Paddy Ruschitzko

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Paddy 'Rusty' Ruschitzko was a famous hurling player from the Clonad club in County Laois in Ireland.

He was born in New York on April 29, 1917 and was brought up in Bagenalstown, County Carlow.

Having moved to live in Mountmellick, he starred on the Laois minor team which was denied All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship glory in 1934 in the final, which Tipperary won by one point after a long period of injury time.

In 1949, Paddy was captain of the Laois team which won the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship. Playing at left half back he marked the legendary Jimmy Langton and Laois scored a shock 4-5 to 2-7 win over a powerful Kilkenny team.

In the All-Ireland semi-final, Laois defeated Galway 4-6 to 3-5, leaving Paddy to lead out his team in the All-Ireland final parade opposite his old school colleague, Pat Stakelum, who was captain of the Tipperary team. Tipperary ran out easy winners but Ruschitzko's place in Gaelic Athletic Association history is secure as Laois haven't won a Leinster title since.

With his club Clonad Paddy won over 20 major honours and was part of the three-in-a-row team that won the Laois Senior Hurling Championship in 1946, ‘47 and ‘48.

Paddy Ruschitzko died March 4, 2004.