Pat Henderson
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish name | Pádraig Mac Éinrí | ||
| Sport | Hurling | ||
| Position | Centre-back | ||
| Born | 30 January 1943 Johnstown, County Kilkenny, Ireland |
||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Occupation | Retired company director | ||
| Club(s) | |||
| Years | Club | ||
| 1961-1981 | Fenians | ||
| Club Titles | |||
| Kilkenny titles | 5 | ||
| Leinster titles | 1 | ||
| All-Ireland Titles | 0 | ||
| Inter-county(ies) | |||
| Years | County | Apps (scores) | |
| 1964-1978 | Kilkenny | 40 (0-6) | |
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Leinster titles | 8 | ||
| All Irelands | 5 | ||
| NHL | 2 | ||
| All Stars | 2 | ||
Pat Henderson (born 30 January 1943 in Johnstown, County Kilkenny, Ireland) is an Irish retired hurling manager and former player.
Regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation,[1] Henderson enjoyed a successful playing career at club level with Fenians and at inter-county level with Kilkenny. He was a centre-back on the latter team from 1964 until 1978, winning five All-Ireland titles, eight Leinster titles and two National Hurling League titles. Henderson has also been the recipient of many awards and honours off the field. In 1974 he was presented with the prestigious Texaco Hurler of the Year award. He also collected two All-Star awards.
Immediately after retiring from inter-county hurling Henderson became involved in team management. He served as manager of the Kilkenny senior hurling team at various intervals between 1979 and 1987 and guided the county to three All-Ireland titles, five Leinster titles and three National League titles.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Born in Johnstown, County Kilkenny, Henderson was the eldest son in a family that would later become synonymous with hurling in Kilkenny. His two younger brothers, Ger and John, would form the backbone of the great Kilkenny team of the 1970s.[2]
Henderson was educated at Johnstown national school before later receiving his secondary schooling at Thurles CBS.[3] Here he played in the prestigious Dr. Harty Cup competition, however, Thurles CBS failed to win the provincial title during Henderson's tenure.
[edit] Playing career
[edit] Club
Henderson began his playing career with Johnstown in the late 1950s, however, it was with the newly-formed Fenians hurling club that he enjoyed much success.[4]
Only a year after coming into existence Fenian's qualified for the final of the county senior championship. Henderson was at centre-back that day as James Stephens provided the opposition. An absolute rout took place as the city club took the title by 8-5 to 2-7.
In 1970 both Fenians and James Stephens met in the championship decider once again. The match was a much closer affair on this occasion, with Henderson collecting a coveted county championship title following a 2-11 to 3-5 win.
Fenians were give the opportunity to retain the title when they qualified for the championship decider again in 1971. Bennettsbridge were the opponents, however, Henderson ended up on the losing side by 3-10 to 1-7.
This defeat was only a temporary set-back as the Fenians club qualified for a fourth successive county final in 1972. It was a rematch of the previous year with Bennettsbridge setting out to defend their title. Henderson's side enjoyed a comfortable 3-10 to 1-6 win and he added a second county title to his collection.
A fifth successive county final appearance followed for the Fenians in 1973. James Stephens provided the opposition and a high-scoring game developed. A huge 7-8 to 5-10 score line resulted in the Fenians retaining the title and Henderson won his third county championship winners' medal.
In 1974 the Fenians club made history by securing a third county title in-a-row. The 0-10 to 0-6 defeat of Bennettsbridge gave Henderson a fourth county championship winners' medal. Fenians subsequently represented Kilkenny in the provincial club series and reached the final. A narrow 2-6 to 1-6 defeat of St. Rynagh's of Offaly resulted in the Fenians becoming the first Kilkenny club to take the Leinster club title. The subsequent All-Ireland final pitted Henderson's side against the mighty St. Finbarr's of Cork. 'The Barr's' ability to get goals at crucial times proved to be the difference in the 3-8 to 1-6 defeat.
A fourth successive county title proved beyond Henderson's side in 1975, however, two years later Fenians were back in the championship decider. An Eddie Keher-inspired Rower-Inistioge provided the opposition, however, Henderson won his fifth and final county title that day following a 3-11 to 1-10 victory.
Henderson's side failed to retain the title in 1978 as a new force in hurling emerged in the form of Ballyhale Shamrocks who defeated Henderson's side in the championship decider.
In 1981 Henderson was in the twilight of his career when he played in his ninth and final county championship decider. James Stephens were the opponents, however, the Fenians were no longer the force they once were. A 2-10 to 0-8 defeat brought the curtain down on Henderson's club hurling career.
[edit] Inter-county
Henderson first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Kilkenny minor hurling team in 1961. It was a successful year for the young hurler as he collected a Leinster title in that grade following a 4-12 to 0-7 trouncing of Dublin. Henderson later lined out in his first All-Ireland final, with Tipperary providing the opposition. After an entertaining hour of hurling Kilkenny emerged victorious by 3-13 to 0-15, giving Henderson a coveted All-Ireland minor medal.[5]
By 1964 Henderson had joined the Kilkenny senior team, winning his first Leinster title that year following a huge win over Dublin.[6] Staunch local rivals Tipperary later provided the opposition in the All-Ireland final, however, Kilkenny were the pundits’ favourites to retain the title. Jimmy Doyle had other ideas, however, as he scored 10 points and set up Seán McLoughlin for a goal. Tipperary’s fourteen-point winning margin, 5-13 to 2-8, was the biggest All-Ireland final win since Tipperary had overwhelmed Laois in the 1949 decider.[7] It was a bitterly disappointing defeat for Henderson and for Kilkenny.
Kilkenny lost their provincial crown in 1965, however, the team bounced back in 1966 with Henderson collecting his first National Hurling League winners' medal and a second Leinster title.[8] This victory allowed Kilkenny to advance directly to the All-Ireland final where arch-rivals Cork 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, two goals by Colm Sheehan and a third from John O'Halloran gave Cork a merited 3-9 to 1-10 victory over an Eddie Keher-inspired Kilkenny.[9] It was Henderson's second All-Ireland loss in three years.
The following year Kilkenny continued their provincial dominance with Henderson picking up a third Leinster title[10] before lining out in a third All-Ireland final at Croke Park. Tipperary were Kilkenny’s opponents on the day, however, by this stage Tipp’s pool of players was ageing and the county’s hurling fortunes were in decline. Kilkenny proved more than a match for the Munster champions. Goals from Paddy Moran, Martin Brennan and Tom Walsh at vital times laid to rest a bogey that Tipperary had over Kilkenny since 1922.[11] Henderson had also collected a coveted All-Ireland winners' medal at last.
Wexford put an end to Kilkenny’s hopes of retaining the title in 1968, however, the Noresiders bounced back the following year with Henderson collecting a fourth Leinster medal.[12] Cork faced Kilkenny in the subsequent All-Ireland final and revenge for 1966 was foremost in the minds of the Kilkenny team. For a while it looked as if the Leesiders would triumph over their great rivals once again, however, five points from Kilkenny in the last seven minutes gave Henderson a second All-Ireland winners' medal.[13]
The best was yet to come for Henderson and the Kilkenny team in the 1970s. In 1971 he was named captain of the Kilkenny senior hurlers, however, he missed the Leinster final triumph over Wexford. Henderson, however, subsequently returned to the team as the Leinster champions later played Tipperary in the only eighty minute final between these great rivals. The game has gone down in All-Ireland final folklore for a number of reasons. As the first All-Ireland final to be broadcast by RTÉ in colour, the nation saw Eddie Keher score a remarkable 2 goals and 11 points and still end up on the losing side. Kilkenny’s ever-dependable goalkeeper, Ollie Walsh, had a nightmare of a game in which he conceded five goals, one of which passed through his legs, while that year’s Hurler of the Year, Michael 'Babs' Keating, played out the closing stages of the game in his bare feet. After a thrilling game Tipp emerged the victors on a score line of 5-17 to 5-14.[14]
In 1972 Keher won a fifth Leinster title following a victory over Wexford in a replay of the provincial final.[15] Once again, Cork provided the opposition in the All-Ireland final, a game which is often considered to be one of the classic games of the modern era. Half-way through the second-half Cork were on form and stretched their lead to eight points. Drastic action was required for Kilkenny and Eddie Keher quickly provided 2 goals and 9 points to give Kilkenny the win and give Henderson a third All-Ireland medal.[16]
In 1973 the Leinster Championship posed little difficulty for Kilkenny and Henderson collected a sixth provincial medal.[17] He later lined out in yet another All-Ireland final, however, Kilkenny were severely hampered by the absence of some of their greatest players. Limerick went on to win that game by 1-21 to 1-14. It was their first All-Ireland title since 1940.[18]
Wexford were once again narrowly defeated by Kilkenny in the 1974 Leinster final, giving Henderson a seventh provincial title.[19] In a repeat of the previous year's championship decider Limerick provided the opposition, however, revenge was foremost in the minds of Kilkenny supporters. The Munster champions stormed to a five point lead in the first 11 minutes, however, a converted penalty by Eddie Keher, supplemented by two further Kilkenny goals gave Kilkenny a twelve-point win and gave Henderson a fourth All-Ireland medal.[20] The All-Ireland final win over Limerick was followed by the presentation of a second All-Star award, as well as the coveted Texaco Hurler of the Year award.
In 1975 Kilkenny defeated Wexford for the fifth consecutive year in the provincial final, giving Henderson an eighth Leinster title overall. He later lined out in yet another All-Ireland final with surprise semi-final winners Galway providing the opposition on this occasion. The men from the West led by three points at half-time, however, Eddie Keher’s huge tally of 2 goals and 7 points kept Galway at bay giving Kilkenny a 2-22 to 2-10 victory.[21] Keher had once again powered his team to victory, allowing Henderson to pick up a fifth All-Ireland winners' medal.
A second National League title in 1976 was Henderson’s last major success. He continued on the inter-county scene for another few years, however, by the mid-1970s Wexford were the dominant team in Leinster. Henderson retired from inter-county hurling following the All-Ireland final defeat by Cork in 1978.
[edit] Provincial
Henderson also lined out with the great Leinster team in the inter-provincial hurling championship. He captured Railway Cup titles with his province in 1967, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1977.[22]
[edit] Managerial career
| Inter-county management | |||||||||
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| Inter-county titles | |||||||||
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[edit] Kilkenny
In retirement from playing, Henderson turned his hand to inter-county management. Together with Eddie Keher he guided Kilkenny to an All-Ireland victory over Galway in 1979. Three years later in 1982 Henderson was the sole manager of his native-county. That year he coached ‘the Cats’ to a National Hurling League victory, as well as an All-Ireland final victory over Cork. In 1983 these feats were repeated with another brace of National league and All-Ireland victories.
[edit] References
- ^ "Current players snubbed in Team of the Century selection". Irish Examiner. 1998-04-17. http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/1998/04/17/shead.htm. Retrieved 2010-10-24.
- ^ "Profile of Pat Henderson". Hogan Stand. 1993-07-09. http://www.hoganstand.com/Kilkenny/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=88777. Retrieved 2010-10-24.
- ^ "Babs: I’d say we’d beat the current team by 25 points". Irish Examiner. 2010-09-05. http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/kfauaucweycw/rss2/. Retrieved 2010-10-24.
- ^ "Fenians GAA club profile". Fenians GAA. http://www.fenians.ie/feniansclub.htm#glory. Retrieved 2010-10-24.
- ^ Donegan, Des (2005). The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games. DBA Publications. p. 29.
- ^ The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games p. 27
- ^ Corry, Eoghan (2005). The GAA Book of Lists. Hodder Headline Ireland. p. 356.
- ^ The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games p. 27
- ^ The GAA Book of Lists p. 356
- ^ The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games p. 27
- ^ The GAA Book of Lists p. 356
- ^ The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games p. 27
- ^ The GAA Book of Lists p. 357
- ^ The GAA Book of Lists p. 357
- ^ The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games p. 27
- ^ The GAA Book of Lists p. 358
- ^ The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games p. 27
- ^ The GAA Book of Lists p. 358
- ^ The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games p. 27
- ^ The GAA Book of Lists p. 358
- ^ The GAA Book of Lists p. 359
- ^ The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games pp. 88-90
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Mick Crotty |
Kilkenny Senior Hurling Captain 1971 |
Succeeded by Pat Delaney |
| Preceded by Pat Delaney |
Kilkenny Senior Hurling Captain 1971 |
Succeeded by Noel Skehan |
| Preceded by Fr. Tommy Maher |
Kilkenny Senior Hurling Manager (jointly with Eddie Keher) 1978-1980 |
Succeeded by Phil 'Fan' Larkin |
| Preceded by Phil 'Fan' Larkin |
Kilkenny Senior Hurling Manager 1981-1987 |
Succeeded by Eddie Keher |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by Éamonn Grimes (Limerick) |
Texaco Hurler of the Year 1974 |
Succeeded by Liam 'Chunky' O'Brien (Kilkenny) |
| Achievements | ||
| Preceded by Fr. Bertie Troy (Cork) |
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final winning manager (jointly with Eddie Keher) 1979 |
Succeeded by Cyril Farrell (Galway) |
| Preceded by Dermot Healy (Offaly) |
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final winning manager 1982-1983 |
Succeeded by Retained |
[edit] Teams
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