Mick O'Brien
Profile in Our
Sporting Heritage 1980
Mick O'Brien recently received an award as a
member of the 1962 Carlow hurling team which won the All Ireland
Intermediate Championship. As can be seen from this profile below which
appeared in "Our Sporting Heritage", (the history of Gaelic games in the
Hacketstown area) in 1980, Mick was a very accomplished hurler
representing Carlow continuously from 1955 to 1970 without ever being
dropped!
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Mick O’Brien
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A Sportsman
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Known not only the length and breadth of counties Carlow and
Wicklow, but all over Leinster, and this must be credited to his
gallant exploits on the hurling field.
Mick O'Brien began his hurling with Hacketstown, and showed at a very
early age that he was going to make the grade. At the age of 14 he
played Senior Hurling for Hacketstown in the Carlow Championship, but
the Hacketstown team were not setting the county on fire and interest
began to fade. Of the team the most notable were the Fordes
— Eddie and Seamus — and the Bolgers. Fortune was on O'Brien's side, he
was called to Baldonnel in 1954 and with the extra training he blossomed
and was immediately noted by the then Carlow Selectors. He played Senior
County for Carlow from 1955 to 1970, a total of 16 years, and had the
distinction of never being dropped or replaced in this period, a record
that must stand out among the best.
He won the following:
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2 National Hurling Leagues
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2 Leinster Titles
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1 All-Ireland Runner-Up
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1 All-Ireland Title (Intermediate)
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2 Dublin Senior County Medals
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1 Carlow Senior Football Medal with Clonmore in 1956.
In 1969 Mick moved to live in Arklow, and transferred to Arklow Rocks,
and there went on to win:
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3 Wicklow Senior Hurling Medals
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1 Leinster Title (Wicklow Intermediate)
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1 All-Ireland Intermediate with Wicklow.
He trained Wicklow County Team and was a Selector and then in 1972 he
was voted Wicklow "Hurler of the Year." This sporting career left Mick
with little free time; but, as he says himself, "I loved every minute of
it
— training, travelling and playing."
Mick, now managing
his own business in Arklow, has no time to attend matches in
Hacketstown. However, he was there in Carlow, early this year, when
Clonmore took the Intermediate Championship.
Source: The Nationalist 17 July 2009
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