Donnacha Cody

{{Infobox Gaelic games player

| code= Hurling

| sport = Hurling

| image =

| name = Donnacha Cody

| irish = Donnacha Mac Óda

| fullname = Donnacha Cody

| feet = 6

| inches = 3

| occupation = Chartered civil engineer

| county = Kilkenny

| province = Leinster

| club = James Stephens

| clposition =

| clubs =

| clyears =

| clapps(points) =

| clcounty = 3

| clprovince= 2

| clallireland = 1

| colleges = University College Cork

| colyears = 2004-2008

| fitz = 0

| counties = Kilkenny

| icposition = Right corner-back

| icyears = 2006–2008

| icapps(points) = 3 (0-00)

| icprovince = 3

| icallireland = 3

| nhl = 1

| allstars = 0

| clupdate=

| icupdate= 17:51, 29 December 2014

| birth_date={{Birth date and age|1985|12|24|df=yes}}

| birth_place=Kilkenny, Ireland

}}

Donnacha Cody (born 24 December 1985) is an Irish former hurler. At club level he played with James Stephens, and also lined out at inter-county level with various Kilkenny teams.

Career

Cody first played hurling as a schoolboy at St Kieran's College in Kilkenny. He was part of the college team that won back-to-back Croke Cup titles after defeat of St Colman's College in 2003 and St Raphael's College in 2004.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-10033734.html|title=Awesome Kierans take title|publisher=Irish Examiner|date=28 April 2003|access-date=26 June 2023|first=Brendan|last=Larkin}}{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/power-play-lifts-kierans/25912816.html|title=Power play lifts Kieran's|publisher=Irish Independent|date=4 May 2004|access-date=26 June 2023|first=|last=}} Cody later lined out with University College Cork in the Fitzgibbon Cup.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-20053842.html|title=UCC host Garda College in Fitzgibbon Cup opener|publisher=Irish Examiner|date=29 January 2008|access-date=26 June 2023|first=Brendan|last=Larkin}}

At club level, Cody began his career at juvenile and underage levels with James Stephens. He had just won a Kilkenny MHC title in 2003 when he was drafted onto the club's senior team, winning his first Kilkenny SHC medal in 2004.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/stephens-hold-out-against-djs-incredible-late-tornado-25884197.html|title=Stephens hold out against DJ's incredible late tornado|publisher=Irish Independent|date=1 November 2004|access-date=7 October 2018|first=Martin|last=Breheny}} He later won a Leinster Club SHC medal before claiming the ultimate club honour following James Stephens's defeat of Athenry in the 2005 All-Ireland club final.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/stephens-day-as-kilkennys-village-voices-shout-loudest/25995429.html|title=Stephens' day as Kilkenny's Village voices shout loudest|publisher=Irish Independent|date=18 March 2005|access-date=7 October 2018|first=Martin|last=Breheny}} Cody won a second set of Kilkenny and Leinster Club SHC medals the following year when James Stephens retained those titles.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/village-complete-notable-double-1.509772|title=Village complete notable double|publisher=Irish Times|date=24 October 2005|accessdate=7 October 2018|first=|last=}} He claimed a third and final Kilkenny SHC medal after a defeat of Ballyhale Shamrocks in 2011.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-20172322.html|title=Super Stephens find extra gear|publisher=Irish Examiner|date=31 October 2011|accessdate=7 October 2018|first=Michael|last=Moynihan}}

Cody first appeared on the inter-county scene with Kilkenny, as a member of the minor team that won the All-Ireland MHC title after a defeat of Galway in 2003.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/powers-point-shocks-galway-25930769.html|title=Power's point shocks Galway|date=15 September 2003|publisher=Irish Independent|accessdate=13 October 2013}} He subsequently progressed to the under-21 and, after losing the 2005 All-Ireland under-21 final to Galway, Cody claimed a winners' medal in that grade the following year, however, he missed the all-Ireland final defeat of Tipperary through injury.{{cite news|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/late-point-denies-kilkenny-u21s-title-221404.html|title=Late point denies Kilkenny U21s title|publisher=Irish Examiner|accessdate=3 October 2015|date=18 September 2005}}{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-20012764.html|title=Finan hopeful Cats will have clean bill of health for U21 final|publisher=Irish Examiner|accessdate=3 October 2015|date=8 September 2006|first=Brendan|last=O'Brien}}

By that stage, Cody had already joined the senior team, under the management of his father Brian Cody.{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/hurling/2005/1208/199034-kilkenny/|title=Cody announces new-look Cats squad|publisher=RTÉ Sport|accessdate=3 October 2015|date=12 December 2005|first=|last=}} He was part of the National League and Leinster SHC-winning teams in 2006, however, he was dropped from the team before the All-Ireland SHC victory.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/kilkenny-boss-prepares-to-drop-captain-and-own-son/26375404.html|title=Kilkenny boss prepares to drop captain and own son|publisher=Irish Independent|accessdate=3 October 2015|date=20 July 2006|first=|last=}} Cody was recalled to the senior panel the following year and won further Leinster and All-Ireland SHC medals as a panel member in 2007 and 2008.

Personal life

His father, Brian Cody, won four All-Ireland SHC medals as a player with Kilkenny, before managing the team to 11 All-Ireland SHC titles during his 24 seasons in charge.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-40925240.html|title=Brian Cody deepdive: Crunching the numbers on an extraordinary career|publisher=Irish Examiner|accessdate=12 July 2023|date=24 July 2022|first=Barry|last=Cleary}} His mother, Elsie Walsh, played camogie with Wexford.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-40983854.html|title='His club needed him and Brian Cody answered the call. That sums him up.'|publisher=Irish Examiner|accessdate=12 July 2023|date=15 October 2022|first=John|last=Fogarty}} His brother, Diarmuid Cody, was an All-Ireland SHC-winner with Kilkenny in 2015.{{cite news|url=https://www.hoganstand.com/county/kilkenny/article/index/234836#google_vignette|title=Cody junior out to impress|publisher=Hogan Stand|accessdate=12 July 2023|date=2 April 2015|first=|last=}}