Martin Kavanagh (hurler)

Martin Kavanagh

Personal information
Irish name	Máirtín Caomhánach
Sport	Hurling
Position	Centre-forward
Born	(1994-09-15) 15 September 1994 (age 30) St Mullin's, County Carlow, Ireland
Nickname	Mouse
Occupation	Student
Club(s)
Years	Club
	St Mullin's
Club titles
Carlow titles	5
Colleges(s)
Years	College
	Institute of Technology, Carlow
College titles
Fitzgibbon titles	0
Inter-county(ies)*
Years	County	Apps (scores)
2012-present	Carlow	23 (4-136)
Inter-county titles
Leinster titles	0
All-Irelands	0
NHL	0
All Stars	0
*Inter County team apps and scores correct as of 18:06, 21 May 2024.

Martin Kavanagh (born 15 September 1994) is an Irish hurler. At club level he plays with St Mullin's and at inter-county level with the Carlow senior hurling team. Kavanagh is Carlow's all-time top scorer. ^[1]

Early life

Born and raised in the St Mullin's are of County Carlow, Kavanagh first played hurling as a schoolboy with Borris Vocational School in various competitions. ^{[2] [3]} He later lined out with Institute of Technology, Carlow and won an All-Ireland Freshers' Hurling League title after a defeat of University College Cork in 2013. ^[4] Kavanagh returned to IT Carlow almost a decade later and was their top scorer in the 2022 Fitzgibbon Cup. ^[5]

Club career

Kavanagh began his club career at juvenile and underage levels with the St Mullin's club. He had a number of successes, beginning with a Carlow U16HC title before later claiming a Carlow MHC title after scoring 1-08 against Naomh Eoin in the 2011 minor final. ^[6] Kavanagh ended his underage career by winning a Carlow U21HC title in 2014. ^[7]

By that stage Kavanagh had already joined the club's senior team and was top scorer when St Mullin's were beaten by Mount Leinster Rangers in the 2013 final. ^[8] He continued to be the club's scorer-in-chief as St Mullin's won three consecutive Carlow SHC titles after defeats of Naomh Eoin in 2014 and Mount Leinster Rangers in 2015 and 2016. ^{[9] [10] [11]}

After losing the 2018 final to Mount Leinster Rangers, Kavanagh collected a fourth winners' medal as captain when St Mullin's overcame Mount Leinster Rangers in the 2019 final. ^{[12] [13]} He ended the season by scoring 0-12 in a defeat by Ballyhale Shamrocks in the 2019 Leinster Club SHC final. ^[14]

Kavanagh made a further three final appearances between 2021 and 2023 and claimed a fifth winners' medal after beating Bagenalstown Gaels in the 2022 final. ^[15]

Inter-county career

Kavanagh began his inter-county career with Carlow during a two-year tenure with the minor team in 2011 and 2012. He was the team's top scorer both seasons with a cumulative total of 2-40. ^[16] Kavanagh was in his final year with the minor team when he was drafted onto the under-21 team. ^[17] His four seasons in this grade ended without success.

Kavanagh was just 17-years-old and still eligible for the minor side when he made his senior team debut in a National League defeat of Down in 2012. ^[18] He ended that campaign with a Division 2A title after beating Westmeath by 1-14 to 0-12 in the final. ^[19] Kavanagh was appointed team captain in advance of the 2017 season. ^[20] He ended the year with a Christy Ring Cup winners' medal after a 5-23 to 4-15 defeat of Antrim in the final. ^[21]

Kavanagh added a second Division 2A medal to his collection after another defeat of Westmeath in 2018. ^[22] He played in the early stages of that year's Joe McDonagh Cup but later spent the summer if the United States and missed the defeat of Westmeath in the final. ^[23]

Kavanagh immediately rejoined the team after returning and was named on the Joe McDonagh Cup Team of the Year in 2022. ^[24] He became Carlow's all-time top scorer during the 2023 National League. ^[25] Kavanagh was top scorer when Carlow claimed the Joe McDonagh Cup title after a 2-29 to 1-31 defeat of Offaly in the 2023 final. ^[26] Kavanagh ended the season by being named on the Team of the Year for a second successive year.

Career statistics

As of match played 26 May 2024.

Team	Year	National League			Ring Cup		McDonagh Cup		Leinster		All-Ireland		Total
		Division	Apps	Score	Apps	Score	Apps	Score	Apps	Score	Apps	Score	Apps	Score
Carlow	2012	Division 2A	5	1-12	—		—		1	0-07	1	0-08	7	1-27
	2013	Division 1B	4	0-23	—		—		2	0-11	1	0-00	7	0-34
	2014	Division 2A	6	3-20	—		—		4	3-06	—		10	6-26
	2015		5	2-28	—		—		3	1-16	—		8	3-44
	2016		4	1-12	—		—		2	0-08	—		6	1-20
	2017		5	0-13	5	4-13	—		—		—		10	4-26
	2018		6	3-27	—		1	0-01	—		—		7	3-28
	2019	Division 1B	6	0-49	—		—		4	0-33	—		10	0-82
	2020		6	1-35	—		4	1-31	—		—		10	2-66
	2021	Division 2A	5	4-60	—		0	0-00	—		—		5	4-60
	2022		3	0-21	—		5	2-49	—		—		8	2-70
	2023		4	0-26	—		6	3-71	—		1	0-12	11	3-109
	2024		6	4-46	—		—		5	1-46	—		11	5-92
Total			65	19-372	5	4-13	16	6-152	21	5-127	3	0-20	110	34-684

Honours

Team

Institute of Technology, Carlow

• All-Ireland Freshers' Hurling League: 2013

St Mullin's

• Carlow Senior Hurling Championship: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019 (c), 2022
• Carlow Under-21 Hurling Championship: 2014
• Carlow Minor Hurling Championship: 2011

Carlow

• Joe McDonagh Cup: 2023
• Christy Ring Cup: 2017 (c)
• National Hurling League Division 2A: 2012, 2018

Individual

Awards

• Joe McDonagh Cup Team of the Year: 2022, 2023
• Club Hurling Team of the Year: 2020
• Higher Education Rising Stars Team of the Year: 2018
• Carlow Hurler of the Year: 2014, 2015, 2019

References

1. "Marty becomes Carlow's top scorer". The Nationalist. 6 March 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
2. "Borris Vocational School". Irish Independent. 25 January 2011. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
3. "Borris Vocational". Irish Independent. 23 October 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
4. "Kilcotton's late point earns dramatic victory for IT Carlow in Freshers final". Irish Independent. 10 December 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
5. "Kavanagh enjoying life back in the Fitzgibbon Cup". The Nationalist. 26 January 2022. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
6. "Lucky 13 for St Mullins as they bag Minor title". Irish Independent. 4 October 2011. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
7. "2014 - the year that was". Carlow GAA website. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
8. "Rampant Rangers complete hat-trick". Irish Examiner. 21 October 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
9. "St Mullins collect record 24th title". Irish Examiner. 20 October 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
10. "St Mullins overcome odds in Carlow SHC". Irish Times. 18 October 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
11. "Red mist costs Rangers". Irish Independent. 18 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
12. "Momentum carries Rangers over the line against 14-man St Mullin's". The Nationalist. 14 October 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
13. "St Mullins edge Rangers to take Carlow hurling spoils". RTÉ Sport. 20 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
14. "'They much stand for everything we stand for' - Henry Shefflin pays tribute to St Mullins as Ballyhale march on". Irish Independent. 1 December 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
15. "St Mullin's return to Carlow SHC summit". Hogan Stand. 7 August 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
16. "Kavanagh and Shaw inspire Carlow". Irish Examiner. 7 May 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
17. "Laois survive mighty test from Carlow". Irish Examiner. 21 June 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
18. "Kavanagh leads way as Carlow romp past Down". Irish Independent. 27 February 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
19. O'Donovan, Paul (16 April 2012). "Carlow clinch promotion". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
20. "One step at a time for Kavanagh". Hogan Stand. 17 May 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
21. "Carlow too strong for Antrim as Christy Ring Cup final produces nine-goal thriller". Irish Independent. 10 June 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
22. "The good news continues for Carlow as their hurlers are crowned Division 2A champions". The 42. 24 March 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
23. "Kavanagh explains reasons". Hogan Stand. 25 April 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
24. "Carlow duo honoured on McDonagh Team of the Year". The Nationalist. 19 October 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
25. "Barrowsiders". Irish Independent. 27 February 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
26. "Carlow dig deep to snatch Joe McDonagh Cup from Offaly after extra time". Irish Independent. 27 May 223. Retrieved 7 June 2023.