Denis Heaslip
# Denis Heaslip

Denis Heaslip (May 1933 – 25 November 2020) was an Irish hurler who played as a right wing-forward for the Kilkenny senior team.

Born in Knocktopher, County Kilkenny, Heaslip first arrived on the inter-county scene when he first linked up with the Kilkenny senior team, making his debut in the 1957 championship. During his career Heaslip won two All-Ireland medals, three Leinster medals and one National Hurling League medal. He was an All-Ireland runner-up on two occasions.

Heaslip also represented the Leinster inter-provincial team on a number of occasions, winning one Railway Cup medal. At club level he played with Knocktopher.

His retirement came following Kilkenny's defeat by Tipperary in the 1964 All-Ireland final.

The 1957 Championship featured in the 1958 film Rooney where the main character in the film wore a Kilkenny Jersey in the line up. During the film it depicts a goal that was "scored" by the main character (Rooney). This was in fact Denis Heaslip's goal.

## Playing career

### Kilkenny

Having never played at minor level, Heaslip first appeared on the inter-county scene as a member of the Kilkenny junior team during the 1956 Leinster Junior Championship. He ended the provincial campaign with a winners' medal after being one of Kilkenny's top scorers in the 6-11 to 1-08 over Laois in the final. Heaslip scored a hat-trick of goals in the home final defeat of Kerry, before claiming an All-Ireland Junior Championship medal after the 5-02 to 2-08 win over London.

Heaslip's performances for the Kilkenny junior team drew the attention of the senior selectors and he was one of a number of players promoted to the Kilkenny senior team prior to the start of the 1956-57 league. He lined out in all but one of Kilkenny's five league games, including the six-point league final defeat by Tipperary. Heaslip was retained on the Kilkenny panel for the 1957 Leinster Championship and made his debut on 30 June in a 1-11 to 2-08 semi-final draw with Dublin. He ended the campaign with a winners' medal after scoring a goal in the 6-09 to 1-05 defeat of Wexford in the final. On 1 September 1957, Heaslip was again included on the starting fifteen when Kilkenny faced Waterford in the All-Ireland final. He ended the game with his first winners' medal after scoring a point in the 4-10 to 3-12 victory.

Heaslip scored 3-01 from play in Kilkenny's semi-final replay defeat of Dublin in the 1958 Leinster Championship. Injury ruled him out of the Leinster final, however, he claimed a second successive winners' medal as a substitute after the 5-12 to 4-09 win over Wexford.

After returning to the starting fifteen for the 1959 Leinster Championship, Heaslip claimed a third successive provincial winners' medal, his second on the field of play, after the 2-09 to 1-11 victory over Dublin. On 6 September 1959, he played in his second All-Ireland final when Kilkenny drew 1-17 to 5-05 with Waterford. The replay a month later resulted in Heaslip ending on the losing side after the 3-12 to 1-10 defeat.

After failing to make it four successive provincial titles in-a-row after losing out to Wexford in the 1960 Leinster final, Kilkenny failed to even qualify for the following year's final. On 6 May 1962, Heaslip claimed his second national title when Kilkenny defeated Cork by 1-16 to 1-08 to claim the National League title for the first time in 30 years. He was subsequently denied a fourth Leinster Championship medal as Kilkenny suffered a 3-09 to 2-10 defeat by Wexford in the 1962 Leinster final.

Injury ruled Heaslip out of the 1963 Leinster Championship, however, he claimed a fourth provincial winners' medal from the substitutes' bench after the 2-10 to 0-09 defeat of Dublin in the final. On 1 September 1963, he was restored to the starting fifteen at right wing-forward when Kilkenny faced Waterford in the All-Ireland final for the fourth time in seven seasons. Held scoreless over the hour, Heaslip ended the match with a second All-Ireland winners' medal after the 4-17 to 6-08 win.

After collecting a fifth provincial title after coming on as a substitute in the 4-11 to 1-08 defeat of Dublin in the 1964 Leinster final, Heaslip was again listed amongst the substitutes for the subsequent All-Ireland final against Tipperary. In spite of being regarded as the favourites, Kilkenny ended the game as runners-up after a 5-13 to 2-08 defeat by Tipperary. Heaslip retired from inter-county hurling at the end of the 1964 season.

## Career statistics

| Team | Season | National League | National League | National League | Leinster | Leinster | All-Ireland | All-Ireland | Total | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Team | Season | Division | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score |
| Kilkenny | 1956-57 | Division 1A | 4 | 2-06 | 2 | 2-01 | 1 | 0-01 | 7 | 4-08 |
| Kilkenny | 1957-58 | Division 1A | 5 | 1-08 | 2 | 3-01 | 1 | 0-01 | 8 | 4-10 |
| Kilkenny | 1958-59 | Division 1A | 4 | 3-06 | 1 | 0-01 | 2 | 1-01 | 7 | 4-08 |
| Kilkenny | 1959-60 | Division 1A | 4 | 1-03 | 2 | 2-00 | — | — | 6 | 3-03 |
| Kilkenny | 1960-61 | Division 1A | 2 | 1-00 | 1 | 0-00 | — | — | 3 | 1-00 |
| Kilkenny | 1961-62 | Division 1B | 5 | 11-08 | 2 | 2-02 | — | — | 7 | 13-10 |
| Kilkenny | 1962-63 | Division 1B | 4 | 2-03 | 0 | 0-00 | 1 | 0-00 | 5 | 2-03 |
| Kilkenny | 1963-64 | Division 1A | 3 | 0-04 | 2 | 1-03 | 1 | 0-00 | 6 | 1-07 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 31 | 21-38 | 12 | 10-08 | 6 | 1-03 | 49 | 32-49 |

## Honours

### Kilkenny

* All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (2): 1957, 1963
* Leinster Senior Hurling Championship (5): 1957, 1958, 1959, 1963, 1964
* National Hurling League (1): 1961-62
* All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship (1): 1956
* Leinster Junior Hurling Championship (1): 1956

### Leinster

* Railway Cup (1): 1962
