The best hurling defenders: From tough men to swashbuckling wing-backs

So, let’s go through some of them, starting with our own county here on Leeside. That 1970 team featured outstanding defenders like Pat McDonnell, Tony Maher, Con Roche and John Horgan, to name just four.

To the other counties, starting with the most successful of all of them, Kilkenny. Again, we will not name them all but you have to include Jackie Tyrell, JJ Delaney, Noel Hickey, Tommy Walsh, Michael Kavanagh, Peter Barry and, before them, Fan Larkin and current team boss Brian Cody.

Staying in Leinster, Offaly’s Brian Whelehan was an outstanding hurler, Hurler of the year in 1994 and 1998 and he was on the hurling team of the millenium and he will be on the team that we will select at the end of the week. You would have to consider Pat Delaney and Ger Coughlan too from the ‘80s team.

On to Tipperary, who went from 1971 to ’89 without a Munster or All-Ireland and some of their best were Bobby Ryan, Tadgh O’Connor, Conal Bonner and, of course, current star defender Pádraic Maher.
