Jim Langton

James Langton (18 January 1918 – 18 April 1987) was an Irish hurler who usually played as a left wing-forward for the Kilkenny senior team.

Born in Gowran, County Kilkenny, Phelan first played competitive hurling whilst at school in Kilkenny CBS.

He arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of seventeen when he first linked up with the Kilkenny minor team.

Langton first played for Kilkenny as a member of the county's minor team in 1935.

It was a successful year as "the Cats" reached the final of the provincial series.

Laois provided the opposition on that occasion, however, they proved no match for Kilkenny.

A 7–8 to 1–1 trouncing gave Langton a first Leinster medal.

The subsequent All-Ireland decider pitted Kilkenny against Tipperary.

A close game developed, however, at the full-time whistle Kilkenny were the champions on a 4–2 to 3–3 score line.

It was Langton's first All-Ireland medal.

In 1936 he was a key member of the college team that made history by reaching their first provincial final.

A comprehensive 3–4 to 1–1 defeat of Blackrock College gave Langton a Leinster medal.

Langton played his club hurling with Éire Óg and enjoyed much success in a career that spanned three decades.

His arrival on the inter-county scene marked an upturn in the fortunes of the club.

Kilkenny dominated the provincial minor championship again in 1936.

A 3–13 to 1–1 defeat of Dublin gave Langton a second Leinster medal.

He later lined out in a second successive All-Ireland decider, with Cork standing in the way of Kilkenny retaining their title.

In a close game Langton proved the hero by scoring the winning point in a narrow 2–4 to 2–3 victory.

It was his second All-Ireland medal.

He made his senior debut in the 1938 championship.

Langton went on to play a key part for Kilkenny during a lean era for the county, and won two All-Ireland medals and seven Leinster medals.

He was an All-Ireland runner-up on three occasions.

As a member of the Leinster inter-provincial team for fourteen years, Langton won two Railway Cup medals.

At club level he won four championship medal with Éire Óg.

Langton's career tally of 15 goals and 146 points was a record score for a Kilkenny player which stood for twenty years when it was surpassed by Eddie Keher.

Throughout his career Langton made 43 championship appearances.

After losing the county decider to Carrickshock in 1938, both sides faced off at the same stage of the championship the following year.

A narrow 3–7 to 3–5 victory gave Langton his first championship medal.

Éire Óg failed to retain their championship crown in 1940, while Carrickshock defeated the team in the county showpiece in 1942.

Langton lined out in his fourth championship decider in 1944, with old rivals and five-in-a-row hopefuls Carrickshock providing the opposition once again.

A 7–9 to 4–4 trouncing gave Langton a second championship medal.

Éire Óg reached the final again in 1945 and were presented with the chance of making their own piece of history by retaining the title.

Once again Carrickshock stood in the way, however, a 2–7 to 1–10 draw was the result.

The subsequent replay was more conclusive, with Langton collecting a third championship medal following a 4–8 to 1–7 victory.

Three-in-a-row proved beyond Éire Óg, however, the club reached the final again in 1947.

Tullaroan were the opponents, however, a 3–10 to 0–13 victory gave Langton a fourth and final championship medal.

Langton's swansong for the club was in 1950, when Éire Óg were defeated by Dicksboro in a replay of the championship decider.

His retirement came following Kilkenny's defeat by Wexford in the 1954 championship.

Langton has been repeatedly voted onto teams made up of the sport's greats, including at left wing-forward on the Hurling Team of the Century in 1984 and the Hurling Team of the Millennium in 2000.

Langton first came to hurling prominence with the Kilkenny CBS in the inter-colleges series of games.