Sim Walton
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Simon F. "Sim" Walton (4 October 1880 – 27 December 1966) was an Irish hurler who played as a full-forward at senior level for the Kilkenny county team. Born in
Tullaroan Tullaroan () is a village in the western part of County Kilkenny in the Slieveardagh Hills near the Tipperary border. Tullaroan is also the name of the local civil parish. Sport Tullaroan GAA are the most successful Gaelic Athletic Association ...
,
County Kilkenny County Kilkenny () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is named after the City status in Ir ...
, Walton first arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of twenty-two when made his senior debut in the delayed 1900 championship. Walton went on to play a key part for Kilkenny during the team's breakthrough and first golden age, and won seven
All-Ireland All-Ireland (sometimes All-Island) is a term used to describe organisations and events whose interests extend over the entire island of Ireland, as opposed to the separate jurisdictions of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. "All-Irelan ...
medals and nine
Leinster Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
medals. An All-Ireland runner-up on one occasion, Walton also captained the team to All-Ireland victory in 1911 and 1912. At club level Walton won seven
championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...
medals with
Tullaroan Tullaroan () is a village in the western part of County Kilkenny in the Slieveardagh Hills near the Tipperary border. Tullaroan is also the name of the local civil parish. Sport Tullaroan GAA are the most successful Gaelic Athletic Association ...
. Walton was regarded as one of the top scorers of his generation and, in spite of an absence of records, it is believed he scored upwards of 30 goals. Throughout his career Walton made 49 championship appearances, a Kilkenny record which stood until 24 July 1977 when it was surpassed by
Eddie Keher Edward Peter Keher (; born 14 October 1941) is an Irish former hurler who played as a centre-forward at senior level for the Kilkenny county team. Born in Inistioge, County Kilkenny, Keher first played competitive hurling whilst at school in ...
. His retirement came following Kilkenny's defeat by
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
in the 1919 championship. Walton's grandnephew, Liam Doyle, was an All-Ireland medallist with
Clare Clare may refer to: Places Antarctica * Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land Australia * Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley * Clare Valley, South Australia Canada * Clare (electoral district), an electoral district * Cl ...
in 1995 and 1997.


Playing career


Club

Walton played his club hurling with
Tullaroan Tullaroan () is a village in the western part of County Kilkenny in the Slieveardagh Hills near the Tipperary border. Tullaroan is also the name of the local civil parish. Sport Tullaroan GAA are the most successful Gaelic Athletic Association ...
and enjoyed much success during a lengthy career. In 1901 he lined out in his first county championship decider. A high-scoring 5–10 to 3–7 defeat of Threecastles gave Walton his first
championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...
medal. Tullaroan retained the title in 1902, with Walton collecting his second medal following a 3–16 to 0-1 trouncing of
Mooncoin Mooncoin () is an urban area (Ireland), urban area in County Kilkenny, in Ireland. The population was 1,175 in 2016. Historically part of the Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic kingdom of Osraige, today it is in the far south of the counties of Ireland, cou ...
. Three-in-a-row proved beyond Tullaroan, however, the team returned to glory in 1904. A comprehensive 6–14 to 1–6 defeat of
Piltown Piltown (), historically known as Ballyfoyle, is a village in County Kilkenny, Ireland. 5 km east of Carrick-on-Suir, it is on the R698 road and near the N24 national primary road. Approaching Piltown from Carrick-on-Suir in the west is ...
saw Walton add a third championship medal to his collection. After losing back-to-back decider in 1905 and 1906, Walton collected a fourth championship medal in 1907 after Mooncoin were defeated by 2–6 to 1–3. Walton won a fifth championship medal in 1910, as Tullaroan defeated Piltown by 7–1 to 3–0. A 4–4 to 2–5 defeat of Mooncoin in 1911 saw Tullaroan retain the title, while Walton collected a sixth championship medal. In 1915 Walton won his seventh and final championship medal, following a 7–2 to 2–2 defeat of Dicksboro.


Inter-county


Beginnings

Walton made his debut for Kilkenny on 29 June 1902. Tipperary provided the opposition in the delayed 1900 All-Ireland semi-final, however, Kilkenny were narrowly defeated by 1–11 to 1–8. In 1903 Walton lined out in his first provincial decider.
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
were the opponents and the game ended in a 1-5 apiece draw. Kilkenny later objected to the result and were subsequently awarded the title as Dublin's goal was disputed. It was Walton's first
Leinster Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
medal. The 'home' All-Ireland final on 16 July 1905 pitted Kilkenny against
Cork "Cork" or "CORK" may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Stopper (plug), or "cork", a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container *** Wine cork an item to seal or reseal wine Places Ireland * ...
. In a disappointing contest Walton's side were heavily defeated by 8–9 to 0–8.


Breakthrough

Walton added a second Leinster medal to his collection in 1904, as Dublin were narrowly defeated by 2–8 to 2–6. Cork provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland decider on 24 June 1906, the start of which was delayed by half an hour due to a heavy downpour. Kilkenny played into the breeze for the opening thirty minutes, and a Dick Doyle gave the team an interval lead of 1–5 to 0–5. Team captain
Jer Doheny Jeremiah "Jer" Doheny (20 July 1874 – 11 August 1929) was an Irish hurler who played as a right corner-forward for the Kilkenny senior team. He was captain for Kilkenny's first All Ireland victory in 1904. Born in Ballycallan, County Kilke ...
and goalkeeper Pat "Fox" Maher were singled out for particular praise as Kilkenny claimed a narrow 1–9 to 1–8 victory. It was Walton's first
All-Ireland All-Ireland (sometimes All-Island) is a term used to describe organisations and events whose interests extend over the entire island of Ireland, as opposed to the separate jurisdictions of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. "All-Irelan ...
medal. Kilkenny made it three provincial titles in-a-row in 1905, with Walton collecting a third Leinster medal following a 2–8 to 2–2 defeat of Dublin. Kilkenny later faced Cork in the All-Ireland final on 14 April 1907. A high-scoring game resulted in a 5–10 to 3–13 victory for Cork, however, the game had to be replayed as Cork goalkeeper Daniel McCarthy was a
British army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
reservist and Kilkenny's
Matt Gargan Matthew Gargan (30 September 1885 – 10 March 1949) was an Irish hurler who played as a midfielder for the Kilkenny and Waterford senior teams. Gargan made his first appearance for the Kilkenny team during the 1905 championship and was a re ...
had played with
Waterford Waterford ( ) is a City status in Ireland, city in County Waterford in the South-East Region, Ireland, south-east of Ireland. It is located within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster. The city is situated at the head of Waterford H ...
in the Munster championship. The replayed game on 30 June 1907 was another high-scoring one, with Jimmy Kelly scoring 5–2. A puck-out by Cork's
Jamesy Kelleher Jamesy Kelleher (31 March 1878 – 10 January 1943) was an Irish hurler who played as a full-back for the Cork senior team. Born in Dungourney, County Cork, Kelleher first arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of twenty-three when he f ...
is said to have hopped over the Kilkenny crossbar. Kilkenny won the game by 7–7 to 2–9, with all seven of their goals coming in a thirty-minute spell. It was Walton's second All-Ireland medal. After surrendering their provincial and All-Ireland crowns in 1906, Kilkenny bounced back the following year. A 4–14 to 1–9 defeat of Dublin gave Walton a fourth Leinster medal. On 21 June 1908 Kilkenny faced Cork in what was then seen as the greatest All-Ireland decider. After a thrilling hour the game looked like ending in a draw, however, Jack Anthony cleared his lines and set up one final attack for Kilkenny. Jimmy Kelly met the sliotar on the drop and set it over for a point with the last puck of the game. The 3–12 to 4–8 victory gave Walton his third All-Ireland medal. In 1909 Walton won his fifth Leinster medal following a 5–16 to 2–7 defeat of
Laois County Laois ( ; ) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 to 1922. The modern county takes its name from Loígis, a medieval kingdom. Hist ...
. The subsequent All-Ireland decider on 12 December 1909 saw Kilkenny face Tipperary. The game was noted for its hard physical exchanges, however, a 4–6 to 0–12 victory saw Kilkenny defeat Tipperary for the very first time in championship hurling. It was Walton's fourth All-Ireland medal.


Three-in-a-row

Walton was appointed captain in 1911 and won a sixth Leinster medal as Kilkenny defeated Dublin by 4–6 to 3–1. There was controversy in the subsequent All-Ireland series as Kilkenny were destined to play
Limerick Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...
in the decider on 18 February 1912. On the first occasion the pitch at the
Cork Athletic Grounds The Cork Athletic Grounds was a Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) stadium where major hurling and football matches were played. Situated in the Ballintemple area of Cork in Ireland, it was the home of Cork GAA between 1904 and 1974. The stadium ...
was water-logged and the game was fixed for
Thurles Thurles (; ''Durlas Éile'') is a town in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is located in the civil parish of the same name in the barony of Eliogarty and in the ecclesiastical parish of Thurles. The cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Arch ...
on 28 July 1912. A substitute contest was played on 28 July 1912 when Tipperary faced Kilkenny after being nominated as provincial representatives by the Munster Council. A 3–3 to 2–1 victory gave Walton his fifth All-Ireland medal. After retaining the captaincy for 1912, Walton won a seventh Leinster medal following a 6–6 to 2-4 trouncing of Laois. On 17 November 1912 Kilkenny faced old rivals Cork in the All-Ireland decider. In the last seventeen-a-side final, a record crowd of over 20,000 thronged
Jones's Road Croke Park (, ) is a Gaelic games stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Named after Archbishop Thomas Croke, it is referred to as Croker by GAA fans and locals. It serves as both the principal national stadium of Ireland and headquarters of the Gaelic At ...
, while the gate receipts of £600 were a record high. Walton was credited with scoring the winning goal, while he also had the honour of lifting the cup on behalf of his team. It was his sixth All-Ireland medal. In 1913 Kilkenny set out to capture a record-equalling third successive All-Ireland championship. After a low scoring 1–0 to 0-3 drawn game with Dublin in the provincial decider, Kilkenny secured a comprehensive 7–5 to 2–1 victory in the replay. It was Walton's eighth Leinster medal. On 2 November 1913 Kilkenny faced near rivals Tipperary in the All-Ireland decider. A fast-paced game followed, with victory going to Kilkenny on a 2–4 to 1–2 score line. It was a remarkable seventh All-Ireland medal for Walton.


Decline

Four-in-a-row proved beyond Kilkenny and the team went into decline. Walton returned as captain once again in 1916 as Kilkenny bounced back. An 11–3 to 2-2 trouncing of
Wexford Wexford ( ; archaic Yola dialect, Yola: ''Weiseforthe'') is the county town of County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the ...
gave him his ninth Leinster medal. On 21 January 1917 Kilkenny faced Tipperary in the All-Ireland final, while Walton was presented with the chance of making history by becoming the first player to win eight All-Ireland medals. Kilkenny, however, were not the force they once were, and a 5–4 to 3–2 score line resulted in victory for Tipperary. On 10 August 1919 Walton made his farewell appearance for Kilkenny. A narrow 1–5 to 1–2 defeat by Dublin in the Leinster final brought the curtain down on his lengthy career.


Recognition

In time Walton came to be regarded as one of Kilkenny's greatest players. Over twenty years after his death, Walton received the ultimate honour during the centenary of the Tullaroan club in 1988 when he was chosen on the club's Team of the Century.


Personal life

Walton was born in Reimeen,
Tullaroan Tullaroan () is a village in the western part of County Kilkenny in the Slieveardagh Hills near the Tipperary border. Tullaroan is also the name of the local civil parish. Sport Tullaroan GAA are the most successful Gaelic Athletic Association ...
,
County Kilkenny County Kilkenny () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is named after the City status in Ir ...
in 1880. He grew up on the family farm and was educated at the local national school. Walton inherited a love of hurling from his father, John Walton, who won a championship medal with Tullaroan in 1887.. As well as hurling Walton also had a very keen interest in
greyhound racing Greyhound racing is an organized, competitive sport in which greyhounds are raced around an oval track. The sport originates from Hare coursing, coursing. Track racing uses an artificial lure (usually a form of windsock) that travels ahead of th ...
. He kept many championship greyhounds, the most famous of the all, Captain Sim, ran in the Waterloo Cup. Walton died in 1966.


Honours


Team

;Tullaroan *
Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship The Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the St Canice's Credit Union Senior Hurling Championship and abbreviated to the Kilkenny SHC) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Kilkenny County Board of ...
(7): 1901, 1902, 1904, 1907, 1910, 1911, 1915 ;Kilkenny *
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship, known simply as the All-Ireland Championship, is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest-tier competition for ...
(7):
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Leinster Senior Hurling Championship The Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Leinster Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hur ...
(9):
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,
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,
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walton, Sim 1880 births 1966 deaths All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship winners Hurling forwards 20th-century Irish farmers Kilkenny inter-county hurlers Tullaroan hurlers