Paddy Larkin
Encyclopedia
Paddy Larkin was a famous Irish
sportsperson. He played hurling
with his local club James Stephens
and with the Kilkenny
senior inter-county team from 1931 until 1943.
. He was educated locally and, in time, he would go on to become one of Kilkenny's great players during the 1930s.
Long after he had retired from playing the next generation of Larkin's would continue the hurling tradition. His son Phil 'Fan' Larkin won five All-Ireland
medals between 1963 and 1979. He was later named on the Kilkenny Hurling Team of the Century. Larkin's grandson, Philly Larkin
, also played hurling with Kilkenny in the early 2000s and collected two All-Ireland medals.
with the famous James Stephens
club in Kilkenny
and enjoyed much success. He won his first senior county title in 1935. Two years later Larkin was captain of the club as he captured a second county title with ‘the village.’
in the early 1930s. He won his first Leinster
title in 1931 following a victory over Laois
in the provincial final. Larkin later lined out in his first All-Ireland final with Cork providing the opposition. The low-scoring game ended in a draw – 1-6 apiece. Four weeks later the two times met again for the replay. In a similar pattern Cork took the lead at half-time, however, Kilkenny fought back to equalise. At the final whistle both sides finished with 2-5. The third game of the series took place in the first week of November, however, on this occasion there would be a winner as Cork sealed the victory by 5-8 to 3-4.
In 1932 Larkin captured a second Leinster title as Dublin
were defeated in the provincial final. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Kilkenny take on Clare
. It was the first ever meeting of these two teams in the history of the championship. In a close and exciting match Kilkenny took the lead thanks to goals by Matty Power
, Lory Meagher
and Martin White
. Clare fought back, however, Kilkenny hung on to win the game by 3-3 to 2-3 giving Larkin his first All-Ireland
medal.
Larkin won a National Hurling League
medal at the start of 1933 before helping Kilkenny to retain their provincial dominance in with a defeat of Dublin, giving Larkin a third Leinster medal. A defeat of Galway
in the next game set up an All-Ireland final meeting with Limerick
. In another tight game Kilkenny sealed the victory with a 1-7 to 0-6 score line giving Larkin his second consecutive All-Ireland title. Kilkenny lost their provincial title in 1934, however, Power won a fourth Leinster medal in 1935. The All-Ireland final saw Kilkenny take on Limerick for the second time in three years. Once again the match was a close one, however, Kilkenny clung on and won by a single point – 2-5 to 2-4. It was Larkin’s third victory in an All-Ireland final.
In 1936 Larkin was appointed captain of the Kilkenny team. That year he guided his team to another Leinster final victory over Laois, his fifth winners’ medal in all, before lining out in yet another All-Ireland final. Once again, the two outstanding teams of the decade, Kilkenny and Limerick, were paired together in the championship decider. Limerick were coming into their prime at this stage and gained revenge for the defeats of 1933 and 1935 by trouncing ‘the Cats’ on a score line of 5-6 to 1-5.
Kilkenny bounced back in 1937 with Larkin adding a sixth Leinster title to his collection. The All-Ireland final pitted Kilkenny against Tipperary
in the unusual venue of FitzGerald Stadium
in Killarney
. ‘The Cats’ were definitely on a downward spiral by this stage as they were walloped by 3-11 to 0-3.
Larkin was appointed captain of Kilkenny for the second time in 1938, however, Dublin accounted for his team in the Leinster final. In 1939 ‘the Cats’ reclaimed their provincial crown with a victory over All-Ireland champions Dublin. It was Larkin’s seventh provincial medal of the decade. The subsequent All-Ireland final against Cork has gone down in history as the famous ‘thunder and lightning’ final when a huge downpour interrupted play. In the end victory went to Kilkenny by a single point. It was not the last time that ‘the Cats’ would defeat ‘the Rebels’ by a single point in a final. It was Larkin’s fourth All-Ireland medal.
In 1940 Larkin added an eighth Leinster medal to his collection after another defeat of Dublin. The All-Ireland final saw Kilkenny and Limerick, the two dominant teams of the last decade, take to the field for one final game. Kilkenny had peaked in the final the year before while Limerick were now reaching their prime. A 3-7 to 1-7 defeat for Kilkenny resulted in Larkin ending up on the losing side for the fourth time.
An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease
in the county hampered Kilkenny’s championship hopes for the next few seasons. In spite of this the team bounced back in 1943 with Larkin adding a ninth Leinster medal to his already impressive collection. The subsequent All-Ireland semi-final provided what was regarded as the time as the biggest shock in the history of the championship. Antrim
had defeated Galway in the All-Ireland quarter-final in, what was described as, a fluke. Antrim proved that their victory was far from lucky as they defeated Larkin’s side in the subsequent semi-final. This marked one of Larkin’s last appearances for Kilkenny as he retired from inter-county hurling shortly after.
in the early years of the inter-provincial hurling championship. He first lined out for his province in 1932 and captured his first Railway Cup medal following a victory over Munster
. Larkin won a second Railway Cup title in 1933; however, Munster reclaimed the title in 1934 and 1935. In 1936 Larkin was captain of Leinster as he collected his third Railway Cup memento. It was his last medal with his province; however, he continued playing until 1939.
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 James Stephens
James Stephens (GAA Club)
James Stephens is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in Kilkenny, Ireland. The club was founded in 1887 and has enjoyed equal success in both hurling and Gaelic football.-History:...
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 1931 until 1943.
Biography
Paddy Larkin was born and raised in locally named 'village' area of KilkennyKilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
. He was educated locally and, in time, he would go on to become one of Kilkenny's great players during the 1930s.
Long after he had retired from playing the next generation of Larkin's would continue the hurling tradition. His son Phil 'Fan' Larkin won five 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....
medals between 1963 and 1979. He was later named on the Kilkenny Hurling Team of the Century. Larkin's grandson, Philly Larkin
Philly Larkin
Philip "Philly" Larkin is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club James Stephens and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1996 until 2003.-Biography:...
, also played hurling with Kilkenny in the early 2000s and collected two All-Ireland medals.
Club
Larkin 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 the famous James Stephens
James Stephens (GAA Club)
James Stephens is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in Kilkenny, Ireland. The club was founded in 1887 and has enjoyed equal success in both hurling and Gaelic football.-History:...
club in Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
and enjoyed much success. He won his first senior county title in 1935. Two years later Larkin was captain of the club as he captured a second county title with ‘the village.’
Inter-county
Larkin first came to prominence on the inter-county scene for 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...
in the early 1930s. He won 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....
title in 1931 following a victory over Laois
Laois GAA
The Laois County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Laois GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Laois and the Laois inter-county teams.-History:...
in the provincial final. Larkin later lined out in his first All-Ireland final with Cork providing the opposition. The low-scoring game ended in a draw – 1-6 apiece. Four weeks later the two times met again for the replay. In a similar pattern Cork took the lead at half-time, however, Kilkenny fought back to equalise. At the final whistle both sides finished with 2-5. The third game of the series took place in the first week of November, however, on this occasion there would be a winner as Cork sealed the victory by 5-8 to 3-4.
In 1932 Larkin captured a second Leinster title as Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
were defeated in the provincial final. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Kilkenny take on 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....
. It was the first ever meeting of these two teams in the history of the championship. In a close and exciting match Kilkenny took the lead thanks to goals by Matty Power
Matty Power
Matty Power was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling at various times with his local clubs Dicksboro and Garda. Power was also a member of the Kilkenny and Dublin senior inter-county team in the 1920s and 1930s. He is regarded as one of Kilkenny’s greatest-ever...
, Lory Meagher
Lory Meagher
Lorenzo Ignatius Meagher , better known as Lory Meagher, was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Tullaroan and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1924 until 1937...
and Martin White
Martin White (hurler)
Martin White was an Irish hurler who played as a centre-forward for the Kilkenny senior team.White made his first appearance for the team during the 1931 championship and became a regular member of the team until his retirement following the conclusion of the 1938 championship...
. Clare fought back, however, Kilkenny hung on to win the game by 3-3 to 2-3 giving Larkin his 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....
medal.
Larkin won 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...
medal at the start of 1933 before helping Kilkenny to retain their provincial dominance in with a defeat of Dublin, giving Larkin a third Leinster medal. A defeat of 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,...
in the next game set up an All-Ireland final meeting with 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 another tight game Kilkenny sealed the victory with a 1-7 to 0-6 score line giving Larkin his second consecutive All-Ireland title. Kilkenny lost their provincial title in 1934, however, Power won a fourth Leinster medal in 1935. The All-Ireland final saw Kilkenny take on Limerick for the second time in three years. Once again the match was a close one, however, Kilkenny clung on and won by a single point – 2-5 to 2-4. It was Larkin’s third victory in an All-Ireland final.
In 1936 Larkin was appointed captain of the Kilkenny team. That year he guided his team to another Leinster final victory over Laois, his fifth winners’ medal in all, before lining out in yet another All-Ireland final. Once again, the two outstanding teams of the decade, Kilkenny and Limerick, were paired together in the championship decider. Limerick were coming into their prime at this stage and gained revenge for the defeats of 1933 and 1935 by trouncing ‘the Cats’ on a score line of 5-6 to 1-5.
Kilkenny bounced back in 1937 with Larkin adding a sixth Leinster title to his collection. The All-Ireland final pitted Kilkenny against 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 unusual venue of FitzGerald Stadium
FitzGerald Stadium
Fitzgerald Stadium is the principal Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Killarney, Ireland, and is the home championship venue for the Kerry senior football team....
in Killarney
Killarney
Killarney is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is located north of the MacGillicuddy Reeks, on the northeastern shore of the Lough Lein/Leane which are part of Killarney National Park. The town and its surrounding region are home to St...
. ‘The Cats’ were definitely on a downward spiral by this stage as they were walloped by 3-11 to 0-3.
Larkin was appointed captain of Kilkenny for the second time in 1938, however, Dublin accounted for his team in the Leinster final. In 1939 ‘the Cats’ reclaimed their provincial crown with a victory over All-Ireland champions Dublin. It was Larkin’s seventh provincial medal of the decade. The subsequent All-Ireland final against Cork has gone down in history as the famous ‘thunder and lightning’ final when a huge downpour interrupted play. In the end victory went to Kilkenny by a single point. It was not the last time that ‘the Cats’ would defeat ‘the Rebels’ by a single point in a final. It was Larkin’s fourth All-Ireland medal.
In 1940 Larkin added an eighth Leinster medal to his collection after another defeat of Dublin. The All-Ireland final saw Kilkenny and Limerick, the two dominant teams of the last decade, take to the field for one final game. Kilkenny had peaked in the final the year before while Limerick were now reaching their prime. A 3-7 to 1-7 defeat for Kilkenny resulted in Larkin ending up on the losing side for the fourth time.
An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease
Foot-and-mouth disease
Foot-and-mouth disease or hoof-and-mouth disease is an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild bovids...
in the county hampered Kilkenny’s championship hopes for the next few seasons. In spite of this the team bounced back in 1943 with Larkin adding a ninth Leinster medal to his already impressive collection. The subsequent All-Ireland semi-final provided what was regarded as the time as the biggest shock in the history of the championship. Antrim
Antrim GAA
The Antrim County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Antrim GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Antrim. The county board is also responsible for the Antrim inter-county teams...
had defeated Galway in the All-Ireland quarter-final in, what was described as, a fluke. Antrim proved that their victory was far from lucky as they defeated Larkin’s side in the subsequent semi-final. This marked one of Larkin’s last appearances for Kilkenny as he retired from inter-county hurling shortly after.
Provincial
Larkin also lined out with 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...
in the early years of the inter-provincial hurling championship. He first lined out for his province in 1932 and captured his first Railway Cup medal following a victory over 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:...
. Larkin won a second Railway Cup title in 1933; however, Munster reclaimed the title in 1934 and 1935. In 1936 Larkin was captain of Leinster as he collected his third Railway Cup memento. It was his last medal with his province; however, he continued playing until 1939.