Joe Millea

{{Infobox Gaelic games player

| code= Hurling

| sport = Hurling

| image =

| name = Joe Millea

| irish = Seosamh Ó Maolaoidh

| fullname = Joseph Millea

| feet = 5

| inches = 10

| nickname =

| county = Kilkenny

| province = Leinster

| club = Graigue
Graigue–Ballycallan

| clubs =

| clyears =

| clapps(points) =

| clcounty = 0

| clprovince=

| clallireland =

| counties = Kilkenny

| icposition = Full-forward

| icyears = 1969–1970

| icapps(points) = 5 (1–04)

| icprovince = 1

| icallireland = 1

| nhl = 0

| allstars = 0

| clupdate =

| icupdate =

| birth_date = 21 October 1941{{cite news|url=http://www.graigueballycallan.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/6-Joe-Millea.jpeg|title=Joe Millea profile|last=|first=|date=|publisher=Graigue-Ballycallan GAA website|accessdate=11 July 2023}}

| birth_place=Kilmanagh,
County Kilkenny, Ireland

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2020|1|30|1941|10|21}}

| death_place = Dublin, Ireland

}}

Joseph Millea (21 October 1941 – 30 January 2020) was an Irish hurler. At club level he played with Graigue, Graigue-Ballycallan and also lined out at inter-county level with the Kilkenny senior hurling team.

Career

Millea first played hurling and Gaelic football at club level with Graigue. He was part of the Graigue team that won junior divisional football honours in 1960, before ending the year with a Kilkenny JFC medal after a defeat of St Nicholas's in the final. A decade later Millea, by now playing with the Graigue-Ballycallan amalgamation, added a North Kilkenny JHC medal to his collection.{{cite news|url=http://www.graigueballycallan.ie/2020/02/01/club-chairman-dave-oneill-and-milo-hennessy-pay-tribute-to-the-late-joe-millea/|title=Club chairman Dave O'Neill and Milo Hennessy pay tribute to the late Joe Millea|last=|first=|date=1 February 2020|publisher=Graigue-Ballycallan GAA website|accessdate=11 July 2023}}

Millea joined the Kilkenny senior hurling team in advance of the 1969 season and quickly won a Leinster SHC medal. He later scored a goal in Kilkenny's defeat of Cork in the 1969 All-Ireland final.{{cite news|url=https://www.the42.ie/ann-downey-angela-downey-kilkenny-4797231-Sep2019/|title='They were going to the gym and doing weights and that was absolutely unheard of back then'|last=|first=|date=8 September 2019|publisher=The 42|accessdate=11 July 2023}} Millea lined out in a second Leinster final without success in 1970.{{cite news|url=http://leinster.clubandcounty.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2017/03/P78-85-All-Ir%E2%80%A6and-Sen-Hurli.pdf|title=Leinster Senior All-Ireland Hurling Winning Teams|last=|first=|date=|publisher=Leinster GAA website|accessdate=11 July 2023}} He was called up to the Leinster inter-provincial team in 1971 and won a Railway Cup medal that year after a defeat of Munster in the final.

In retirement from playing, Millea became involved in the coaching and administrative affairs of the Graigue-Ballycallan club.

Personal life and death

Millea built a successful business in land reclamation over several years. His daughters, Sinéad and Tracy, played camogie with Kilkenny and were All-Ireland SCC winners.{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/kilkenny-sisters-to-the-fore-332635.html|title=Kilkenny sisters to the fore|last=Uí Scolaí|first=Máire|date=15 September 2001|publisher=Irish Independent|accessdate=10 March 2011}}{{cite news|url=https://m.hoganstand.com/county/kilkenny/article/index/46988|title=Sinéad Millea|last=|first=|date=3 September 1999|publisher=Hogan Stand|accessdate=11 July 2023}}

Millea died at St. James's Hospital, Dublin on 30 January 2020, at the age of 78.{{cite news|url=https://www.kilkennypeople.ie/news/deaths/513379/1969-all-ireland-winner-joe-millea-has-died.html|title=1969 All-Ireland winner Joe Millea has died|last=|first=|date=31 January 2020|publisher=Kilkenny Live|accessdate=11 July 2023}}