Western Railway company trophy – the first All-Ireland trophy to be presented to a victorious team captain. As well as that Walsh made history on that day by becoming the first player to captain both fifteen-a-side and seventeen-a-side teams to All-Ireland victories, as well as becoming the second person to captain a team to three championships. Decline Four All-Ireland titles in-a-row proved beyond Kilkenny as they were beaten by Laois by a single point in the provincial decider of 1914. This defeat brought Walsh's inter-county hurling career to an end. Inter-provincial Walsh also lined out with Leinster in an inter-provincial hurling competition that was the forerunner to the Railway Cup. He captained the team to the Railway Shield title in 1908. Trainer In retirement from playing Walsh maintained a keen interest in the game of hurling. In 1915 he took over as trainer of the Laois senior hurling team. His influence bore fruit as the team retained their Leinster title following a 3–2 to 0–5 defeat of Dublin. This victory set up an All-Ireland final meeting with Cork, who were red-hot favourites. Laois had no great hurling tradition and this was shown when Cork scored three first-half goals. After the interval Laois rallied and won the game by 6–2 to 4–1. Personal life Born in Rathkieran, Mooncoin, County Kilkenny in 1877, Walsh grew up on the family farm and developed the necessary skills on the land, the river and on the hurling field. He earned his nickname "Drug" in the local national school as he liked to sing the song "Clare's Dragoons". In singing it he appeared to pronounce the word dragoons as "drugoons" and so his school-mates gave him the nickname. It was a nickname that he came to dislike in later life. A more acceptable form of the name, accepted by himself, was "Dhroog" , a corrupt south Kilkenny form of the first part of the word "dragoon." Dick Walsh died in hospital in Kilkenny on 28 July 1958, after previously suffering a stroke, and was buried in Carrigeen cemetery. Honours Player Mooncoin Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship (4): 1900, 1906, 1908, 1913 Kilkenny All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (7): 1904, 1905, 1907 (c), 1909 (c), 1911, 1912, 1913 (c) Leinster Senior Hurling Championship (7): 1904, 1905, 1907 (c), 1909 (c), 1911, 1912, 1913 (c) Leinster Railway Shield (3): 1905, 1907, 1908 (c) Trainer Laois All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (1):