Tony Reddin

Infobox GAA player
code= Hurling
sport = Hurling


name = Tony Reddin
irish =
fullname = Martin Charles Reddington
placeofbirth = Mullagh
countryofbirth = County Galway
byear= 1919
height =
nickname =
county = Tipperary
province = Munster
club = Lorrha
clposition = Goalkeeper
clubs = Lorrha-Dorrha
clyears = 1947-1957
clapps(points) =
clcounty =
clprovince=
clallireland =
counties = Galway
Tipperary
icposition = Goalkeeper
icyears = 1941
1948-1957
icapps(points) =
icprovince = 3
icallireland = 3
allstars =
clupdate=
icupdate=

Martin Charles Reddington, better known as Tony Reddin, (born 1919) is a former Irish sportsperson who played hurling for Tipperary from 1948 until 1957. He has gained iconic status in the sport and is regarded as the greatest hurling goalkeeper of all-time.

Early life

Martin Charles Reddington was born in Mullagh, County Galway in 1919. His family were always known as the Reddins, with Martin always being referred to be his nickname of Thaudy. He learned his hurling skills on the family farm and soon became a member of his local Gaelic Athletic Association club.

Playing career

Galway

Reddin played at midfield on the successful Mullagh team in the Galway County Championship final in 1933. He quickly joined the Galway minor hurling team before becoming a member of the county junior team. With the juniors he reached the All-Ireland final, only to be defeated by Cork. He subsequently progressed onto the Galway senior hurling side, as well as the Connacht Railway Cup team but had little success.

Tipperary

Reddin moved to Lorrha in County Tipperary in 1947. His reputation as a hurler preceded him and he quickly joined the the Lorrha club in 1947. In 1948 he was an integral part of Lorrha's when the team won their first North Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship in twenty-one years. His skill at club level was quickly noted and he soon made it onto the Tipperary senior hurling side in 1948. The following year Reddin won his first Munster medal with Tipp. He subsequently claimed his first All-Ireland medal follwoing a win over Laois.

In 1950 Reddin won his second Munster title as well as claiming a second consecutive All-Ireland medal following a one-point win over Kilkenny. In 1951 he won a third Munster title. Once again this was converted into a third All-Ireland medal, following a huge victory over Wexford. For the next three years Reddin's Tipperary side were defeated by Cork in the Munster championship.

Remembered for his wonderful anticipation, sharp reflexes and his vision, Reddin suffered from deafness and associated speech limitations throughout his career. In 1950 his ability to hear and speak improved when he got his first hearing-aid during a trip to New York with the Tipperary hurlers. In 1957 he visited New York again where he got a smaller hearing-aid. The hearing-aids helped Reddin as a goalkeeper, however by the mid-1950s his career was coming to a close. Shortly after winning his sixth National Hurling League title in 1957 Reddin retired from inter-county hurling.

Reddin also won five Railway Cup honours with Munster, where he played alongside his championship rivals Christy Ring, Tom Cheasty and Jimmy Smyth.

Retirement

Follwoing his retirement from the game Reddin continued to work as a hurley maker in Lorrha. He later moved to Banagher, County Offaly where he still resides today. Long after his retirement Reddin was honoured by the Gaelic Athletic Association by being named on the "Hurling Team of the Century" in 1984. His reputation as the greatest hurling goalkeeper of all-time was further cemented in 2000 when he was also named on the GAA's "Hurling Team of the Millennium". In a position noted for the remarkable talents of players like Ollie Walsh and Noel Skehan, Reddin was firmly marked out as the undisputed number one goalkeeper in the history of hurling.

External links

* [http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=96&si=1462342&issue_id=12957&printer=1 Irish Independent profile - September 2005]

* [http://www.premierview.ie/?Features:Tipp_Hurling%26nbsp%3BImmortals:Tony_Reddan Profile on Premierview (a Tipperary GAA site)]

Teams

ee also

* List of people on stamps of Ireland