Johnny McGovern was an Irish

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...

 hurler

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...

 who played as a left wing-back for 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 team.

McGovern made his first appearance for the team during the 1952 championship

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1952

The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship of 1952 was the 66th edition of Ireland’s premier hurling knockout competition. The championship ran from May to September of that year, culminating with the All-Ireland final, held at Croke Park, Dublin on 7 September. The match was contested by Cork...

 and became a regular player over the next decade. During that time he won two 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....

 winner's medals and five 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....

 winner's medals.

At club level McGovern played with the Bennesttsbridge

Bennettsbridge GAA

Bennettsbridge is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Bennettsbridge, County Kilkenny, Ireland. The Bridge last won the Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship in 1971, although they are no longer a senior championship side.-Achievements:...

 club, winning eleven county club championship winners' medals in a career that spanned more than twenty years.