Joe Hennessy

Joe Hennessy, born on 17 January 1956 in Kilkenny, is an Irish retired hurler who played as a right wing-back for the Kilkenny senior team and is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers of all time. He first played competitive hurling at CBS Kilkenny, joined the Kilkenny minor team at seventeen and later the under-21 side, and made his senior debut in the 1976 championship. Immediately a regular, he won three All-Ireland medals, six Leinster medals and two National Hurling League medals, finished as an All-Ireland runner-up twice and won five All-Star awards. He won one Railway Cup medal with Leinster, and at club level was a two-time All-Ireland medallist with James Stephens, also winning two Leinster medals and three championship medals. His father Paddy also played with Kilkenny, and he made 32 championship appearances before retiring after the 1987 to 88 league.