He enjoyed a 20-year club career, lining out with Rower–Inistioge, University College Dublin and Borris–Ileigh, and was also a member of the Kilkenny senior hurling team.
Kavanagh first played hurling as a schoolboy with Good Counsel College in New Ross.
Kavanagh first played for Kilkenny at minor level before later lining out with the under-21 team.
[citation needed] He eventually progressed onto the senior team and came on as a substitute for Claus Dunne when Kilkenny beat Cork in the 1969 All-Ireland final.
[4] Kavanagh was again listed amongst the substitutes for Kilkenny's defeat by Limerick in the 1973 All-Ireland final.