 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish name | Seán Condún | ||
| Sport | Hurling | ||
| Position | Centre-forward | ||
| Born | (1923-06-11)11 June 1923 The Lough,Cork,Ireland | ||
| Died | 27 October 2001(2001-10-27) (aged 78) Wilton, Cork, Ireland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Occupation | Cork Harbour official | ||
| Club | |||
| Years | Club | ||
1941–1951 | St Finbarr's | ||
| Club titles | |||
| Cork titles | 4 | ||
| Inter-county | |||
| Years | County | Apps (scores) | |
1942–1951 | Cork | 21 (7–34) | |
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Munster titles | 5 | ||
| All-Irelands | 4 | ||
| NHL | 0 | ||
Seán Condon (11 June 1923 – 27 October 2001) was an Irishhurler andGaelic footballer. At club level he played withSt Finbarr's, while he was also a member of theCork senior hurling team.
Although cut short by injury, Condon had a successful career across various levels. Regarded as the St Finbarr's club's greatest-ever hurler, he captained club, county and province to success in various competitions.[1] Condon became the first player to captain a team toAll-Ireland MHC andAll-Ireland SHC successes, while his tenure as Cork's senior team captain saw the team win a record-setting fourth successive All-Ireland SHC title.[2]
Condon first played hurling as a schoolboy at Presentation Brothers School, Greenmount. During his time there hecaptained the school to win the Hobbs & Cotter Cup and the Barry Cup. Condon's club career withSt Finbarr's began as a 13-year-old member of the club's minor hurling team in 1937. His five consecutive years in this grade yielded three successive Cork MHC titles between 1939 and 1941. He also claimed a Cork MFC medal in 1941.
Condon was still eligible for the St Finbarr's minor team when he made hissenior team debut in aCork SHC second round defeat byGlen Rovers in July 1941. Condon immediately became a regular member of the starting fifteen and scored a point from win-back when St Finabrr's beatBallincollig by 5-07 to 2-02 in the1942 final. He claimed a second winners' medal the following year when St Finbarr's beat Ballincollig after areplay.[3]
Condon was the St Finbarr's top scorer with 1-01 when they beat Glen Rovers by 2-03 to 2-01 in the1946 final. He was appointedteam captain the following year and collected a fourth and final SHC winners' medal after a 4-06 to 4-04 defeat ofSarsfields.[4] An injury brought Condon's club career to a premature end at the age of 28.
Condon first played forCork during a two year tenure as adual player at minor level. He had little success as aGaelic footballer, however, ascaptain of the Cork minor hurling team in his final year in that grade he won aMunster MHC medal. Condon later captained Cork to a 5-02 to 2-02 defeat ofKilkenny in the1941 All-Ireland minor final.[5]
Condon's first appearance for thesenior team was against Kilkenny in a tournament game in April 1942. He later made his championship debut in the1942 Munster semi-final defeat ofLimerick, before ending the campaign with his firstMunster SHC medal after a defeat ofTipperary in that year'sMunster final.[6] Condon subsequently claimedAll-Ireland SHC honours whenDublin were beaten by 2-14 to 3-04 in the1942 All-Ireland final.[7]
After claiming a second successive Munster SHC title, Condon later won a second consecutive All-Ireland SHC medal following Cork's 5-16 to 0-04 victory overAntrim in the1943 All-Ireland final.[8] The success of St Finbarr's at club level meant that thecaptaincy of Cork's senior team passed to Condon in 1944. He won a third consecutive Munster SHC medal that year, after a 4-06 to 3-06 defeat of Limerick in areplay.[9] Condon later captained Cork to a 2-13 to 1-02 defeat of Dublin in the1944 All-Ireland final. It was his third successive winners' medal in that competition, while it was a record-setting fourth successive All-Ireland SHC for the Cork team.[10]
After failing to secure a fifth successive All-Ireland SHC title in 1945, Condon lost his place on the Cork team.[11] In spite of that, he claimed further Munster SHC and All-Ireland SHC titles as a substitute in 1946. Condon was appointed captain for the second time in his career a year later and returned to the starting fifteen. He claimed a fifth Munster SHC medal in six seasons that year, after scoring four points in the three-point defeat of Limerick in theMunster final. Condon later captained Cork to a 0-14 to 2-07 defeat byKilkenny in the1947 All-Ireland final.[12][13]
Condon was part of Cork'sjunior team in 1951 and won aMunster JFC medal that year. He later collected anAll-Ireland JFC medal following a 5-11 to 1-03 defeat ofWarwickshire in the1951 All-Ireland junior final.[14] He was later selected for thesenior team in aNational Football League game againstMayo in November 1951. A leg injury sustained in that game brought his inter-county career to an end.[15]
Condon's performances at inter-county level resulted in his selection forMunster in 1944. He captained Munster to a 4-10 to 4-04 defeat ofConnacht in the1944 Railway Cup final.[16]
Condon was born and raised in Fuller's Lane nearthe Lough inCork in June 1923. After his schooling at Presentation Brothers School, Greenmount, he worked for theCork Harbour Commissioners.
Condon died atCork University Hospital on 27 October 2001, at the age of 78.[17]