Eoin Cody has been nominated by Shamrocks to captain Kilkenny senior hurling team for the 2023 season.
While TJ Reid has been nominated as vice-captain, having previously captained the side in 2019. In fact, due to the historic five-in-a-row, Kilkenny has been lead by Shamrock men ever since, with Colin Fennelly, Adrian Mullen, and Richie Reid all carrying the mantle since. Dicksboros Cillian Buckley being the last man not in the green and white to be nominated by another team, after Dicksboro became county champs in 2017.
Historically Kilkenny have not done too badly with a Shamrocks man at the helm, winning the All ireland seven times in total. The first came, at the first time asking for the club when Ger Fennelly lead the team in 1979, and indeed the last time Kilkenny won an All-Ireland, Shamrocks man Joey Holden had the armband.
At tonight’s Executive meeting we were delighted to nominate Eoin Cody as Captain of @KilkennyCLG for the coming year. Congratulations Eoin, well deserved. @KilkennyCLG pic.twitter.com/z3b922JxaH
— Shamrocks (@BallyhaleGAA) January 25, 2023
Not since the legendary Mr. Brian Cody, has there been a man with the same surname given the title. Brian was awarded the role in 1982 after James Stephens won the county title in 1981 by beating Fenians 2-10 to 0-08 points.
The first man to captain the Cats back in 1888 was Mr. John Quinn, representing Mooncoin. This is despite Tullaroan winning the 1887 Championship on a score of 1-01 to 0-04 points ( Goals were more than 3 points at the time.) Mooncoin did win the Championship in 1888 though by keeping Confederation scoreless and scoring 2-02 themselves. Kilkenny then went on to win the Leinster Championship beating Dublin 0-07 to 0-03 points, thus John becoming the first provincial winning captain. Unfortunately, the All Ireland decider versus Cork wasn’t played due to a tour of Irish Athletes in North America to raise funds to revive the Tailteann Games.
The first captain to bring the All-Ireland titles back to the Marble City, was Tullaroans Jer Doheny in 1904. Cork were beaten by a single point in Carrick-on-Suir on the day.
