Denis Walsh (born 22 January 1965 in Ballynoe, County Cork) is an Irish hurling manager and former dual player of Gaelic games.
He was a key member of both the Cork football and hurling teams throughout the 1980s and 1990s, winning All-Ireland, Munster and National League titles in both codes.
After some relatively unsuccessful spells as manager of various club sides, Walsh took charge of the Waterford senior football team in 2001.
Walsh emerged as a surprise contender for the vacant managerial position with the Cork senior hurling team and was duly appointed in March 2009.
[1] In 1984 Walsh was a key member of the Imolkilly divisional football team that competed in the senior county championship.
After a tense game Imokilly defeated 'the Barr's' by a solitary point, giving Walsh a second county winners' medal in three years.
He won a North Cork junior 'A' football title with Kildorrery, before lining out with St Catherine's in the intermediate hurling county final.
Courcey Rovers provided the opposition, however, St Catherine's won the day with a 1–11 to 1–8 score line.
[5] Walsh, however, didn't play in the subsequent All-Ireland final, a game which saw Derry emerge victorious by just two points.
The men from the west were the red-hot favourites against an ageing Cork team, however, on the day a different story unfolded.
Four Cork goals, one from John Fenton, two from Tomás Mulcahy and one from Kevin Hennessy, stymied the Galway attack and helped 'the Rebels' to a 4–13 to 2–15 victory.
The hurlers surrendered their provincial and All-Ireland crowns to Tipperary; however, the footballers were just beginning a remarkable run of success.
The second half saw Larry Tompkins kick six of his eight frees wide, resulting in a bitter 1–14 to 0–11 defeat for Cork.
That game proved to be a tough, controversial affair with Meath reduced to fourteen men with the sending off of Gerry McEntee.
The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Walsh dropped from the team again as Mayo played Cork in a unique pairing.
Cork were on top for much of the game, however, a goal by substitute Anthony Finnerty gave Mayo a brief lead.
A key member of the senior hurling team, he won a third Munster winners' medal following a great victory over Tipperary, the reigning All-Ireland champions.
Cork fought back with an expert display by Tomás Mulcahy and went on to win a high-scoring and open game of hurling by 5–15 to 2–12.
Two weeks after this victory Walsh was back in Croke Park as a member of the Cork football panel that were playing in the All-Ireland final.
In 1991 Cork surrendered their provincial hurling crown to Tipperary, however, the following year saw Walsh taste more success.
[11] In 1993 Walsh added to his already impressive medal tally as he collected a National Hurling League title following a three-game saga with Wexford.
[15] He was installed as a full-time replacement for Gerald McCarthy who vacated the position after a prolonged strike by the entire hurling panel due to the nature of his appointment for a second two-year term.
The task ahead was enormous as Cork had missed out on early-season training and the opening two rounds of the National League.
Walsh's first two games in charge saw Cork being trounced by Kilkenny before putting up a spirited display against Waterford but eventually recording a defeat.
After an opening half which saw both sides trade tit-for-tat scores, Galway pulled away in the final ten minutes to record a 1–19 to 0–15 victory, their fifth-ever over Cork.