Eoin Larkin (born 17 July 1984) is an Irish hurler and coach. His league and championship career as a forward with the Kilkenny senior team spanned twelve seasons from 2005 to 2016.
Born in Kilkenny, Larkin first played competitive hurling following encouragement from his father. He attended St. Kieran's College where he began his college hurling career as goalkeeper at under-14 level. Larkin simultaneously came to prominence with the James Stephens club at juvenile and underage levels, winning two county under-21 championship medals in 2000 and 2002. He subsequently joined the James Stephens senior team and was at centre-forward when the club won the All-Ireland title in 2005. Larkin also won two Leinster medals and three county senior championship medals. As a Gaelic footballer with James Stephens he also won two county senior championship medals.
Larkin made his debut on the inter-county scene at the age of seventeen when he was picked for the Kilkenny minor panel. He was an unused substitute throughout the 2002 championship but collected a set of All-Ireland and Leinster medals as a member of the starting fifteen. Larkin later enjoyed a successful two-year tenure with the Kilkenny under-21 team, winning an All-Ireland medal in 2005 as well as back to back Leinster medals. He made his senior debut during the 2005 league. Over the course of the next twelve seasons, Larkin won eight All-Ireland medals, including a record-equalling four championships in-a-row from 2006 to 2009, followed by back-to-back triumphs in 2011 and 2012 and a final two championships in 2014 and 2015. The All-Ireland-winning captain of 2012, he was denied a ninth All-Ireland medal in September 2016 in what was his last game for Kilkenny. Larkin also won ten Leinster medals, six National Hurling League medals and was named All-Star, Texaco and GPA Hurler of the Year in 2008. He announced his retirement from inter-county hurling on 2 December 2016.
After being chosen at right wing-forward on the Leinster inter-provincial team in 2006, Larkin was a regular member of the team at various intervals until 2012. During that time he won four Railway Cup medals.
Playing career
Club
After enjoying some success at underage levels, winning two under-21 championship medals, Larkin was a dual player with James Stephens in 2003. He won a championship medal as a Gaelic footballer that year, following a 2–7 to 0–6 defeat of O'Loughlin Gaels. Larkin top scored with 1–6.
Larkin added a hurling championship medal to his collection in 2004 following a 2–16 to 3–12 defeat of Young Irelands. As scorer-in-chief for the team he finished the game with 0–11, while Young Irelands D. J. Carey, with a personal tally of 3–6, sent a 64th-minute penalty over the bar. Larkin later won his first Leinster medal following a controversial 1–13 to 1–12 defeat of University College Dublin. The subsequent All-Ireland decider on 17 March 2005 pitted James Stephens against Athenry. Larkin scored the first of his nine points after just twenty seconds, to help his side to a 0–19 to 0–14 victory. He finished the championship campaign with a grand total of 3–33, as well as collecting an All-Ireland medal.
James Stephens retained the county championship in 2005, with Larkin winning a second hurling medal following a 1–18 to 2–12 defeat of Ballyhale Shamrocks. He later picked up a second Leinster medal following a second consecutive triumph over UCD.
In 2008 Tyrrell won a second county football championship medal following a 1–09 to 1–08 defeat of Erin's Own.
After a six-year gap, Larkin won a third hurling championship medal in 2011 after a thrilling draw, followed by a 1–20 to 0–15 replay defeat of Ballyhale Shamrocks.
Minor and under-21
Larkin first played for Kilkenny in 2002 when he joined the minor side. He won a set of Leinster and All-Ireland medals as a non-playing substitute that year.
By 2004 Larkin had joined the Kilkenny under-21 team. He won his first Leinster medal that year following a 0–16 to 2–3 defeat of Wexford. The subsequent All-Ireland decider saw Kilkenny dominate Tipperary. A 3–21 to 1–6 trouncing gave Larkin, who came on as a substitute, an All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship medal.
Larkin added a second Leinster medal to his collection in 2005, following a 0–17 to 1–10 defeat of Dublin. Kilkenny's bid for a third successive All-Ireland title ended in dramatic fashion as a late point from Kerril Wade handed Galway a narrow 1–15 to 1–14 victory.