Larry Kiely

{{Infobox Gaelic games player

| code= Hurling

| sport = Hurling

| image =

| name = Larry Kiely

| irish = Labhrás Ó Cadhla

| fullname = Larry Kiely

| feet = 5

| inches = 9

| nickname =

| occupation = Army officer

| county = Dublin

| province = Munster

| club =

| clposition = Forward

| clubs = Gortnahoe–Glengoole
Military College
Air Corps
Young Irelands

| clyears =

| clapps(points) =

| clcounty = 2

| clprovince=

| clallireland =

| counties = Tipperary

| icposition = Centre-forward

| icyears = 1963-1967

| icapps(points) = 7 (0-08)

| icprovince = 3

| icallireland = 2

| nhl = 2

| clupdate =

| icupdate =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1941|4|6|df=yes}}

| birth_place=Glengoole,
County Tipperary, Ireland

}}

Laurence Kiely (born 6 April 1941) is an Irish former hurler and show jumping rider. At club level he played with a number of sides, including Gortnahoe–Glengoole and Military College, and was also a member of the Tipperary senior hurling team. Kiely was also a member of the Army Equitation School and represented Ireland on a number of occasions.{{cite book|last=Smith|first=Raymond|title=Decades of glory: a comprehensive history of the national game|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nIswAQAAIAAJ|accessdate=4 March 2011|year=1966|publisher=Little & McClean|pages=352–}}{{cite news|url=http://www.hoganstand.com/uk/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=119728|title=Experiencing the 'Tipperary Diaspora' in London|date=29 October 2009|publisher=Hogan Stand|accessdate=4 March 2011}}

Early life

Born and raised in Glengoole, County Tipperary, Kiely first played hurling as a schoolboy in various juvenile competitions at Glengoole National School before later lining out as a student at the Patrician College in Ballyfin. He was a member of the Patrician College team that won the Leinster Colleges' JHC title in 1957. Kiely joined the Irish Army as a cadet in January 1961 and won an All-Army hurling medal with the Military College later that same year.{{cite web|url=http://www.tipperaryathletics.com/images/Larry%20Kiely.jpg|title=Olympic countdown|date=23 February 2012|publisher=Tipperary Star|access-date=15 April 2021|first=|last=}}

Club career

Kiely began his club career at minor level with Gortnahoe. He was still eligible for the minor grade when he first lined out at adult level with the club and won a Mid Tipperary JAHC title in 1959.{{cite news|url=https://www.gortnahoeglengoolegaa.com/honours|title=Roll of honour|date=|publisher=Gortnahoe-Glengoole GAA website|accessdate=15 August 2022}} While playing at the Military College he won a Kildare SHC title after a 3-15 to 2-07 defeat of Ardclough in 1962.{{cite news|url=https://kildare-nationalist.ie/2018/10/11/ardclough-out-to-emulate-famous-teams-of-the-past/|title=Ardclough out to emulate famous teams of the past|date=11 October 2018|publisher=Kildare Nationalist|accessdate=15 August 2022}} Kiely moved to Dublin and joined the Air Corps team after passing out. Players from Air Corps, Grocers and Crokes combined to form the Junior Board Selection and he won a Dublin SHC medal with them after a defeat of Young Irelands in 1963.{{cite news|url=https://kilmacudcrokes.com/hurling/1963-resurgence|title=1953 - Resurgence|date=|publisher=Kilmacud Crokes GAA website|accessdate=15 August 2022}} Kiely later joined the Young Irelands team and he claimed a second Dublin SHC title after University College Dublin were beaten in the 1965 final.{{cite news|url=https://www.dublingaa.ie/history/roll-of-honour|title=Roll of honours|date=|publisher=Dublin GAA website|accessdate=15 August 2022}}

Inter-county career

Kiely began a three-year association with the Tipperary minor hurling team as a 16-year-old in 1957.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-20338706.html|title=Five of the best Jimmy Doyle moments|date=24 June 2015|publisher=Irish Examiner|accessdate=15 August 2022}} He won his first Munster MHC medal that year before later lining out at centre-forward in the 4-07 to 3-07 win over Kilkenny in the 1957 All-Ireland minor final.{{cite news|url=https://munster.gaa.ie/history/minor-hurling/|title=Minor hurling|date=|publisher=Munster GAA website|accessdate=15 August 2022}} After being beaten in the first round a year later, Kiely was appointed team captain for 1959.{{cite news|url=https://laois-nationalist.ie/2020/08/20/laois-and-tipp-mourn-paddy-doyle/|title=Laois and Tipp mourn Paddy Doyle|date=20 August 2020|publisher=Laois Nationalist|accessdate=15 August 2022}} After winning a second provincial medal he captained Tipperary to a one-point win over Kilkenny in the 1959 All-Ireland minor final.

After being overage for the minor grade, Kiely was called up to the Tipperary junior hurling team in 1960. After a year out of inter-county hurling, he returned in 1962 as a member of the Kildare junior hurling team.{{cite news|url=https://kildare-nationalist.ie/2020/05/03/kildares-hurling-revival-of-the-60s/|title=Kildare's hurling revival of the 60s|date=3 May 2020|publisher=Kildare Nationalist|accessdate=15 August 2022}} After claiming that season's Leinster JHC title, Kiely was at full-forward when Kildare beat London by 4-07 to 2-04 in the 1962 All-Ireland junior final.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-20162719.html|title=Lilywhites unsung hero|date=1 August 2011|publisher=Irish Examiner|access-date=15 April 2021|first=Jim|last=O'Sullivan}}{{cite web|url=https://www.hoganstand.com/Kildare/Profile|title=Kildare profile|date=|publisher=Hogan Stand website|access-date=18 August 2021|first=|last=}}

Kiely subsequently declared for Tipperary and made his senior team debut in a 4-07 to 1-11 defeat of Cork in the 1963 Munster semi-final. His second season with the team saw him claim his first silverware after Tipperary secured the 1963–64 National League title. Kiely won his first Munster SHC later that season before lining out at centre-forward in the 5-13 to 2-08 defeat of Kilkenny in the 1964 All-Ireland final.{{cite news|url=https://munster.gaa.ie/history/senior-hurling/|title=Seniorhurling|date=|publisher=Munster GAA website|accessdate=15 August 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-20284774.html|title=Tipp’s old dogs teach Cats lesson|date=4 September 2014|publisher=Irish Examiner|access-date=15 April 2021|first=|last=}} He was substituted early in the second half after complaining of a pain in his side, which later turned out to be appendicitis.

Illness kept Kiely out of Tipperary's successful 1965 Munster SHC campaign. He was recalled to the starting fifteen at centre-forward for the 2-16 to 0-10 defeat of Wexford in the 1965 All-Ireland final. Kiely ended the season by claiming a second successive National League title after a defeat of New York.{{cite web|url=https://www.hoganstand.com/Tipperary/Profile|title=Tipperary profile|date=|publisher=Hogan Stand website|access-date=18 August 2021|first=|last=}}

After an unsuccessful season in 1966, Kiely won a third Munster winners' medal after a defeat of Clare in the 1967 Munster final. He was dropped from the starting fifteen for the All-Ireland final against Kilkenny but came on as a substitute in the 3-08 to 2-07 defeat.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-20288747.html|title=Cats’ final triumph tinged with tragedy|date=26 September 2014|publisher=Irish Examiner|access-date=15 April 2021|first=|last=}}

Equestrian career

Kiely joined the Army Equitation School in 1962 and first jumped at international level four years later.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/dunwoody-and-odwyer-in-tune-26195565.html|title=Dunwoody and O'Dwyer in tune|date=6 February 1998|publisher=Irish Independent|access-date=15 April 2021|first=|last=}} He was included in the Irish Olympic Team for the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City but did not compete. Kiely's first major success in show jumping was when he rode Inis Cara to win the puissance in Wiesbaden in 1969.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/inis-cara-comes-to-the-rescue-1.264991|title=Inis Cara comes to the rescue|date=18 December 1999|publisher=Irish Times|access-date=15 April 2021|first=|last=}} He shared first place in the puissance on Inis Cara at Madison Square Garden in 1970.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/power-treble-for-mcmanus-26130218.html|title=Power treble for McManus|date=28 December 1999|publisher=Irish Independent|access-date=15 April 2021|first=|last=}} Kiely was in Ireland's Nations Cup team that won in Ostend in 1971. He shared first place in puissance at the Dublin Horse Show with Inis Cara in 1973 and 1974. It was around this time that Kiely also held the world puissance record with Raimondo D'Inzeo of Italy (7 feet 2 inches). He again enjoyed Nations Cup success in Ostend in 1976 before retiring from international show jumping in 1978.