Thomas Walsh (born 5 May 1983) is an Irish hurler who played as a right wing-back at senior level for the Kilkenny county team.
Born in Tullaroan, County Kilkenny, Walsh first played competitive hurling during his schooling at St Kieran's College.
At international level Walsh has played for the composite rules shinty-hurling team, captaining his country to the title in 2009.
During his schooling at St Kieran's College in Kilkenny, Walsh established himself as a key member of the senior hurling team.
Having come close to beating the Ennis-based school at the same stage the previous year, St. Kieran's made no mistake this time and recorded a 1–10 to 0–9 victory, giving Walsh an All-Ireland medal.
In 2003 Walsh became a regular member of the starting fifteen during Kilkenny's successful run to the final of the National Hurling League.
Kilkenny came back from eight points down to secure a stunning 5–14 to 5–13 extra-time defeat of Tipperary, with Walsh collecting his first league medal.
[21] After facing a shock, last-minute 2–15 to 1–16 defeat by Wexford in the Leinster semi-final in 2004, Kilkenny worked their way through the qualifiers and lined out against Cork in the All-Ireland decider on 12 September 2004.
[22] The game was expected to be a classic, however, a rain-soaked day made conditions difficult as Kilkenny aimed to secure a third successive championship.
On 3 September 2006 Kilkenny faced a Cork team who were presented with the opportunity to become the first side in nearly thirty years to secure three successive All-Ireland championships.
[32] On 2 September 2007 Kilkenny faced defeated Munster finalists and surprise All-Ireland semi-final winners Limerick in the championship decider.
Kilkenny got off to a flying start with Eddie Brennan and Henry Shefflin scoring two goals within the first ten minutes to set the tone.
In a disappointingly one-sided final, Kilkenny produced a near perfect seventy minutes as Waterford endured a nightmare afternoon.
A 23-point winning margin, 3–24 from play, only two wides in the entire match and eight scorers in all with Eddie Brennan and Henry Shefflin leading the way in a 3–30 to 1–13 victory.
[37] Walsh collected a fourth National League medal in 2009, as Kilkenny beat Tipperary by 2–26 to 4–17 with a thrilling extra-time victory.
[39] On 6 September Kilkenny were poised to become the second team ever in the history of hurling to win four successive All-Ireland championships when they faced Tipperary in the decider.
For long periods Tipp looked the likely winners, however, late goals from Henry Shefflin and substitute Martin Comerford finally killed off their efforts to secure a 2–22 to 0–23 victory.
"The Cats" lost talisman Henry Shefflin due to injury, while Tipperary's Lar Corbett ran riot and scored a hat-trick of goals as Walsh's side fell to a 4–17 to 1–18 defeat.
Goals by Michael Fennelly and Richie Hogan in either half gave Kilkenny, who many viewed as the underdogs going into the game, a 2–17 to 1–16 victory.
[47] Walsh, who collected a sixth All-Ireland medal, was lucky not to have received a red card as a wild strike of his hurley caught referee Brian Gavin on the bridge of the nose, resulting in a four-minute stoppage.
Galway stunned the reigning champions with two first-half goals, however, Kilkenny's championship debutant Walter Walsh gave a man of the match performance, claiming a 1–3 haul.
[53] Kilkenny's dominance showed no sign of abating in 2013, with Walsh winning a sixth National League medal following a 2–17 to 0–20 defeat of Tipperary in the decider.
[54] During the 2014 league campaign a loss of form saw Walsh being dropped from Kilkenny's starting fifteen in favour of his brother Pádraig.
[56] Walsh made a number of cameo appearances during the provincial campaign, but played no part in Kilkenny's Leinster final triumph.
[60] After a two-year hiatus and a period of uncertainty surrounding the competition, the Railway Cup returned in 2012 with Leinster facing Connacht in the decider.
[62] Walsh was picked for duty with the national team in 2008, as Ireland faced Scotland in the composite rules shinty-hurling series of games.
[68] Later that year he was chosen in the top ten list of all-time great hurlers in a special Irish Independent poll.
Lar Corbett of Tipperary said: "He's one of the all-time greats, he's probably one of the best players that has ever played the game," Waterford's four-time Munster medallist John Mullane described Walsh as "...a freakish kind of hurler.
Enda McEvoy, writing in the Irish Examiner, summed up Walsh's credentials as one of the all-time greats of hurling: "The Team of the 20th Century had a Tullaroan player at wing-back {Paddy Phelan}.
Walsh was educated at the local national school before later completing his Leaving Certificate at St Kieran's College.