Ollie Walsh Gaelic games player
Patrick Oliver Walsh (13 July 1937 - 9 March 1996), better known as Ollie Walsh, was an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1956 until 1972 and subsequently served as manager of the team from 1990 until 1995. Walsh is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all-time.Walsh's status as one of the all-time greats is self-evident. He had a style uniquely his own, coupled with great skill and ability, and as a hurler he was colourful, flamboyant, acrobatic and heroic. In a senior inter-county career that lasted for sixteen years he won four All-Ireland titles, nine Leinster titles, two National Hurling League titles and four Railway Cup titles.Walsh has also been the recipient of many awards and honours off the field. In 1967 his hurling prowess earned him the prestigious Texaco Hurler of the Year award, thus becoming the first goalkeeper to win the title. He also won three consecutive Poc Fada titles in 1962, 1963 and 1964 and was considered unlucky not to be named on either the GAA Hurling Team of the Century or the GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium.As a manager Walsh has had much success with his own native county. Between 1990 and 1995 he guided Kilkenny to back-to-back All-Ireland titles, three Leinster titles and a National Hurling League title.