Fan the pride of The Village

IT’S hardly surprising, given their preeminence in hurling, that Kilkenny supplied the first father-and-son combination in the GAA All Stars scheme.

That honour fell to the Larkins when Philly won an award in 2002, adding to the four won by his father ‘Fan’ between 1973 and ‘78 — another link in a remarkable family achievement over three generations.

Paddy Larkin — Fan’s father — played in seven All-Ireland hurling finals between 1932 and 1940, winning four medals. Fan went one more, winning five in nine appearances over a 16-year period and Philly won in 2000, ‘02 and ‘03. The fact that all three won Railway Cup and national league medals makes them unique in hurling annals.