This article lists players who have captained the Kilkenny county hurling team in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship and the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. The captain is chosen from the club that has won the Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship.
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Henry Shefflin is an Irish hurling manager and former player who was the manager of the Galway senior hurling team from 2021 to 2024. In his playing career he was nicknamed "King Henry" because of his directive style, dominance, competitive spirit, and leadership on the field. He is the only player to win 'hurler of the year' three times, in 2002, 2006, and 2012. Cian Lynch is the only other player to win the title more than once, winning it in 2018 and 2021. He is widely regarded as the best player in the history of the game. A versatile forward who started out in the corner, Shefflin made his name in more commanding positions as a centre or full-forward. He is widely regarded to be one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, with many former players, commentators and fans rating him as the number one player of all time.
Thomas Walsh is an Irish hurler who played as a right wing-back at senior level for the Kilkenny county team.
Michael Fennelly is an Irish hurling manager and former player. His league and championship career at senior level with the Kilkenny county team lasted twelve seasons from 2006 until 2017. He managed the Offaly senior hurling team between 2019 and 2022.
Eoin Larkin is an Irish hurler and coach. His league and championship career as a forward with the Kilkenny senior team spanned twelve seasons from 2005 to 2016.
Thomas Joseph Reid, known as T. J. Reid, is an Irish hurler who plays for Kilkenny Senior Championship club Ballyhale Shamrocks and at inter-county level with the Kilkenny senior hurling team. He usually lines out as a centre-forward. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.
James "Cha" Fitzpatrick is an Irish hurler who played as a midfielder for the Kilkenny senior team.
Richard "Richie" Power is an Irish hurler who played as a centre-forward at senior level for the Kilkenny county team.
Clara GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club situated in the small parish of Clara in County Kilkenny, Ireland. Focused mainly on hurling and camogie, the dominant sports in the county, Clara's greatest achievements to date are victories in the Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship in 1986 2013, and in 2015 they secured their third title.
Richard Hogan is an Irish hurler who played as a midfielder at senior level for the Kilkenny county team from 2007 until 2023.
The 2009 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final was a hurling match played on 6 September 2009 in Croke Park, Dublin, between Kilkenny and Tipperary. It was the first time the two teams had met in the All-Ireland final since 1991. Kilkenny's win was their fourth in a row, an accomplishment last matched by Cork between 1941 and 1944.
The 2010 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final was the 113th All-Ireland Final and the culmination of the 2010 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, an inter-county hurling tournament for the top teams in Ireland. The match was held at Croke Park, Dublin, on 5 September 2010 and was a repeat of the 2009 final with Kilkenny taking on Tipperary. Kilkenny were attempting to win a fifth All-Ireland title in-a-row, a feat never achieved in either hurling or Gaelic football. This has been referred to as the "Drive for Five". The game was watched by more than 80,000 in the stadium as well as a global audience on TV, radio, etc. The Final attracted the highest ever Irish viewership for an All Ireland Hurling Final peaking at 1.236 million viewers in the final minutes of the match, with an average audience of over one million people during the game which was shown live on RTÉ2. The match was won by Tipperary by a score of 4–17 to 1–18.
The 2011 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final took place in Croke Park, Dublin on Sunday, 4 September 2011. The final was contested by Kilkenny and defending champions, Tipperary. Kilkenny were playing in their sixth consecutive final, while the pairing of Kilkenny and Tipperary was the first ever time that the same two teams have played in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final for three consecutive seasons. Kilkenny won their fifth title in six years after a four-point win against Tipperary, avenging their 2010 defeat. The final which was shown live in Ireland on RTÉ2 attracted the second highest ever viewership for an All Ireland Hurling Final, peaking at 1.1 million viewers in the final minutes. An average audience of 971,000 viewers tuned into the game overall.
The 2012 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final, the deciding game of the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, was played on 9 September 2012 at Croke Park, Dublin. The final was contested by first-time Leinster Champions Galway and Kilkenny, the defeated Leinster finalists and defending All-Ireland champions.
The 2014 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final, the deciding game of the 2014 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, was played on 7 September 2014 at Croke Park, Dublin. The final ended - for the third year in a row - in a draw. The replay was held on 27 September 2014.
The 2014 season was Eamon O'Shea's second year as manager of the Tipperary senior hurling team.
Joseph Holden is an Irish hurler who plays as a full-back for Kilkenny Senior Championship club Ballyhale Shamrocks. He is a former captain of the Kilkenny senior hurling team.
The 2015 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final, the 128th event of its kind and the culmination of the 2015 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, was played at Croke Park in Dublin on 6 September 2015. Kilkenny retained their title beating Galway by 1-22 to 1-18. The win was the 36th All-Ireland title for Kilkenny and the 11th under Brian Cody.
Richard Reid is an Irish hurler who plays for Kilkenny Senior Championship club Ballyhale Shamrocks and at inter-county level with the Kilkenny senior hurling team. He usually lines out at midfield, and was nominated to become captain of the Kilkenny Senior hurlers for the 2022 season.
Adrian Mullen is an Irish hurler who plays for Kilkenny Senior Championship club Ballyhale Shamrocks and at inter-county level with the Kilkenny senior hurling team. He usually lines out as a right wing-forward.
Eoin Cody is a hurler who plays for Kilkenny Senior Championship club Ballyhale Shamrocks and at inter-county level with the Kilkenny senior hurling team. He usually lines out as a corner-forward.