, his team were beaten by 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...
in the All-Ireland final. The next few years proved difficult for Langton, as Kilkenny were not allowed to play in the championship because of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. The team returned in 1945 with Langton collecting a fourth Leinster title. Unfortunately, his side were later defeated by 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...
in the All-Ireland final. 1946 saw Langton win a fifth provincial medal, however, for the second year in-a-row Kilkenny were beaten in the championship decider, this time by old rivals Cork. In 1947 Langton added a sixth Leinster title to his collection and once again Kilkenny qualified to play Cork in the All-Ireland final. The prospect of losing three consecutive All-Ireland finals was a daunting one, however, in a game described as the greatest of all-time, Kilkenny beat Cork by a point and Langton collected his second All-Ireland medal.
It was 1950 before Langton won his seventh Leinster title, however, Kilkenny were beaten by Tipperary in the All-Ireland final. He retired from inter-county hurling in 1954.
Jim Langton died aged 69 on April 18, 1987.