Inter-county
Kennedy made his debut with the Tipperary senior inter-county team in the championship of 1922. In his very first game, played against Cork in Cork, he lined out at full-forward against Seán Óg Murphy and scored four goals. Kennedy’s side won the game; however, it would be 2008 before Tipp defeated Cork at home again. The subsequent Munster final saw Tipperary draw with Limerick. The replay gave Tipp a comprehensive victory and gave Kennedy his first Munster title. The All-Ireland final pitted Tipp against Kilkenny for the first time in almost a decade. With three minutes left in the game Kennedy’s side were leading by three points and looked set for victory, however, Paddy Donoghue and Dick Tobin scored two quick goals. Kennedy missed a late goal chance in that game when his scooped effort ended up on top of the net. Kilkenny won the game by 4-2 to 2-6.
Two years later in 1924 Kennedy captured a second Munster title as Tipp defeated reigning provincial champions Limerick by 3-1 to 2-2. The subsequent All-Ireland semi-final saw Galway, the reigning All-Ireland champions, defeat Kennedy’s side by just a single point.
Tipp retained their provincial crown in 1925 with an overwhelming defeat of Watreford by 6-6 to 1-2. It was Kennedy’s third Munster medal. Tipp later trounced Antrim to qualify for and All-Ireland final with Galway. Kennedy’s side got off to a great start with two quick goals and never looked back. Tipperary won the game by 5-6 to 1-5 giving Kennedy his first All-Ireland medal.
1926 saw Tipperary surrender their Munster title to Cork after an exciting three-game saga. Prior to this the Tipperary team embarked on a tour of North America in May, playing and winning six games. Kennedy scored 27 goals on the tour, including seven in one game.
The next few years saw Cork dominate the provincial championship; however, Kennedy captured a National Hurling League medal with Tipp in 1928. Tipp bounced back two years later in 1930 with Kennedy collecting a fourth Munster medal at the expense of Clare. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Dublin provide the opposition. The first-half was a close affair; however, goals by Kennedy and captain John Joe Callanan gave Tipp the edge. The Munster men hung on to win by 2-7 to 1-3, giving Kennedy his second All-Ireland medal.
Tipp went into decline for the next few years as Limerick emerged as the dominant team in Munster. Kennedy continued to play with Tipp until a serious injury forced his retirement from the inter-county scene in 1936.
Read more about this topic: Martin Kennedy (hurler), Playing Career