T. J. Reid

Thomas Joseph Reid (born 16 November 1987), known as T. J. Reid, is an Irish hurler who plays for Ballyhale Shamrocks and the Kilkenny inter-county team.^[1] He primarily plays as a left wing-forward. After a stop-start nature to his career, something which brought him to the brink of retirement, Reid has earned critical acclaim for his playing style and has emerged as one of the leaders of the Kilkenny team over the last view years.^[2][3]

Born in Ballyhale, County Kilkenny, Reid was introduced to hurling by his father Seán and his uncle Richie, both long-serving players with the local club team. He enjoyed All-Ireland success at colleges level as a substitute with St. Kieran's College while late enjoying championship successes at underage level with the Ballyhale Sharmocks club. A three-time All-Ireland medallist with the Ballyhale Shamrocks senior team, Reid has also won four Leinster medals and six championship medals.^[4]

Reid made his debut on the inter-county scene at the age of seventeen when he first linked up with the Kilkenny minor team. After little success in this grade, he later won two All-Ireland medals with the under-21 team. Reid joined the senior team during the 2007 championship. He went on to play a key role for Kilkenny in attack during a hugely successful era, and has won six All-Ireland medals, five Leinster medals and three National Hurling League medals. An All-Ireland runner-up on one occasion, Reid captained the team to All-Ireland defeat in 2010.

As a member of the Leinster inter-provincial team on a number of occasions, Reid has won two Railway Cup medals. Throughout his career he has made 37 championship appearances.

Playing career

Colleges

During his schooling at St. Kieran's College in Kilkenny, Reid established himself as a key member of the senior hurling team while still only sixteen-years-old. In 2004 Reid won a set of Leinster and All-Ireland medals as an unused substitute.

Reid added a second Leinster medal to his collection in 2000, his first on the field of play, as Birr Community School were defeated by 1–19 to 1–12. St. Flannan's College provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland decider, with Reid's side falling short by 2–15 to 2–12.^[5]

University

During his studies at the Waterford Institute of Technology, Reid was an automatic inclusion on the college hurling team. In 2008 he was at centre-forward on the team that faced the Limerick Institute of Technology in the final of the Fitzgibbon Cup. After two periods of extra-time and in spite of a 1–16 tally by Joe Canning, WIT triumphed by 1–29 to 1–24.^[6]

Club

After much success at underage levels, including four successive under-21 championships, Reid joined the Ballyhale Shamrocks senior team as a goalkeeper in 2004. Two years later he was deployed further out the field as Ballyhale faced O'Loughlin Gaels in the senior decider. An impressive 1–22 to 2–11 victory gave Reid his first championship medal.^[7] He later added a Leinster medal to his collection when Ballyhale secured a comprehensive 1–20 to 1–8 defeat of Birr to take the provincial title for the first time in seventeen years.^[8] On 17 March 2007 Ballyhale Shamrocks faced Loughrea in the All-Ireland decider. On a day when Henry Shefflin and James "Cha" Fitzpatrick were held scoreless, Reid and his two brothers contributed 3–7 from play. A 3–12 to 2–8 victory gave him a coveted All-Ireland medal.^[9]

Reid added a second championship medal to his collection in 2007 following a 1–20 to 1–10 drubbing of St. Martin's.^[10]

Ballyhale Shamrocks made it three-in-a-row in 2008. A 2–11 to 0–12 defeat of James Stephens gave Reid a third successive championship medal.^[11] He later won a second Leinster medal as the Shamrocks defeated reigning champions Birr by 2–13 to 1–11.^[12]

Reid won a fourth successive championship medal in 2009, as Ballyhale claimed a record-equaling four-in-a-row following a 1–14 to 1–11 defeat of James Stephens once again.^[13] The subsequent provincial decider saw Ballyhale hit fifteen wides, however, Reid still collected a third Leinster medal following a 1–16 to 1–8 defeat of Tullamore.^[14] On 17 March 2010 Ballyhale faced three-in-a-row Portumna in a "dream" All-Ireland decider. The game failed to live up to the billing, however, 1–19 to 0–17 victory gave Reid a second All-Ireland medal.^[15]

Five-in-a-row proved beyond Ballyhale Shamrocks, however, the team bounced back in 2012 having lost the championship decider the previous year. A far from vintage 0–16 to 0–12 defeat of Dicksboro gave Reid a fifth championship medal.^[16]

Reid was appointed captain of Ballyhale Shamrocks in 2014. He won a sixth championship medal that year as the Shamrocks claimed a 1–20 to 1–13 defeat of reigning champions Clara.^[17] Reid later collected a fourth Leinster medal as veteran Henry Shefflin proved the difference in a 0–21 to 1–14 defeat of Kilcormacv/Killoughey.^[18] Reid went on to captain Ballyhale Shamrocks to their sixth All-Ireland club title overall, when they beat Kilmallock of Limerick in the final by a scoreline of 1–18 to 1–6 in the All-Ireland Club final.

Minor and under-21

After enjoying little success in the minor grade, Reid was still only seventeen years-old when he was added to the Kilkenny under-21 team. He won a Leinster medal as a non-playing substitute that year following a 0–17 to 1–10 defeat of Dublin.^[19] Kilkenny's bid for a third successive All-Ireland title ended in dramatic fashion as a late point from Kerril Wade handed Galway a narrow 1–15 to 1–14 victory.^[20]

Reid was a key member of the starting fifteen the following year. He won his first Leinster medal on the field of play folollowing a 2–18 to 2–10 defeat of Dublin before later lining out in the All-Ireland decider against Tipperary. A last second opportunist goal by Richie Hogan saved Kilkenny and secured a 2–14 apiece draw.^[21] The replay was another close encounter, however, Paddy Hogan's first half goal helped Kilkenny claw their way to the title following a 1–11 to 0–11 defeat of Tipperary.^[22] It was Reid's first All-Ireland medal.

After surrendering their provincial and All-Ireland crowns the following year, Reid collected his second Leinster medal on the field of play in 2008 following a facile 2–21 to 2–9 defeat of Offaly.^[23] Old rivals Tipperary provided the opposition in the All-Ireland decider. Tipp whittled down a six-point half-time deficit to just two with minutes to go, however, Kilkenny hung on to win by 2–13 to 0–15 and secure the Grand Slam of championship titles.^[24] It was Reid's second All-Ireland medal and his last game in the under-21 grade.

Senior

Beginnings

Reid was still a member of the under-21 team when he was added to the Kilkenny senior panel in 2007. That year he shared in his county's Leinster and All-Ireland triumphs, however, Reid was yet to make his debut.

On 15 June 2008 Reid made his senior championship debut in a 2–24 to 0–12 Leinster semi-final defeat of Offaly.^[25] He missed out on an appearance in the subsequent Leinster final victory over Wexford, however, he did come on as a substitute out in the All-Ireland decider on 8 September 2008. "The Cats" faced Waterford in the decider for the first time in forty-five years, while the team also had the chance to claim a hat-trick of All-Ireland titles. In a disappointingly one-sided final, Kilkenny produced a near perfect seventy minutes as Waterford endured a nightmare afternoon. A 23-point winning margin, 3–24 from play, only two wides in the entire match and eight scorers in all with Eddie Brennan and Henry Shefflin leading the way in a 3–30 to 1–13 victory.^[26] It was Reid's first All-Ireland medal on the field of play.

Established player

Reid collected a first National Hurling League medal in 2009, as Kilkenny beat Tipperary by 2–26 to 4–17 with a thrilling extra-time victory.^[27] He later won a first Leinster medal as new challengers Dublin were bested by 2–18 to 0–18.^[28] On 6 September Kilkenny were poised to become the second team ever in the history of hurling to win four successive All-Ireland championships when they faced Tipperary in the decider. For long periods Tipp looked the likely winners, however, late goals from Henry Shefflin and substitute Martin Comerford finally killed off their efforts to secure a 2–22 to 0–23 victory.^[29] Tyrrell had collected his second All-Ireland medal.

On 15 January 2010 Reid was appointed captain of the Kilkenny senior hurling team for the season.^[30] The team subsequently defeated Galway in an eagerly-anticipated but ultimately disappointing provincial decider. A 1–19 to 1–12 victory gave Reid a second Leinster medal.^[31] The drive for an unprecedented fifth successive All-Ireland crown reached a head on 5 September 2010, when Kilkenny faced Tipperary in the All-Ireland decider. "The Cats" lost talisman Henry Shefflin due to injury, while Tipperary's Lar Corbett ran riot and scored a hat-trick of goals as Reid's side fell to a 4–17 to 1–18 defeat.^[32]

Kilkenny's stranglehold in Leinster continued in 2011. A 4–17 to 1–15 defeat of Dublin gave "the Cats" a record-equalling seventh successive provincial championship.^[33] It was Reid's third Leinster medal. Kilkenny subsequently faced Tipperary in the All-Ireland decider on 4 September 2011. Goals by Michael Fennelly and Richie Hogan in either half gave Kilkenny, who many viewed as the underdogs going into the game, a 2–17 to 1–16 victory.^[34] Reid collected a third All-Ireland medal.

2012 began well for Reid when he collected a second league medal following a 3–21 to 0–16 demolition of old rivals Cork.^[35] Kilkenny were later shocked by Galway in the Leinster decider, losing by 2–21 to 2–11, however, both sides subsequently met in the All-Ireland decider on 9 September 2012.^[36] Kilkenny had led going into the final stretch, however, Joe Canning struck a stoppage time equaliser to level the game at 2–13 to 0–19 and send the final to a replay for the first time since 1959.^[37] The replay took place three weeks later on 30 September 2012. Galway stunned the reigning champions with two first-half goals, however, Kilkenny's championship debutant Walter Walsh gave a man of the match performance, claiming a 1–3 haul. The 3–22 to 3–11 Kilkenny victory gave Reid a fourth All-Ireland medal.^[38] He finished off the year by claiming his first All-Star award.^[39]

Continued success

In 2014 Reid collected his third league medal, as Kilkenny secured a narrow one-point 2–25 to 1–27 extra-time victory over Tipperary.^[40] He subsequently secured a fourth Leinster medal, as a dominant Kilkenny display gave "the Cats" a 0–24 to 1–9 defeat of Dublin.^[41] On 7 September 2014 Kilkenny faced Tipperary in the All-Ireland decider. In what some consider to be the greatest game of all-time, the sides were level when Tipperary were awarded a controversial free. John O'Dwyer had the chance to win the game, however, his late free drifted wide resulting in a draw.^[42] The replay on 27 September 2014 was also a close affair. Goals from brothers Richie and John Power inspired Kilkenny to a 2–17 to 2–14 victory.^[43] It was Reid's fifth All-Ireland medal. He was later nominated for the GAA GPA Hurler of the Year award before collecting a second All-Star award.^[44][45]

Reid won a fifth Leinster medal on the field of play in 2015 following a 1–25 to 2–15 defeat of Galway. It was Kilkenny's 70th provincial title.^[46] Kilkenny renewed their rivalry with Galway once again in the All-Ireland decider on 6 September 2015. The team struggled in the first half, however, a Reid goal and a dominant second half display, which limited Galway to just 1–4, saw Kilkenny power to a 1–22 to 1–18 victory.^[47] It was Reid's sixth All-Ireland medal on the field of play. He finished off the year by claiming a third All-Star award as well as the GAA-GPA Hurler of the Year accolade.^[48]

Inter-provincial

After a two-year hiatus and a period of uncertainty surrounding the competition, the Railway Cup returned in 2012 with Reid starting at left corner-forward as Leinster faced Connacht in the decider. The game was effectively over at half time, with Leinster powering to an eventual 2–19 to 1–15 victory.^[49]

In 2014 Reid lined out in another Railway Cup decider. Just 150 spectators turned up to Croke Park as Leinster walloped Connacht for the third time in four finals by 1–23 to 0–16.^[50]

Career statistics

Honours

Team

St. Kieran's College

• Dr. Croke Cup (1): 2004 (sub)
• Leinster Colleges Senior Hurling Championship (2): 2004, 2005

Waterford Institute of Technology

• Fitzgibbon Cup (1): 2008

Ballyhale Shamrocks

• All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship (3): 2007, 2010, 2015 (c)
• Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship (4): 2006, 2008, 2009, 2014 (c)
• Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship (6): 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2014 (c)
• Kilkenny Under-21 Hurling Championship (4): 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006

Kilkenny

• All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (7): 2007 (sub), 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015
• Leinster Senior Hurling Championship (7): 2007 (sub), 2008 (sub), 2009, 2010 (c), 2011, 2014, 2015
• National Hurling League (4): 2009, 2012, 2013 (sub), 2014
• All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship (2): 2006, 2008
• Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship (3): 2005 (sub), 2006, 2008

Leinster

• Railway Cup (2): 2012, 2014

Individual

Awards

• GAA-GPA All-Star Hurler of the Year (1): 2015
• The Sunday Game Player of the Year (1): 2015
• GAA-GPA All-Star Award (3): 2012, 2014, 2015

References