collected a fourth Leinster medal in 1945 following a 5-12 to 3-4 defeat of Dublin. On 2 September 1945 Kilkenny faced near neighbours and fierce rivals Tipperary in the All-Ireland decider. Tipp raced into a stunning lead and left Kilkenny trailing by 4-3 to 0-3 at half-time. Three goals by "the Cats" in the second period turned the tide, however, it wasn’t enough as Tipperary won by 5-6 to 3-6. Kilkenny and Dublin renewed their provincial dominance once again in the 1946 decider. In a much closer game Kilkenny won by 3-8 to 1-12, giving Grace a fifth Leinster medal. The subsequent All-Ireland final on 1 September 1946 pitted Kilkenny against old rivals Cork for the first time since 1939. Two quick goals just before half-time, one from the stick of Christy Ring, put Cork in the driving seat. Five more goals followed in the second period as Cork were the 7-5 to 3-8 winners. Grace collected a sixth and final Leinster medal in 1947 following a 7-10 to 3-6 defeat of Dublin once again. On 7 September 1947 Kilkenny faced Cork in a repeat of the previous year's decider. The game itself is often described as the greatest All-Ireland final of them all. Jim Langton and Terry Leahy spearheaded the Kilkenny attack, while Mossy O'Riordan and Joe Kelly scored goals for Cork that nearly won the game. In the end Kilkenny won by 0-14 to 2-7, thus avoiding the ignominy of becoming the first team to lose three-in-a-row. It was Grace's second All-Ireland medal. Inter-provincial Grace was a regular on the Leinster inter-provincial team for almost a decade, however, it was a largely unsuccessful period for the eastern province. He won his sole Railway Cup medal in 1941 as Leinster narrowly defeated archrivals Munster by 2-5 to 2-4. Administrative career Grace's dissatisfaction regarding player welfare saw him challenge for the position of county board secretary in late 1947. After being elected to the position he served until his death in 1984. Honours Team CBS Kilkenny Leinster Colleges Junior Hurling Championship (1): 1934 Éire Óg Kilkenny Intermediate Hurling Championship (1): 1937 Kilkenny Junior Hurling Championship (1): 1936 Kilkenny Junior Football Championship (1): 1937 Kilkenny Minor Hurling Championship (3): 1932, 1934, 1935 Carrickshock Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship (4): 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943 St. Paul's Kilkenny Senior Football Championship (1): 1948 Kilkenny All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (2): 1939, 1947 Leinster Senior Hurling