{{short description|Irish former sportsperson|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{For|the Irish journalist|Tony Connelly}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=June 2021}} {{Infobox Gaelic games player | code= Hurling | sport = Hurling | image = | name = Tony Connolly | irish = Antoin Ó Conghaile | fullname = | feet= 5 | inches=11 | nickname = | county = Cork | province = Munster | club = Blackrock<br>St Finbarr's | clposition = Midfield and Half back | clubs = | clyears = 1950s-1963<br>1964-1968 | clapps(points) = | clcounty = 3 | clprovince= 1 | clallireland = | counties = Cork | icposition = Midfield | icyears = 1966-1968 | icapps(points) = 7 (1-0) | icprovince = 1 | icallireland = 1 | nhl = 0 | allstars = | clupdate = | icupdate = | birth_date={{Birth date and age|1941|4|5|df=yes}} | birth_place=Blackrock, County Cork, Ireland }} '''Tony Connolly''' (born 5 April 1941 in Blackrock, County Cork, Ireland) is an Irish former sportsperson. He played hurling with his local clubs Blackrock and St Finbarr's and was a member at senior level of the Cork county team from 1960, interrupted by serious hand injury, returned 1966 until 1968, when six months suspension ended his career.
==Playing career== ===Club=== Connolly began his club hurling career with the Blackrock club. In 1961 he won his first county senior championship title as 'the Rockies' defeated north Cork divisional side Avondhu by 4-10 to 3-7.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://homepage.eircom.net/~kod/senior_hurling_2.htm|title=Senior Hurling Finals 1920 - 1969|publisher=Cork GAA site|date=|accessdate=2010-08-29}}</ref>
After a dispute with the Blackrock club Connolly left and joined the St Finbarr's club on the southside of Cork city. Here he had even more success, winning a second county title in 1965 following 'the Barr's' 6-8 to 2-5 defeat of UCC. The club later represented Cork in the provincial club series and even reached the final. A 3-12 to 2-3 defeat of Waterford's Mount Sion gave Connolly a Munster club winners' medal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://munster.gaa.ie/history/shclub_teams/|title=Munster Club Hurling Final Winning Teams|publisher=Munster GAA|date=|accessdate=2010-08-29}}</ref>
After St Finbarr's lost the 1967 county final to Glen Rovers, the club recovered to reach the championship decider again the following year. A remarkable 5-9 to 1-9 defeat of divisional side Imokilly gave Connolly a third county championship title.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}
===Inter-county=== Connolly made his return with the Cork senior hurling team in a Munster quarter-final against Clare in 1966.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsmanager.ie/uploaded/7/SHC%201960-1969.pdf|title=Cork's Senior Hurling Championship Teams 1960-1969|publisher=Cork GAA|date=|accessdate=2010-08-29}}</ref> It was the beginning of a return to the big time for 'the Rebels' after a decade in the doldrums. That year Cork qualified for a Munster showdown with Waterford. An entertaining hour of hurling followed, however, victory went to Cork by 4-9 to 2-9 for the first time in ten years. It was Connolly's first senior Munster winners' medal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://munster.gaa.ie/history/sh_teams/|title=Munster Senior Hurling Finals|publisher=Munster GAA|date=|accessdate=2010-08-29}}</ref> This victory allowed Cork to advance directly to the All-Ireland final where arch-rivals Kilkenny provided the opposition. It was the first meeting of these two great sides since 1947 and 'the Cats' were installed as the firm favourites. In spite of this a hat-trick of goals by Colm Sheehan gave Cork a merited 3-9 to 1-10 victory over an Eddie Keher-inspired Kilkenny. It was Connolly's first All-Ireland winners' medal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hoganstand.com/Cork/Profile.aspx|title=Cork GAA profile|publisher=Hogan Stand|accessdate=2010-08-29|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216074254/http://hoganstand.com/Cork/Profile.aspx|archivedate=2009-02-16}}</ref>
Cork failed to retain their provincial and All-Ireland titles in 1967 while Tipperary trounced Cork by nine points in the Munster final a year later, a game missed through injury by Connolly. Connolly left the Cork team following this defeat.
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Cork Hurling Team 1966}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Connolly, Tony}} Category:1941 births Category:Living people Category:Blackrock National Hurling Club hurlers Category:St Finbarr's hurlers Category:Cork inter-county hurlers Category:All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship winners Category:20th-century Irish sportsmen