From the late 1950's until 1972 there were two hurling clubs in Thomastown Parish. Thomastown and Thomastown Rangers. The Rangers Club drew mainly from the southern and western sides of the parish though the town and other parts of the parish were always represented. The Forristal, Neill, Bookle, O'Keeffe, Treacy, Donnelly and McEntee families are the ones that most readily come to mind when one thinks back on the players and officials of the Rangers Club.

 

In all, Thomastown Rangers contested three Southern Junior Finals and one County Junior Final. Of the Southern finals, without doubt, the one most remembered is the clash in 1962 between Thomastown Rangers and Thomastown, played before a capacity crowd in Grennan. In a tense game Thomastown emerged victors on a scoreline of 1-8 to 2-1. Thomastown that year went on to win the County Junior Championship defeating Coon 7-9 to 4-4. In 1963 and 1964 Rangers contested the Southern Finals, going down to the Rower-Inistioge in 1963 on a 5-5 to 4-3 scoreline, and beating Windgap the following year by 3-5 to 1-8. Unfortunately, though, they were defeated heavily in the County Final by the Northern Champions Gowran by 9-7 to 1-3.

 

Thomastown Rangers and Thomastown between them helped to set a record that is unlikely ever to be equalled. During the 1963 Leinster Senior Hurling Championship and the 1964 All-Ireland series Ollie Walsh of Thomastown was the Kilkenny no 1 goalkeeper, while his understudy was Ray McEntee of Thomastown Rangers.

 

The two clubs amalgamated in 1972 to form Thomastown Utd. G.A.A. Club, and the now redundant Thomastown Rangers jerseys were the first worn by the newly formed Ballyhale Shamrocks.

Tom Hanrahan of Mong was the first Thomastown man to play for the Kilkenny Senior Hurling Team.

 

In 1962 Thomastown and Thomastown Rangers met in the Southern Junior Hurling Final. (Played in Thomastown)

 

Tom Mullins, Podge Dack and John Brennan captained Junior All-Ireland winning teams in 1928, 1946 and 1984 respectively.

 

Billy Grace captained Kilkenny Minors to All-Ireland victory in 1960.

 

Pat Kearney captained St. Kieran’s to All-Ireland Colleges victory in 1971.

 

Dick O'Hara captained the Kilkenny Vocational Schools All-Ireland winning team in 1975.

 

Thomastown won seven U-14 hurling championships in a row 1951-1957.

 

Joe Costelloe won an All-Ireland Senior Football Colleges medal with Gormanston in the 1970's. His mid-field partner was Denis 'Ogie' Moran of Kerry.

 

Brendan O'Sullivan played in four Munster Colleges finals with De La Salle, Waterford, Senior and Junior, Hurling and Football.

 

Thomastown Club has 7 holders of an All-Ireland Senior Hurling Medal that they won with Kilkenny

 

In 1990 the club grounds were opened with a challenge match between Kilkenny and Cork, almost a decade later the teams met in Grennan again in the final stages of fundraising for the Ollie Walsh Memorial which now stands on Mill Street.

 

In 2004 Jonjo Farrell was the youngest player named in the Kilkenny People Team of The Week when aged 16 he scored 1 goal in injury time and 2 goals in extra time of the Southern Junior Semi-Final Replay against Windgap.

 

In 2013 The club won the All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship defeating Fullen Geals in Croke Park.

 

In 2016 Jonjo Farrell won Leinster Hurler of the year

In 2019 Peter McDonald was a member of the Electric Ireland All star team after a great year with Kilkenny.

In 2020 Zach Bay Hammond was a member of the Electric Ireland All-star team after a great year with Kilkenny.

In 2023 Luke Connellan captained the Kilkenny U20 team after the club won our first roinn A U21 title in 2022.

 

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In 1981 Thomastown contested the finals of each of the following competitions: 

This set of finals became known as the baker's dozen.

 

 

 

 

The Intermediate championships having been scrapped after 1937 meant that successful junior teams frequently found the automatic promotion to Senior ranks quite difficult to master. Since 1938, only two successful junior teams, Mullinavat and Threecastles had managed to reach Senior finals, both of which were lost.

 

Would Thomastown, the Junior champions of 1945 fare any better when they faced up to the bigger Senior clubs in 1946? They served notice that they were going to be a force to be reckoned with when they disposed of Mooncoin in the first round and then knocked out James Stephens in the second. In the semi-final, Thomastown beat a strongly fancied Dicksboro team, the 'Boro having put out double champions, Eire Og in the first round. The second semi-final saw Carrickshock defeat a rejuvenated Tullaroan by 3-10 to 3-5 in what was a terrific match.

 

 

This meeting of near Southern neighbours, Thomastown and Carrickshock, attracted a near record attendance to Nowlan Park on Sunday the 11th of October. The "Kilkenny People" reported that "the match was not a classic, but that it had phases of play which kept the standard at a high peak and an enthralling finish to the end"

 

Carrickshock opened strongly, and as the half progressed, many Thomastown folk and indeed many neutrals were wondering if they were about to witness a total whitewash such was the 'Shock's supremacy.

 

Carrickshock put on two early points before Liam Kelly had a goal for Thomastown to steady their nerves, but it was only momentarily as Carrickshock then took complete control of the game. With the Thomastown defence creaking badly, Carrickshock scored four goals between the 15th minute and half time, to lead at the break, 4-4 to 1-1. The goals came from Phelan, Fleming, T. Butler and "Builder" Walsh.

 

On the resumption, Thomastown got the break they needed when Challoner had an early goal. Further sustained pressure paid off when Ryan netted to leave a six point margin (4-4 to 3-1) between the teams. The Thomastown rally went on unabated and it was now the turn of the Carrickshock defence to wilt. Two further points put Thomastown only four points behind with ten minutes remaining. Paddy Fleming had a Carrickshock point to give them what was only to be temporary relief. After that it was all Thomastown, as Lennon goaled to narrow the gap to a very unsafe two points as the game entered its final minutes. After a hectic goal mouth scramble, Podge Dack finished to the net for Thomastown to lead for only the second time in the game. With almost the last puck of the ball, Liam Kelly pointed to leave Thomastown the Kilkenny Senior Hurling champions for the very first time by a two-point margin.

 

Thomastown had created hurling history by becoming the first club to win back-to-back Junior and Senior titles. They had the unusual experience of having to replace both their goalkeeper and sub-goalkeeper through injury during the match. They also lost the very influential Dan Kennedy who too had to retire through injury.

 

Goalie, Power, was sound until his injury forced him to retire. Podge Dack and Jack Galway were sound defenders along with Peter Prendergast. Donnelly and Kelly did well at midfield whilst in attack, Ryan, Challoner, Lennon and Kelly shone brightest.

 

Thomastown Team: K Power, Paddy Stapleton, Jack Galway, R Cassin, Podge Dack, Peter Prendergast, Joe Prendergast, Luke Donnelly, Liam Kelly, J Challoner, R Moore, Walter Ryan, Dan Kennedy, E Ryan, T Kelly. Subs: P Lennon and J Gibbons

 

 

What a year 2024 was for Thomastown. After winning the Intermediate All-Ireland Hurling title earlier in the year they captured the Kilkenny Senior Hurling Title, bridging a 78-year gap. Having won the Minor B title in 2018, and the Under 21 A title in 2022, they arrived in the senior ranks in 2024 hoping for a good year. No one expected it to turn out so well.

 

Under the management of Noel Doherty, and ably assisted by his selectors John Brennan, Dessie Walsh, James Gittens and Seán Kelly, they set out their stall early in their initial league campaign. They qualified for the SH. Shield Final on the back of their victories but were defeated by Mullinavat by a score of 1-25 to 1-19.

 

Our first championship game was against Kingpins Ballyhale Shamrocks in the quarterfinal in Callan. Our lads put in a trojan display and came out winners on a score of 0-21 to 1-16. It's hard to describe the pride we all felt in Callan that day, and it will remain in many people’s memories as a day never to be forgotten. 

 

The semi-final saw us up against Mullinavat. Having suffered defeat in the Shield Final to the same opposition earlier in the year, the Thomastown boys were really up for this game and ran out easy winners in the end by 5-19 to 0-12. The only misfortune was the injury that Diarmuid Galway suffered near the end of the game, causing him to miss the final. His displays all year had been superb and he had been one of the stars of the year for Thomastown.

 

Now for the County Final. Thomastown were pitted against red hot favourites O’Loughlin Gaels. From the very start Thomastown set the tone. With the forwards hitting as hard as the backs, they had the opposition on the back foot from the very start. Eighteen-year-old Colm Treacy brought O’Loughlin’s All-Star full back Huw Lawlor all over the field, John Donnelly provided early points to settle the opening half, Eddie Donnelly dominated the centre of the defense and the evergreen Jonjo Farrell gave a masterful display at mid-field, all allowing Thomastown to dominate the game.

 

Five points up at the interval they continued in the same vein in the second half. Who will forget Zac Bay Hammond’s thundering shoulder on Conor Heary or Robbie Donnelly’s early tackle on Paddy Deegan? They epitomized the commitment and toughness of the side, which ran all the way from goalie to corner forward.  Thomastown had stars all over the field on a day never to be forgotten by those in blue and white. Captain Jay Burke accepted the cup on behalf of the team and paid due tribute to Noel Doherty and his management team on their great year.

 

In Jay’s own words, the 2024 Senior Hurling Championship in Kilkenny will be blue and white forever!

 

Scorers

Robbie Donnelly 0-8 (0-6 frees), John Donnelly 0-4, Stephen Donnelly 0-2, Jonjo Farrell 0-2, Rory Connellan 0-1, Peter McDonald 0-1 

 

Team

Paul Barron, Peter Connellan, Jay Burke (Captain), Ned Kirwan, Brian Staunton, Eddie Donnelly, Zac Bay Hammond, Peter McDonald, Jonjo Farrell, Robbie Donnelly, John Donnelly, Luke Connellan, Stephen Donnelly, Colm Treacy, Rory Connellan.

 

Subs

David Prendergast for Peter Connellan(inj),Thomas O Hanrahan for Stephen Donnelly(inj), Jack Holden for Rory Connellan

Richard O Hara, Naoise Dempsey, Luke McNena, Dylan Waugh, Brian O Hanrahan, Pauric Kirwan, Jack Cullen, Oisín O Reilly, Alex Cass, Dáithí Barron, Eanna O Keeffe, Dylan Caulfield, Cian Moore, Evan Wilson, Tyler Nolan, Seán O Keeffe, Seán Denieffe, Cathal O Driscoll, Conor Monks, Cormac Moore, Alex Begley, Cian Farrell, Conor Kelly, Diarmuid Galway(injured), Eddie Corway(injured)

 

League Results

Round 1

            Thomastown 1-23       James Stephens 0-20

Round 2

            Thomastown 1-22       Bennetsbridge 2-15

Round 3

            Thomastown 0-25       Tullaroan 0-18

Round 4

            Glenmore 0-22            Thomastown 0-21

Round 5

            Dicksboro 0-24           Thomastown 0-15

 

Championship Results

Quarter Final

Thomastown 0-21                   Ballyhale Shamrocks: 1-16

Semi Final 

Thomastown 5-19                   Mullinavat 0-12

Final

Thomastown 0-18                   O’Loughlin Gaels 0-7

 

 

 

Thomastown, after a few near misses in previous years, captured the Intermediate Championship in 1983. Thomastown competed at the group stage with Piltown, Barrow Rangers and Carrickshock.

 

During the earlier rounds of the league Thomastown proved they had the talent, commitment and general quality to go all the way. 

 

The foundations of the team were laid during the 1970-1975 underage success the club had. They lost the Intermediate final to Graiguenamanagh in 1980 but were back again in the final in 1983 against O’Loughlin Gaels.

 

The final was played in heavy, wet conditions. O Loughlin's were favourites but Thomastown held them scoreless in the first half. In the final Sean Kiely played the game of his life. County players Dick O Hara and Paudie Lannan continued their great form from the earlier rounds. John Costello did a great job in keeping O’Loughlin Gaels’ star Michael Cleere quiet while David Prendergast, Dan Breen, Martin Walsh and Michael Galway gave goalie John Brennan great protection. At midfield John Prendergast and David Hoyne held sway over the hour with their great work. While up front John Donnelly, Richard Murphy, Martin Farrell and Ger Walsh played well. They ran out winners 2-8 to 1-3 with a sound workmanlike display in the second half.

 

A great victory for Thomastown, who would go on to play senior hurling in 1984. With a young team, they had high hopes for the future. 

 

Team

John Brennan, Dan Breen, Michael Galway, David Prendergast, Martin Walsh, Dick O Hara (captain), Sean Kiely, David Hoyne, John Prendergast, Paudie Lannon, John Costello, Martin Farrell, Richard Murphy, Ger Walsh, John Donnelly

Sub: Joseph O Hara

 

Management

Ollie Walsh (Manager), Joe Prendergast, Mickey Kelly, Brendan O’Sullivan

 

Results

Round 1

            Thomastown 1-10       Piltown 0-8

Round 2 

            Thomastown 1-5         Carrickshock 0-6

Round 3

            Thomastown 2-13       Barrow Rangers 3-9

Semi-final

            Thomastown 3-8         Graiguenamanagh 3-6

Final 

            Thomastown 2-8         O’Loughlin 1-3

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