Patrick "Pa" Dillon (1938 – 14 June 2013) was an Irish hurler who played as a full-back for the Kilkenny senior team.
Born in Freshford, County Kilkenny, Dillon first played competitive hurling in various juvenile grades. He arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of seventeen when he first linked up with the Kilkenny minor team. He made his senior debut in a 1960 tournament game but had to wait until the 1964 championship before he became a regular. Dillon went on to play a key part for Kilkenny during a successful era for the team, and won three All-Ireland medals, six Leinster medals and one National Hurling League medal.
Dillon represented the Leinster inter-provincial team on a number of occasions throughout his career, winning Railway Cup medals in 1965 and 1972. At the club level, he won two championship medals with St Lachtain's.
Cited by many of his hurling peers as one of the best full-backs of his generation, Dillon won two Cú Chulainn. He was later named in the full-back position on the Kilkenny Hurling Team of the Century.
Playing career
Club
Dillon played his club hurling with the St Lachtain's club in Freshford and enjoyed a very successful under-age career. He first came to prominence on the club's under-14 team that was defeated by Thomastown in the 'B' county final in 1951. Dillon's side built on this success and went on to secure the county under-14 title in 1952.
Dillon subsequently joined the St Lachtain's under-16 team where he enjoyed further success. He added a winners' medal to his collection in this grade in 1954 when the club beat Thomastown by 4–6 to 2–3.
In the mid-1950s St Lachtain's became a major force on the club hurling scene at the minor level. Dillon was a key member of this team and lined out in his first county minor decider in 1954. Old rivals Thomastown provided the opposition and went on to defeat St. Lachtain's by 5–1 to 2–1.
St. Lachtain's reached the county minor final again in 1955, however, this time Glenmore were the opponents. A huge 8–5 to 4–5 score line gave Dillon's side the victory.
In 1956, Dillon was in his final year as a minor as St Lachtain's aimed to retain their title. The club reached the county final for the third year in succession. Thomastown provided the opposition and went on to secure an 8–4 to 5–3 victory.
Three years later in 1959, Dillon was at full back on the St Lachtain's junior hurling team that contested the county championship final in that grade. Once again it was a Thomastown selection that provided the opposition, however, after facing defeat to their old rivals at under-age levels, Dillon won a county junior championship title following a 4–7 to 4–2 victory.
Just two years after winning promotion from the junior grade St. Lachtain's reached the final of the county senior championship. The opponents were Near South; however, St Lachtain's ability to score goals while conceding none proved decisive in the 4–5 to 0–12 victory. It was Dillon's first senior county championship winners' medal.
After surrendering the title the following year, St Lachtain's reached the championship decider again in 1963. Tullogher provided the opposition; however, they were no match for Dillon's side as a 1–7 to 0–3 score line gave him a second county title.
Minor
Dillon's success at the club level brought him to the attention of the Kilkenny minor hurling selectors and he joined the team in 1955. That year he won a Leinster in the minor grade as Wexford were accounted for after a draw and a replay. Kilkenny was later beaten by Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final.
In 1956, Dillon added a second Leinster minor winners' medal to his collection as Wexford were defeated in the provincial decider once again. This victory allowed Kilkenny advance to the All-Ireland final where Tipperary were waiting. An absolute rout took place as Tipp won the game by 4–16 to 1–5.
Senior
Dillon's first senior outing in a Kilkenny jersey was against Waterford in a tournament game in 1960, however, it took him another few years to gain a permanent foothold in the county team. Jim 'Link Walsh was the regular full-back at the time while 'Cha' Whelan of Thomastown held the position for the 1963 championship. By 1964 Dillon had taken over the position and became the first-choice number three for the majority of the next decade.