Anthony Lynch
Encyclopedia
Anthony Lynch is an Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...

 sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...

 with his local club Naomh Abán
Naomh Abán GAA
Naomh Abán GAA is a Gaelic football club based in Baile Bhuirne, County Cork, Ireland. It participates in games of the Muskerry division of the Cork GAA.The club has contributed a number of players to the Cork gaelic football team...

 and has been a member of the Cork senior inter-county team since 1999.

Club

Lynch plays his club football with his local club called Naomh Abán
Naomh Abán GAA
Naomh Abán GAA is a Gaelic football club based in Baile Bhuirne, County Cork, Ireland. It participates in games of the Muskerry division of the Cork GAA.The club has contributed a number of players to the Cork gaelic football team...

 in Ballyvourney
Ballyvourney
Baile Bhuirne , anglicised as Ballyvourney is a Gaeltacht village in south-west County Cork, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the barony of Muskerry West and is also one half of the Ecclesiastical parish of Baile Bhuirne agus Cúil Aodha in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cloyne-Location and...

.

Lynch first came to prominence as a member of the club’s underage teams. After the minor grade, he quickly joined the under-21 team. In 1995 Naomh Abán won their divisional championship and subsequently reached the final of the county under-21 championship
Cork Under-21 Football Championship
The Cork Under-21 Football Championship is a Gaelic football competition in County Cork, Ireland for players under the age of 21. Clubs affiliated to Cork board compete to win this championship. All eight of the divisions in Cork organize their own championship...

. The opponents on that occasion were Mallow
Mallow GAA
Mallow GAA is a Gaelic football and hurling club based in the town of Mallow, Cork, Ireland. The club plays in Cork GAA competitions, and is part of the Avondhu divisional board.-Roll of honour:* Cork Senior Hurling Championship Runners-Up 1928...

 and a close game developed. At the full-time whistle the victory went to Mallow, as their ability to score goals clinched a 2-9 to 0-12 win.

Lynch subsequently joined the Naomh Abán intermediate football team. In 1999 the club reached the final of the county intermediate championship
Cork Intermediate Football Championship
This is the Second tier Gaelic football team competition organized by the Cork GAA board. This championship was discontinued after 1938 because of a lack of clubs. From 1939 until 1964 any team that won the Junior County Football Final could go straight to Senior. The Intermediate Championship was...

, with Castletownbere
Castletownbere GFC
Castletownbere GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Castletownbere in Cork, Ireland. Its Gaelic Football team participates in competitions organized by Cork GAA, and is a member of Beara division...

 providing the opposition. A close game developed between these two sides, however, at the full-time whistle the sides could not be separated and a draw was the result. The subsequent replay was also a close affair; however, it proved to be more conclusive. In the end victory went to Naomh Abán by 1-9 to 1-6 and Lynch collected a county intermediate championship winners’ medal.

Inter-county

Lynch first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Cork senior football team in the late 1990s. He made his debut in the 1998–99 National Football League
National Football League (Ireland)
The National Football League is a Gaelic football tournament held annually between the county teams of Ireland, under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The prize for the winning team is the New Ireland Cup, presented by the New Ireland Assurance Company...

, a season which saw Cork reach the final of the competition. Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...

 provided the opposition at Cork's home venue, Páirc Uí Chaoimh
Páirc Uí Chaoimh
Páirc Uí Chaoimh is a Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in the Ballintemple area of Cork in Ireland, where major hurling and Gaelic football matches are played. It is the home of Cork GAA...

. A close game developed, however, Cork were never really troubled. A 0-12 to 1-7 score line resulted in victory for ‘the Rebels’, and gave Lynch a National League winners’ medal in his debut season. Later that year he made his championship debut in the provincial series as Cork cruised to a Munster final showdown with arch-rivals Kerry
Kerry GAA
The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...

. The men from ‘the Kingdom’ were on the hunt for a fourth successive provincial title, while Cork were out for success for the first time since 1995. Cork’s victory on a score line of 2-10 to 2-4 was unexpected as Lynch claimed his very first Munster
Munster Senior Football Championship
The Munster Senior Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition in the game of football played in the province of Munster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Munster Council and are played during the summer months...

 winners’ medal. A subsequent defeat of Mayo
Mayo GAA
The Mayo County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Mayo GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Mayo and the Mayo inter-county teams.-History:...

 saw Cork book their place in the All-Ireland final against Meath
Meath GAA
The Meath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Meath GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Meath, as well as for Meath inter-county teams.- Pre-1960s :...

. The pressure was on the Cork footballers to secure a rare double
The Double (Gaelic games)
The Double is a term in Gaelic games that refers to a county winning the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship and the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship in the same year. Other major trophies won in combination in the same year at minor or under-21 levels are also often referred to as...

, particularly since their hurling counterparts had won the All-Ireland title a fortnight previously. Ollie Murphy
Ollie Murphy
Ollie Murphy is a Meath Footballer. He plays club football for Carnaross. He came to national prominence in 1999 when he was one of Meath's best player's as they won the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship that year, scoring the decisive goal in that year's All Ireland final...

’s first-half goal gave ‘the Royals’ a huge boost at half-time. Immediately after the interval Trevor Giles
Trevor Giles
Trevor Giles is a successful Meath Gaelic Footballer. He is regarded as one of the best players of his generation. He plays club football for Skryne. He came to prominence first when he won an All Ireland minor medal with Meath in 1992. He would go on to win 2 All Ireland Senior medals, 3...

 missed a penalty while Joe Kavanagh
Joe Kavanagh
Joe Kavanagh is an Irish sportsperson. He played Gaelic football with his local club Nemo Rangers and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1992 until 2002. His brother, Derek Kavanagh, also played football with Cork.-References:-Teams:...

 responded with a goal which gave Cork a brief lead. It was not enough as Lynch’s side eventually lost the game by 1-11 to 1-8. In spite of this defeat Lynch was later rewarded with a coveted All-Star
GAA All Stars Awards
The All Stars Awards, currently sponsored by Vodafone, are given annually since 1971 by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the best player in each of the fifteen positions in Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. Additionally, one player in each code is selected as the player of the year...

 award.

After the highs of 1999, the following year proved disappointing as Cork exited the championship at a very early stage.

In 2001 Cork were back and Lynch lined out in his second provincial decider. Reigning All-Ireland champions Kerry were the opponents. The game was a reasonably close affair; however, ‘the Kingdom’ never looked like losing. At the full-time whistle Cork were defeated by 0-19 to 1-13. 2001 was the first year of the qualifier system so, in spite of being defeated, Cork had another chance to battle for the All-Ireland title. Lynch’s side, however, were subsequently dumped out of the championship by eventual champions Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...

.

2002 proved to be a more successful year for Lynch. After defeating Kerry in the provincial semi-final, Cork qualified for a Munster final showdown with Tipperary
Tipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...

. While many people expected Cork to win the game easily, Tipp nearly sneaked a win, however, the provincial decider ended in a draw. The replay was an absolute rout. Cork won by a huge score line of 1-23 to 0-7, giving Lynch a second Munster winners’ medal. Cork’s next game was the All-Ireland semi-final where they met Kerry for the third time in the championship that year. Furthermore, it was the first-ever meeting of these two great rivals in Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...

. While expectations were high the game turned into a rout as everything went Kerry’s way. Talismanic forward Colin Corkery
Colin Corkery
Colin Corkery is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played Gaelic football with his local club Nemo Rangers and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1993 until 2004.-Club:...

 was red-carded as ‘the Rebels’ were humiliated by 3-19 to 2-7. 2002 ended with the Cork hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...

 team going on strike. In turn, the football team joined in a sympathy strike. The players, who had been seeking better conditions, refused to play or train with the county again until the dispute with the county board was resolved. After a protracted standoff, the players’ grievances were eventually settled.

2003 was a difficult year as Cork surrendered their provincial crown at an early stage before later crashing out of the championship in the All-Ireland qualifiers.

In 2004 Lynch's side fared no better. After losing to Kerry in the Munster semi-final Cork were forced to manoeuvre through the All-Ireland qualifiers once again. An unconvincing victory over Clare
Clare GAA
The Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Clare GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Clare. The county board is also responsible for the Clare inter-county teams....

 was followed by a humiliating 0-18 to 0-12 defeat by Fermanagh
Fermanagh GAA
The Fermanagh County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Fermanagh GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. The county board is also responsible for the Fermanagh inter-county teams-History:...

 and an end to Cork’s championship ambitions.

By 2005 the Cork footballers had regrouped and reached the Munster final for the first time in three years. Once again Kerry, the reigning All-Ireland champions, provided the opposition. The game was a close affair, however, Lynch’s side were narrowly defeated by just 1-11 to 0-11. This did not mean the end of Cork’s All-Ireland campaign. After winning their next two games ‘the Rebels’ qualified for an All-Ireland semi-final meeting with Kerry. In an embarrassing game of football for Cork, Lynch’s side were trounced by thirteen points on a score line of 1-19 to 0-9.

In 2006 Lynch’s team reached the Munster final with Kerry lining out against them. That game ended in a 0-10 points apiece draw. The replay saw a much fresher Cork team surprisingly defeat Kerry by 1-12 to 0-9. James Masters
James Masters (Gaelic footballer)
James Masters is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Nemo Rangers and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 2005 until 2010.-Biography:...

 proved the hero of the day, as he scored 1-7 of Cork’s total. Lynch had secured a third Munster winners’ medal. The quirks of the championship saw Cork face Kerry again in the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final for the third time in five seasons. In a similar pattern to previous encounters Cork failed to beat Kerry at Croke Park. A 0-16 to 0-10 resulted in Cork being knocked out of the championship.

In 2007 Cork were out to atone for their defeats by Kerry the previous year. Both sides met in the provincial decider for the third year in succession. Cork gave a good account of themselves, however, Kerry could not be beaten and Lynch’s side went down on a 1-15 to 1-13 score line. Cork later did well in the All-Ireland series and finally qualified for the All-Ireland final after an eight year absence. In a cruel twist of fate Kerry were the opponents and, in an even crueller twist, a late injury ruled Lynch out of a place on the starting fifteen. While the first-half was played on an even keel, 'the Kingdom' ran riot in the second-half and a rout ensued. Goalkeeper Alan Quirke
Alan Quirke
Alan Quirke is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Valley Rovers and has been a member of the Cork senior inter-county team since 1999.-Club:...

 came in for much criticism after conceding some easy goals. Lynch was sprung from the bench as a substitute, however, at the full-time whistle Cork were trounced by 3-13 to 1-9.

In 2008 Cork gained a modicum of revenge on Kerry when the sides met again in that year's Munster final. Kerry were cruising by eight points at the interval, however, Cork stormed back in the second-half. Kerry could only muster three points as Cork secured a remarkable 1-16 to 1-11 victory. It was Lynch’s fourth Munster winners' medal. Both sides met again in the All-Ireland semi-final, however, after a thrilling draw and a replay Kerry were the team that advanced to the championship decider.

AT the start of 2009 Cork were earmarked as potential All-Ireland contenders. The team laid down their credentials at an early stage with a defeat of Monaghan
Monaghan GAA
The Monaghan County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Monaghan GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Monaghan and the Monaghan inter-county football and hurling teams. Separate county boards are responsible for the...

 to take the National League Division 2 title. After a subsequent defeat of Kerry in a replay of the Munster semi-final, Cork subsequently faced Limerick
Limerick GAA
The Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...

 in the Munster final. Lynch was ruled out of that game through injury. Cork were the red-hot favourites going into the game, however, his loss on the field was felt as Limerick put Cork to the pin of their collars. After a slow start 'the Rebels' settled and eventually secured a narrow 2-6 to 0-11 victory. Lynch also missed Cork’s subsequent All-Ireland quarter-final but looks set to return for a semi-final showdown with reigning champions Tyrone
Tyrone GAA
The Tyrone County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Tyrone GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Tyrone. The county board is also responsible for the Tyrone inter-county teams....

.

Inter-provincial

Lynch has also lined out with Munster
Munster GAA
The Munster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Munster.-Constituent counties:*Cork*Clare*Kerry*Limerick*Tipperary*Waterford-Honours:...

 in the inter-provincial series of games and has enjoyed some success. He first lined out with his province in 1999 when Munster qualified to play Connacht
Connacht GAA
The Connacht Council are a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Connacht.-Constituent counties:*Galway*Leitrim*Mayo*Roscommon*Sligo-Special counties:...

 in the final. The game was a largely dull affair, with the southern province securing a 0-1 to 0-6 victory and a Railway Cup winners’ medal for Lynch. It was the first of four consecutive call-ups to the Munster team, however, Lynch's province

International

Lynch has also been chosen for duty with the Ireland
Ireland international rules football team
The Ireland International rules football team is the representative team for Ireland in international rules football, a compromise between Gaelic football and Australian rules football...

 team in the International Rules Series
International Rules Series
The International Rules Series is a senior men's International rules football competition between the Australia international rules football team and the Ireland international rules football team...

 against Australia
Australia international rules football team
This article concerns the men's team; for information on the Australian women's team, see Australia women's international rules football team....

. He first lined out for his country in the first test in 2002. Australia, however, narrowly won that game by 65 points to 58 points. The second test ended in a 42 points apiece draw. As a result of this Ireland lost by an aggregate score of 7 points.

Lynch’s football prowess earned him a place on the Ireland team again in 2003. A close series of games developed once again. Australia won the first test by 10 points; however, Ireland narrowed the margin of victory to just 3 points for the second test a week later. A 101-94 aggregate score line gave Australia a second consecutive International Rules title.

After failing to make the squad in 2004, Lynch was included in the Ireland squad that travelled to Australia for the International Rules series the following year. It was a disappointing two-game series as Ireland were trounced in both tests. A 163-106 aggregate score line resulted in a defeat for Lynch’s Ireland side.

Cork

  • Munster Senior Football Championship
    Munster Senior Football Championship
    The Munster Senior Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition in the game of football played in the province of Munster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Munster Council and are played during the summer months...

    :
    • Winner (5): 1999, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2009 (sub)
    • Runner-up (3): 2001, 2005, 2007
  • National Football League (Div 1)
    National Football League (Ireland)
    The National Football League is a Gaelic football tournament held annually between the county teams of Ireland, under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The prize for the winning team is the New Ireland Cup, presented by the New Ireland Assurance Company...

    :
    • Winner (1): 1998-99
  • National Football League (Div 2)
    National Football League (Ireland)
    The National Football League is a Gaelic football tournament held annually between the county teams of Ireland, under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The prize for the winning team is the New Ireland Cup, presented by the New Ireland Assurance Company...

    :
    • Winner (1): 2009

Ireland

  • International Rules Series
    International Rules Series
    The International Rules Series is a senior men's International rules football competition between the Australia international rules football team and the Ireland international rules football team...

    :
    • Winner (0):
    • Runner-up (3): 2002, 2003, 2005

Teams

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK