Pat Fox

{{Infobox Gaelic games player

| code= Hurling

| sport = Hurling

| image =

| caption =

| name = Pat Fox

| irish =

| feet = 5

| inches = 11

| occupation = Publican

| nickname =

| county = Tipperary

| province = Munster

| club = Éire Óg Annacarty

| clposition = Forward

| clubs=

| clyears = 1979–2005

| clapps(points) =

| clcounty = 0

| clprovince=

| clallireland =

| counties = Tipperary

| icposition = Right corner-forward

| icyears = 1980–1996

| icapps(points) = 37 (13–98)

| icprovince = 5

| icallireland = 2

| nhl = 2

| allstars = 3

| clupdate =

| icupdate =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1961|7|8|df=yes}}{{cite web|url=https://archive.irishnewsarchive.com/olive/APA/INA/Default.aspx#panel=document|title=The players fact-file|publisher=Conancht Tribune|date=2 September 1988|access-date=8 February 2025|first=|last=}}

| birth_place=Annacarty,
County Tipperary, Ireland

}}

Patrick Fox (born 8 July 1961) is an Irish former hurling manager and player. At club level he played with Éire Óg Annacarty and at inter-county level was a member of the Tipperary senior hurling team.{{cite web|url=https://www.hoganstand.com/county/tipperary/article/index/49005#google_vignette|title=Pat Fox|publisher=Hogan Stand|date=2 August 1991|access-date=8 February 2025|first=|last=}}

Club career

Fox began his career at juvenile and underage levels as a dual player with the Éire Óg Annacarty club before eventually progressing to adult level. He had his first senior success in 1981 when he won a West Tipperary SHC medal after a 0–14 to 0–7 win over Cappawhite in the final.{{cite web|url=https://tipperarystudies.ie/1981-west-tipperary-senior-hurling-final/|title=1981 West Tipperary Senior Hurling Final|publisher=Tipperary Studies|date=17 December 2018|access-date=16 February 2025|first=|last=}} Fox added a second West Tipperary SHC medal to his collection five years later in 1986. He top-scored with 1-01 in the 2-09 to 1-10 defeat of Golden–Kilfeacle.{{cite web|url=https://tipperarystudies.ie/1986-west-tipperary-senior-hurling-final/|title=1986 West Tipperary Senior Hurling Final|publisher=Tipperary Studies|date=17 December 2018|access-date=16 February 2025|first=|last=}} Fox's club career was drawing to a close when he won a Tipperary IHC title after a 0–9 to 1–5 win over Silvermines in 1994.{{cite web|url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/589e4e01e58c627caaf6340a/t/5dbd9d307743ac695251675b/1572707633360/P60-65+-+Eire+Og+1994.pdf|title=1994 Intermediate hurling champions|publisher=Seámus J. King website|date=|access-date=16 February 2025|first=|last=}}

Inter-county career

Fox began his inter-county career with Tipperary during a two-year tenure as a dual player at minor level in 1978 and 1979. He was in his final season as a minor when he was drafted onto the Tipperary under-21 team and ended the year with an All-Ireland U21HC medal after a 2–12 to 1–9 win over Galway in the final.{{cite web|url=https://hoganstand.com/tipperary/Profile|title=Tipperary profile|publisher=Hogan Stand|date=|access-date=9 February 2025|first=|last=}} It was the first of three successive winners' medals for Fox, as he was also involved when Kilkenny had All-Ireland final defeats in 1980 and 1981.{{cite web|url=https://munster.gaa.ie/history/u20h_teams/|title=Under-21 hurling|publisher=Munster GAA website|date=|access-date=15 February 2025|first=|last=}}

Fox joined the senior team in 1980 and made his debut in a Munster SHC semi-final defeat by Cork.{{cite web|url=https://www.tipperarylive.ie/news/sport/246307/do-not-miss-tipperary-legend-pat-fox-on-laochra-gael-this-week.html|title=Do not miss Tipperary legend Pat Fox on 'Laochra Gael' this week|publisher=Tipperary Live|date=22 April 2017|access-date=15 February 2025|first=|last=}} He suffered a cruciate ligament injury in 1982, an injury which resulted in him being off the Tipperary team for the following two seasons.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/i-was-told-to-have-an-operation-on-my-knee-or-play-away/30509792.html|title='I was told to have an operation on my knee or play away'|publisher=Irish Independent|date=15 August 2014|access-date=15 February 2025|first=|last=}} He played with Tipperary's junior team in 1984, before returning to the senior team a year later.

Fox won his first Munster SHC medal after a 4–22 to 1–22 extra-time defeat of Cork in 1987.{{cite web|url=https://www.nenaghguardian.ie/2017/07/05/famine-ending-tip-to-killarney-to-be-remembered-30-years-on/|title=Famine ending trip to Killarney to be remembered 30 years on|publisher=The Nenagh Guardian|date=5 July 2017|access-date=15 February 2025|first=|last=}} He was the championship's overall top scorer that year with 3–45, while he also won his first All-Star award. Fox added a National Hurling League medal and a second consecutive Munster SHC medal to his collection the following year.{{cite web|url=https://munster.gaa.ie/history/senior-hurling/|title=Senior hurling|publisher=Munster GAA website|date=|access-date=15 February 2025|first=|last=}} He later lined out at wing-forward in the 1–15 to 0–14 defeat by Galway in the 1988 All-Ireland SHC final.{{cite web|url=https://www.the42.ie/galway-tipperary-all-ireland-hurling-semi-final-2-2271403-Aug2015/|title=8 classic memories from Galway and Tipperary's senior hurling championship rivalry|publisher=The 42|date=14 August 2015|access-date=8 February 2025|first=|last=}} Fox claimed a third successive Munster SHC medal in 1989. He later won his first All-Ireland SHC medal after scoring 1–2 from corner-forward in the 4–24 to 3–9 defeat of Antrim in the 1989 All-Ireland SHC final.{{cite web|url=https://www.tipperarylive.ie/news/sport/426477/tipperary-s-1989-heroes-will-be-honoured-by-the-gpa-on-the-eve-of-this-year-s-all-ireland-senior-hurling-final.html|title=Tipperary's 1989 heroes will be honoured by the GPA on the eve of this year's All-Ireland senior hurling final|publisher=Tipperary Live|date=25 June 2019|access-date=8 February 2025|first=|last=}} Fox ended the season with a second All-Star award.

After surrendering their titles in 1990, Fox won a fourth Munster SHC medal in five seasons after a 4–19 to 4–15 defeat of Cork. He later claimed a second All-Ireland SHC medal after scoring five points and being named man of the match in the 1–16 to 0–15 defeat of Kilkenny in the 1991 All-Ireland SHC final.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/rivalry-seeking-renaissance/26038085.html|title=Rivalry seeking renaissance|publisher=Irish Independent|date=17 August 2002|access-date=8 February 2025|first=|last=}} He ended the season with a third All-Star award, and was also named Hurler of the Year.{{cite web|url= http://www.the42.ie/pat-fox-laochra-gael-3361345-Apr2017/|title=Miss the Pat Fox episode of Laochra Gael last night? It's here in full|date=27 April 2017|publisher=The 42|access-date=27 April 2017}} Fox won a fifth and final Munster SHC medal in 1993. He added a second National Hurling League title to his collection in 1994, in what proved to be his last silverware with the Tipperary senior team. Fox retired from inter-county hurling following Tipperary's defeat by Limerick in the 1996 Munster SHC final replay.

Inter-provincial career

Fox's performances at inter-county level resulted in his selection for Munster in their 1982 Railway Cup semi-final defeat by Connacht.{{cite web|url=https://munster.gaa.ie/history/railway-cup-hurling/|title=Railway Cup Hurling|publisher=Munster GAA website|date=|access-date=12 March 2022|first=|last=}} It was the first of five appearances for the Munster team; however, all of them ended with semi-final defeats.

Managerial career

Fox was in the twilight of his club career when he became involved in team management. He was player-manager with the Éire Óg Annacarty intermediate team in 2004.{{cite web|url=https://archive.irishnewsarchive.com/olive/APA/INA/Default.aspx#panel=document|title=Comfotable win for Éire Óg|publisher=Tipperary Star|date=5 June 2004|access-date=12 March 2022|first=|last=}}