Jim Fives

{{Short description|Irish hurler and Gaelic footballer (1929–2020)}}

{{Infobox Gaelic games player

| code= Hurling

| sport = Hurling

| image =

| name = Jim Fives

| irish = Séamus de Fibhís

| feet = 6

| inches = 0

| nickname =

| occupation = Army officer

| county = Galway

| province = Munster

| club = Tourin
An Chéad Cath

| clposition =

| clubs =

| clyears =

| clapps(points) =

| clcountyh = 0

| clcountyf = 1

| clprovince=

| clallireland =

| counties = Waterford
Galway

| icposition = Right corner-back

| icyears = 1949–1954
1955–1959

| icapps(points) =

| icprovince = 0

| icallireland = 0

| nhl = 0

| clupdate =

| icupdate =

| birth_date = 10 April 1929

| death_date = 17 December 2020 (aged 91)

| birth_place=Tourin, County Waterford, Ireland

| death_place= Newcastle Road, Galway, Ireland

}}

James Fives (10 April 1929 – 17 December 2020) was an Irish retired hurler and Gaelic footballer. His league and championship career with the Waterford and Galway senior teams lasted ten years from 1949 until 1959.{{cite news|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/hurling/from-waterford-to-galway-roscommon-and-the-congo-jim-fives-amazing-adventure-458046.html|title=From Waterford to Galway, Roscommon and the Congo: Jim Fives’ amazing adventure|date=31 August 2017|publisher=Irish Examiner|accessdate=2 September 2017|first=P. M.|last=O'Sullivan}} In 1984, Fives was named as captain on a special Hurling Team of the Century made up of players who never won an All-Ireland medal.{{cite web |title=Col. Jim Fives RIP |url=https://arcoireland.com/col-jim-fives-rip/ |publisher=Association of Retired Commissioned Officers |access-date=31 December 2020}}

Early life

Born in Tourin, County Waterford, Fives was the youngest of five boys. He was educated locally and later attended Lismore CBS where he played competitive hurling for the school. Fives played at underage levels with the Tourin club, before winning a county football championship medal with An Chéad Chath in 1951. He had earlier played at club level with The Curragh before finishing his club career with Castlerea.

Inter-county career

Fives made his debut on the inter-county scene when he was selected for the Waterford minor team, and had one championship season in this grade. Fives later lined out with the junior team before making his senior debut for Waterford in 1949. Over the course of the next few seasons he was a regular member of the starting fifteen. Fives later played for Galway for five seasons, ending his time there in 1959 as a two-time All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship runner-up. Two year later he was back on the inter-county scene as a member of the Roscommon junior team. Fives won three successive Connacht Junior Hurling Championship medals before retiring from inter-county hurling.

Fives was selected for the Rest of Ireland team on a number of occasions between 1952 and 1959. He also lined out with Connacht, however, he ended his career without a Railway Cup medal.