James John Delaney (born 6 March 1982) is an Irish hurler who played as a left wing-back and full-back at senior level for the Kilkenny county team.
Born in Waterford in 1982, Delaney is a native of Johnstown, County Kilkenny. Delaney first played competitive hurling during his schooling at Coláiste Mhuire. He arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of seventeen when he first linked up with the Kilkenny minor team, before later joining the under-21 side. He made his senior debut during the 2001 championship. Delaney immediately became a regular member of the starting fifteen, and won nine All-Ireland medals, eleven Leinster medals and eight National League medals on the field of play. He was an All-Ireland runner-up on two occasions.
As a member of the Leinster inter-provincial team on a number of occasions, Delaney won two Railway Cup medals. At club level Delaney continues to play with Fenians.
Delaney's uncles, Billy Fitzpatrick and Pat Delaney, won nine All-Ireland medals between them between 1969 and 1983, while his father, Shem Delaney, shared in one of these All-Ireland successes as a non-playing substitute. His first cousin, P. J. Delaney, won an All-Ireland medal in 1993.
Throughout his career Delaney made 66 championship appearances, setting him out as the third most "capped" player of all-time. He announced his retirement from inter-county hurling on 5 December 2014.
Delaney is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all-time. In 2003 he won the first of six All-Star awards, while he also made a clean sweep of all the top individual awards, winning the All-Star, Texaco and GPA Hurler of the Year awards. Delaney was also chosen as one of the 125 greatest hurlers of all-time in a 2009 poll. That same year he was chosen on the Leinster team of the past twenty-five years.
Playing career
University
During his studies at the Waterford Institute of Technology, Delaney was an automatic inclusion on the college hurling team. After losing the decider in 2002, his side were back the following year and faced Cork Institute of Technology in the final. A 0–13 to 1–7 victory gave Delaney his first Fitzgibbon Cup medal.
In 2004 Waterford IT reached a third successive final where they faced University College Cork. Against the wind, Waterford rallied with late scores to overhaul Cork, with a last minute free from Wexford senior Rory Jacob being the clinching score in an 0–11 to 0–9 victory for Delaney'e side.
Club
Delaney plays his club hurling with the Fenians club in Johnstown. He has enjoyed some success with the club at underage levels, beginning with an under-16 north county club medal. Delaney later won both an under-21 north county club medal and an under-21 county medal.
Minor and under-21
Delaney first played for Kilkenny in 1999 when he joined the minor side. He won his sole Leinster medal that year following a 2–13 to 1–11 defeat of Wexford.
By 2003 Delaney was a key member of the Kilkenny under-21 team. He won a Leinster medal that year following a 0–12 to 1–4 defeat of Dublin. Kilkenny later faced Galway in the All-Ireland decider. "The Cats" outsmarted a Galway side which struggled in attack and conceded a goal a minute into the second half. The 2–13 to 0–12 score line gave Delaney an All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship medal.
Senior
Early successes
Delaney was just out of the minor grade when he was added to the Kilkenny senior panel in 2001. That year he won his first Leinster medal following a 2–19 to 0–12 trouncing of Wexford.
Kilkenny bounced back in 2002. Delaney won his first National League medal, as a late Brian Dowling free secured a narrow 2–15 to 2–14 victory. He later collected a second Leinster medal as Kilkenny recorded a narrow 0–19 to 0–17 defeat of fourteen-man Wexford. On 8 September 2002 Delaney lined out in his first All-Ireland decider as Kilkenny faced first-round losers Clare. Kilkenny forwards Henry Shefflin and D. J. Carey combined to score 2–13 between them, as Kilkenny secured a 2–20 to 0–19 victory. It was Delaney's first All-Ireland medal for Kilkenny.