'He has it all': Walsh hails Lawlor as Kilkenny face life without All Star full-back

Walsh suggested Ivan Bolger is a player who could fill the gap left by Lawlor who will spend next year travelling. 

Walter Walsh: "It’s mad to think there are 10 and 11-year-olds walking around Kilkenny who have never experienced Kilkenny winning an All-Ireland." Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Walter Walsh has described departing Kilkenny full-back Huw Lawlor as “irreplaceable”.

The Cats will be without the recently-crowned All Star full-back and nominee Billy Ryan next year as both will be travelling.

Their absences are bound to have an impact on Derek Lyng’s side, although former Kilkenny forward Walsh also looks on their absences as chances for others.

“It just opens up opportunities and you’ll find that players who are good enough will step up.

“Obviously, Huw Lawlor, you would think would be irreplaceable as a defender but there’s talent there and that’s just one player. I know Tommy Walsh is injured; he did his cruciate so he’s not going to be back until later in the year but there are players coming. There’s another guy, Ivan Bolger, who played with the U20s last year and had a great year. He marked Darragh McCarthy in the final, he’s another talent coming up.

“There are guys there and they’ll get chances now. Whoever’s good enough will take the chance and that’s the beauty of sport and the competitive nature of the Kilkenny team, really. It’s still there, it’s still very much there.” 

Walsh is glad to see Lawlor getting his due acknowledgement. 

Huw Lawlor won his third All Star award this year. Pic: Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile

“Huw Lawlor is one of the best players I have played with and played against. I marked him in training, he just has it all – pace, he is one of the fastest on the team, he can win a ball up high, on the ground, in rucks he often comes out with them.

“He is just so tenacious, he’s attacking the ball. He is one of the best players I have ever played with, I have been saying that for a few years now and he’s finally getting recognised for it, he’s won three All Stars.” 

Walsh, who retired after the 2024 season, won the last of his three All-Ireland medals in 2015. Back then, it would have been almost unthinkable that the county would go 11 seasons without another.

“I grew up watching Kilkenny win All-Irelands and it’s mad to think there are 10 and 11-year-olds walking around Kilkenny who have never experienced Kilkenny winning an All-Ireland.

“Back in 2015, that was my third All-Ireland in four years and you’re kind of thinking, ‘How many am I gonna win here. This is great, this is unbelievable, this isn’t going to stop.’ That’s what you think. Not that you get ahead of yourself or you stop training or you take your eye off the ball.

“Other teams like Galway came and obviously Tipp were always there and that unbelievable Limerick team came and that’s just the way sport goes. You see the same with Manchester City there a few years ago, they won everything and last year they had their struggles and a bit this year as well.

“When you’re in it, you think it will continue forever but that’s sport and that’s the beauty of sport. But in terms of being a Kilkenny supporter, you’d just be keen to win one but it’s not easy and it shouldn’t be easy.

“Will Kilkenny be contenders? Of course, they will. I won my first three All-Ireland (finals) I was in and then I lost the next three All-Ireland finals I was in. Have we been competitive? Of course, we have been. The semi-final against Tipperary, it was an unbelievable goal by Oisín O’Donoghue that was the difference.”