He played hurling with his local clubs Blackrock and St Finbarr's and was a member at senior level of the Cork county team from 1960, interrupted by serious hand injury, returned 1966 until 1968, when six months suspension ended his career.
In 1961 he won his first county senior championship title as 'the Rockies' defeated north Cork divisional side Avondhu by 4-10 to 3-7.
[2] After St Finbarr's lost the 1967 county final to Glen Rovers, the club recovered to reach the championship decider again the following year.
[citation needed] Connolly made his return with the Cork senior hurling team in a Munster quarter-final against Clare in 1966.
In spite of this a hat-trick of goals by Colm Sheehan gave Cork a merited 3-9 to 1-10 victory over an Eddie Keher-inspired Kilkenny.