Bobby Ryan (hurler)
Encyclopedia
Bobby Ryan is a retired 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 played 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...

 with his local club Borris-Ileigh
Borris-Ileigh GAA
Borris-Ileigh GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club is located in the town of Borrisoleigh in north County Tipperary, Ireland.- Honours :*All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship: 1987...

 and with the 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...

 senior inter-county team from 1981 and 1993. Ryan captained Tipperary to the All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....

 title in 1989.

Biography

Bobby Ryan was born in Borrisoleigh
Borrisoleigh
Borrisoleigh is a small town in North Tipperary in Ireland. According to the 2006 census, the town has a population of 1,178. The parish, which encompasses , has a population of just 2,000--down from a high count of 7,000 taken in 1842, before the Potato Famine. It is in the barony of Kilnamanagh...

, County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...

 in 1961. He was born into an area and into a family that were both steeped in hurling glory. Both his father, Tim Ryan, and his uncle, Ned Ryan
Ned Ryan
Ned Ryan, is a former Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Borris-Ileigh in the 1950s and was a member of the Tipperary senior inter-county team that won the Munster Senior Hurling Championship and the All-Ireland in 1950 and 1951....

, won All-Ireland medals with Tipperary in 1951. His maternal uncle, Pat Stakelum
Pat Stakelum
Pat Stakelum was an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Holycross-Ballycahill and was a member of the Tipperary senior inter-county team from 1947 until 1957. Stakelum captained Tipperary to the All-Ireland title in 1949....

, captained Tipp to All-Ireland victory over Laois
Laois GAA
The Laois County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Laois GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Laois and the Laois inter-county teams.-History:...

 in 1949. Ryan was educated at the local national school before later attending Templemore
Templemore
Templemore is a town in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty. It is part of the Roman Catholic parish of Templemore, Clonmore and Killea....

 CBS
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...

. It was here that he first tasted hurling success when he won a Dr. Harty Cup
Dr. Harty Cup
The Dr. Harty Cup is a hurling competition for schools in the province of Munster in Ireland. The cup is presented to the winners of the Munster Colleges Senior "A" Hurling Championship. Players have to be under the age of 19 to compete. The winning team represents Munster in the Dr. Croke Cup...

 medal with the school in 1978. This was later converted into an All-Ireland colleges’ title following a victory over St. Peter’s of Wexford
Wexford
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...

.

Club

Ryan played his club hurling with his local Borris-Ileigh
Borris-Ileigh GAA
Borris-Ileigh GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club is located in the town of Borrisoleigh in north County Tipperary, Ireland.- Honours :*All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship: 1987...

 club and enjoyed much success. In 1981 he was still eligible for the minor grade when he captured his first county title
Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship
The Tipperary Senior Hurling Club Championship is an annual club competition between the top Tipperary hurling clubs...

 at senior level following a victory over reigning champions Roscrea
Roscrea GAA
Roscrea GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club is located in the town of Roscrea in North County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland. The club's ground ground shares its name with St. Cronan's BNS in Bray, Co. Wicklow. The club's colours are red and white and they play at Páirc Naomh Cronáin Roscrea...

. Two years later in 1983 Ryan added a second county medal to his collection following a victory over Loughmore-Castleiney
Loughmore-Castleiney GAA
Loughmore-Castleiney GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in County Tipperary, Ireland. The club draws its players and support from the small parish of the same name. The area comprises the villages of Loughmore and Castleiney and their surrounding hinterland.-History:Loughmore-Castleiney has...

. After two seasons out of the limelight Borris-Ileigh captured a third county victory in 1986. The club later represented Tipp in the provincial club championship and reached the final of that competition. Clarecastle
Clarecastle GAA
Clarecastle GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in the village of Clarecastle in County Clare, Ireland.-Honours:*Clare Senior Hurling Championship:11**1943, 1945,1949, 1970, 1986, 1987, 1991, 1994, 1997, 2003, 2005...

 fell in that game, giving Ryan a coveted Munster
Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 for the top hurling clubs in the province of Munster in Ireland...

 club title. Borris-Ileigh later reached the All-Ireland club final where Rathnure
Rathnure GAA
Rathnure St. Anne’s is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Rathnure, County Wexford, Ireland. Rathnure's most famous players are the Rackards and Quigley brothers.-First AGM:...

 of Wexford provided the opposition. Philip Kenny and Aidan Ryan
Aidan Ryan
Aidan Ryan is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Borrisoleigh and with the Tipperary senior inter-county team in the 1980s and 1990s.He won a minor all Ireland hurling medal in 1982 and followed with an u-21 medal in 1985...

’s first-half goals helped Borris-Ileigh to a 2-9 to 0-9 victory. This win gave Ryan a coveted All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling tournament played between hundreds of senior hurling clubs in Ireland. The Tommy Moore Cup is awarded to the winners. The current champions are Clarinbridge...

 club winners’ medal.

Minor & under-21

Ryan’s talent as a hurler was quickly spotted by the Tipperary inter-county selectors and he joined the minor panel in the late 1970s. He had little success in this grade; however, he won a Munster
Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Under-21 Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 for players aged between 18 and 21 in the province of Munster in Ireland...

 title at under-21 level in 1980. Ryan later lined out in the All-Ireland final, with Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny 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 Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...

 providing the opposition. A final score of 2-9 to 0-14 gave Tipp a slim victory and gave Ryan an All-Ireland
All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of hurling played in Ireland...

 medal at under-21 level. In 1981 he added a second consecutive Munster under-21 title to his collection before later lining out in a second consecutive All-Ireland medal. Kilkenny were the opponents once again, however, Tipp claimed a more comprehensive 2-16 to 1-10 win. It was Ryan’s second consecutive All-Ireland under-21 medal.

Senior

One year after these All-Ireland under-21 victories Ryan made his debut on the Tipperary’s senior hurling team. The county’s hurling fortunes were in the doldrums at this time, as arch-rivals Cork were the king-pins of Munster hurling.

In 1984 Ryan was appointed captain of the Tipperary senior hurling team. It was the centenary year of the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...

 and every team was hoping for success. That year Tipp reached their first Munster final since 1973, with the game against Cork turned out to be a thriller. Unfortunately, Ryan had to retire from the game early when he suffered a broken leg when Cork’s Tim Crowley
Tim Crowley
Tim Crowley is a former Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with Newcestown and Cork in the 1970s and 1980s.-Playing career:...

 fell on him. With four minutes to go in the game Tipp were leading by four points and looked set for victory. Seánie O'Leary
Seánie O'Leary
Seanie O'Leary is a former Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Youghal and with the Cork senior inter-county team from 1971 until 1984.-Early & private life:...

 and Tony O'Sullivan
Tony O'Sullivan
Tony O'Sullivan is an Irish retired sportsperson. A dual player, he played both hurling and Gaelic football with his local club Na Piarsaigh and was a member of both Cork senior inter-county teams in the 1980s and 1990s.-Club:O’Sullivan played his club hurling with the Na Piarsaigh club on the...

, however, scored two quick goals to clinch victory for Cork. These goals ended Tipp’s involvement in the centenary championship.

In 1986 Tipp were eliminated from the provincial championship at the first hurdle, however, in spite of this Ryan’s hurling skills were honoured when he collected his first 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. His involvement in an All-Star trip to the United States in May 1987 cost him his place on the Tipperary team, as new manager Babs Keating advised him not to go. Ryan quickly regained his place on the team and returned at full-forward. It proved to be a successful year for Tipp as the county won its first Munster
Munster Senior Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Munster in Ireland....

 title in sixteen years following a dramatic draw and a replay with Cork in FitzGerald Stadium
FitzGerald Stadium
Fitzgerald Stadium is the principal Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Killarney, Ireland, and is the home championship venue for the Kerry senior football team....

, Killarney
Killarney
Killarney is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is located north of the MacGillicuddy Reeks, on the northeastern shore of the Lough Lein/Leane which are part of Killarney National Park. The town and its surrounding region are home to St...

 . In the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final 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,...

 put an end to Tipp’s dream season with a 3-20 to 2-17 defeat.

1988 began well for Ryan as he added a National Hurling League
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...

 medal to his collection. He later captured his second Munster medal following another victory over Cork. A subsequent defeat of Antrim
Antrim GAA
The Antrim County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Antrim GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Antrim. The county board is also responsible for the Antrim inter-county teams...

 allowed Tipp to advance to the All-Ireland final where Galway provided the opposition. With an extra year’s experience it was expected that Tipp might shade the victory. Galway, however, used this to motivate themselves. Noel Lane
Noel Lane
Noel Lane is a retired Irish hurling manager and former player. He played hurling with his local club Ballinderreen and with the Galway senior inter-county team from 1977 until 1990. Lane served as manager of the Galway senior inter-county team from 2000 until 2002...

 scored the crucial goal for Galway while Nicky English
Nicky English
Nicholas J. English , better known as Nicky English, is a retired Irish hurling manager and former player. He played hurling with his local club Lattin-Cullen and with the Tipperary senior inter-county team from 1982 until 1996...

 sent a late penalty over the bar for a point. A 1-15 to 0-14 score line resulted in victory for Galway and defeat for Ryan.

In 1989 Ryan was appointed captain of his county for a second time. Tipperary were still the best team in Munster and Ryan won his third provincial title in-a-row after a 0-26 to 2-8 trouncing of Waterford
Waterford GAA
The Waterford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Waterford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for all levels of Gaelic games in County Waterford. The County Board is also responsible for the Waterford inter-county teams. The county...

. For the third time in as many years Tipp faced Galway in the All-Ireland series, however, on this occasion the men from the West were without their star player Tony Keady
Tony Keady
Tony Keady is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Killimordaly and was a member of the Galway senior inter-county team in the 1980s and 1990s.-Club:...

. The game turned out to be a tense and unsavory affair as Tipp finally triumphed over Galway. Antrim, the surprise winners of the other semi-final, provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland final. It was an historic occasion as it was only the second appearance of an Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...

 team in the championship decider. Antrim’s relative inexperience robbed the final of any real element of contest and Tipp romped home to a 4-24 to 3-9 win. Because of this Tipp preserved their record of being the only team to win an All-Ireland title in every decade in GAA history. It was Ryan’s first senior All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....

 medal. He finished off the year by winning a third All-Star award.

In 1990 Tipperary surrendered their Munster crown to Cork for the first time in four years. This defeat followed Babs Keating’s infamous remark about Cork that ‘donkeys don’t win derbies’.

Tipp returned in 1991 and defeated Cork in a thrilling Munster final replay giving Ryan his fourth provincial medal. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Tipp take on Kilkenny for the first time in twenty years. A freak goal by Michael Cleary
Michael Cleary (hurler)
Michael Cleary is a former Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Nenagh Éire Óg and with the Tipperary senior inter-county team in the 1980s and 1990s.-Early life:...

 in the first-half gave Tipp a lead which they never surrendered. A 1-16 to 0-15 victory allowed Ryan to capture his second All-Ireland medal in three years.

1992 saw Tipp exit the championship at an early stage, however, the team bounced back for one last hurrah in 1993. That year Ryan added a fifth Munster medal to his collection as Tipp trounced Clare by 3-27 to 2-12. The subsequent All-Ireland semi-final saw Tipp renew their rivalry with Galway; however, on this occasion Galway took the spoils. This defeat brought the curtain down on Tipp’s great revival while also being an end to Ryan’s inter-county career.

Provincial

Ryan 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 hurling championship where he played alongside his championship rivals from other Munster hurling counties. He first played for his province in 1984 as Munster defeated Leinster
Leinster GAA
The Leinster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Leinster. The Leinster Council has been partnered with the European County Board to help develop Gaelic Games in Europe...

 to take the Railway Cup title. It was the first of back-to-back Railway Cup titles for Ryan and for Munster. It would be 1992 before he added a third and final Railway Cup medal to his collection.

Borris-Ileigh

  • All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship
    All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship
    The All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling tournament played between hundreds of senior hurling clubs in Ireland. The Tommy Moore Cup is awarded to the winners. The current champions are Clarinbridge...

    :
    • Winner (1): 1987
  • Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship
    Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship
    The Munster GAA Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 for the top hurling clubs in the province of Munster in Ireland...

    :
    • Winner (1): 1986
    • Runner-up (1): 1983
  • Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship
    Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship
    The Tipperary Senior Hurling Club Championship is an annual club competition between the top Tipperary hurling clubs...

    :
    • Winner (3): 1981, 1983, 1986
    • Runner-up (1): 1988

Tipperary

  • All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
    All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
    The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....

    :
    • Winner (1): 1989
      All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1989
      The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship of 1989 was the 103rd staging of Ireland's premier hurling knock-out competition. Tipperary won the championship, beating Antrim 4-24 to 3-9 in the final at Croke Park, Dublin.-Calendar:-Overview:...

      , 1991
      All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1991
      -Season:-Single game:-External links:*...

    • Runner-up (1): 1988
      All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1988
      -References:* Corry, Eoghan, The GAA Book of Lists .* Donegan, Des, The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games .-External links:*...

  • Munster Senior Hurling Championship
    Munster Senior Hurling Championship
    The Munster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Munster in Ireland....

    :
    • Winner (5): 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993
    • Runner-up (2): 1984, 1985, 1990
  • National Hurling League
    National Hurling League
    The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...

    :
    • Winner (1): 1987-1988
    • Runner-up (2): 1988-1989
  • All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship
    All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship
    The All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of hurling played in Ireland...

    :
    • Winner (2): 1980, 1981
  • Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship
    Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship
    The Munster GAA Hurling Under-21 Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 for players aged between 18 and 21 in the province of Munster in Ireland...

    :
    • Winner (2): 1980, 1981

Teams

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