Kennedy first played hurling and Gaelic football with various clubs in his home town of Clonmel.
He was part of a South Tipperary hurling combination team named, Na Piarsaigh, that was beaten by Thurles Sarsfields in the 1957 SHC final.
He won a Munster MHC medal the following year before partnering Billy Quinn at midfield when Tipperary beat Dublin by 8-06 to 3-06 in the 1953 All-Ireland minor final.
[2] Kennedy later joined the Tipperary senior football team, while he also lined out at junior level.
He spent five years in this role, during which time Dublin reached consecutive Leinster finals in 1990 and 1991 but lost on both occasions.