Legendary Kilkenny hurler Nick O’Donnell was ‘like Manna from Heaven’

Graignamanagh native Nick O’Donnell — recognised by many as the greatest hurling full back of all time — was born just over 100 years ago on September 4, 1925.

Named at No 3 on the Centenary and the Millennium hurling teams of 1984 and 2000 respectively, Nick enjoyed a very successful intercounty career with both his adopted county Wexford, and also with Kilkenny.

St Kieran’s, Eire Og
Nick played his first competitive hurling while a student at St Kieran’s College, and then he joined the Kilkenny City club Eire Og, with whom he won his first county senior medal in 1947.

Nick was promoted to the Kilkenny senior panel earlier that year, with the Noresiders later winning the senior All-Ireland final with a single-point victory over Cork. It is also reckoned to have been one of the greatest hurling finals ever.

In Control
Kilkenny were well in control of that 1947 All-Ireland in the second half when Peter Pendergast was forced to retire injured following a clash with Christy Ring.

Wexford 1956 Senior Hurling All-Ireland champions. Back row: Billy Rackard, Nick O’Donnell, Ned Wheeler, Jim Morrissey, Martin Codd, Nicky Rackard, Podge Kehoe, Bobby Rackard.
Front: Tom Ryan, Mick Morrissey, Jim English, Art Foley, Tim Flood Tom Dixon, Seamus Hearne

It has often been said that Nick O’Donnell should have been introduced as a substitute to replace Prendergast, as Cork dominated the last quarter following the latters departure. Instead, the inexperienced Ned Kavanagh came on at full back, and the ‘Diamond’ Hayden moved out to number 6. These changes did not work out, and Kilkenny, following two late Cork goals, eventually only just managed to hold on to win.
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Kilkenny had six named substitutes for that 1947 final, and as only five winners’ medals were issued by Croke Park, Nick O’Donnell was the one to lose out. And while he often said that he was never angry about not getting a medal, he was nevertheless disappointed, and was heard to say that ‘the Kilkenny County Board owes me a medal’. It would be difficult to disagree with his reckoning.

Manna from heaven
Nick decided to declare for Wexford in 1951, after he had secured employment with Roadstone in Enniscorthy, and the Wexford hurling fraternity were delighted when they heard that he had decided to come on board.

One of the famous Rackard brothers, Willie, was heard to say about 20 years ago, (long after he had retired himself) that: “Wexford had the makings of a good hurling team in the early 1950s, but we were short a few players in vital positions, and full back was one of them. Nick soon solved that particular problem, and his coming to us was like Manna from Heaven. I will never forget that time,” he said.

Nick O’Donnell won three senior hurling All-Irelands with Wexford in 1955, 1956, and 1960, and with a little luck he could have won a couple more.

In the low-scoring All-Ireland final, between Wexford and Cork in 1954, The Slaneysiders were well in the game in the second half when Nick was forced to retire with a broken collar bone following a clash with Christy Ring. It is believed by many hurling followers that Wexford would have won their first All-Ireland since 1910 in that year of 1954, if O’Donnell had been able to play for the full hour.

Unlucky
Nick was also unlucky in 1962 when he mis-hit two puckouts in the first few minutes, and Tipperary scored two goals.
Wexford fought back bravely during the hour, but were eventually beaten by a couple of points. I attended that All-Ireland myself, as my cousin Billy Burke played on the victorious Kilkenny minor team that defeated Tipperary that particular day. That was the third year that Babs Keating of Tipperary came out on the losing side in a minor All-Ireland final.

I still remember being so sad for Wexford on that day. Nick retired after that particular final, having starred at inter-county level for 15 years. That great Wexford team was passing its best at that time.
The Wexford hurlers had never won a National Hurling League until 1956, and what a game it was with Nick O’Donnell one of the stars.

They played against Tipperary on that particular day, and with the aid of a strong wind the Tipp boys had built up a fifteen point lead at the interval. All seemed lost for Wexford, but they fought back and eventually secured a four point victory on a scoreline of 5-9 to 2-14. Almost 46,000 people attended.

‘Skinny’
Nick who was tall and slender was known as ‘Skinny’ in his younger days. He could be best described as one of — if not the very first — really good hurling full back. He was much more than a stopper, and being a great striker of the ball, his clearances often reached the opposing full forward line.

He gave his three medals to his son and two daughters, and his 1960 medal was stolen from his daughter’s residence in Murrintown over 20 years ago.

Despite numerous appeals at the time, and the offer of a substantial reward, it has never been found, which is indeed a pity.
They year 1956 was Wexford’s and Nick O’Donnell’s most successful on the hurling fields. They won all before them, the All-Ireland, the National Hurling League, the Oireachtais final, and the Graiguenamanagh native also captained Leinster to win the Railway Cup final over Munster that year.
He also won one of his seven County senior Championship medals with his adopted St Aidan’s of Enniscorthy in 1956, to add to his 1947 Kilkenny county championship medal.

Cousin
Nick was cousin of Tom Walsh who was the Chairman of the Kilkenny County GAA Board from 1944 until his untimely death following a car crash in July 1956.

Tom was also a Kilkenny- Carlow TD from 1948 to 1956 and the Minister for Agriculture from 1951 to 1954. Being the chairman, Tom would have had a say with the team selection in 1947, so it is maybe a little surprising that his cousin Nick was not asked to come on as a substitute in the All-Ireland final.
Nick O’Donnell who took a great interest in the St Aidan’s club for years following his retirement lived most of his adult life in the Enniscorthy area.

He will always be remembered as one of the greatest hurlers ever to represent the purple and gold, and it was indeed a lucky day for the Slaneysiders that he happened to get a job in Enniscorthy all those years ago. And Nick was lucky as well in that he teamed up with some of the greatest hurlers that both Wexford and Ireland ever produced to create what was indeed a Wexford golden era of hurling during the 1950s and the 1960s.

The hurling world of both Wexford and Kilkenny was indeed saddened in July 1988 when the legendary Nick O’Donnell at just 63 passed to his eternal reward long before his time. May he rest in peace.