Gary Kirby
Encyclopedia
Gary Kirby is an Irish
hurling
manager
and former player. He is currently the manager of the Patrickswell
senior hurling team.
An effective centre-forward, Kirby is often regarded as one of the greatest players never to have won an All-Ireland
medal. Nonetheless he enjoyed a successful playing career at club level with Patrickswell and at inter-county level with Limerick
. He was a key member of the latter team during the resurgence of the 1990s and collected two Munster
titles, two National Hurling League
titles and four All-Star
awards.
In retirement from playing Kirby has become involved in team management at all levels. He was a selector with the Limerick senior hurling team under Richie Bennis
from 2006 until 2008, a period which saw Limerick qualify for the All-Ireland final in 2007. While Kirby has been touted as a possible future manager of Limerick, he has been in charge of the Patrickswell senior hurling team since 2008.
team and enjoyed much success in a club career that spanned three decades. He first came to prominence on the club scene as a seventeen year-old in 1984, when he starred on both the club's minor and senior teams. Furthermore, Kirby collected a minor county title while a defeat of Cappamore gave him his very first senior county championship
winners' medal.
Three years later Kirby was a key member of the forwards as rivals Ballybrown provided the opposition in another county championship decider. 'The Well' narrowly took the title by 1-17 to 3-10 and Kirby collected his second winners' medal.
In 1988 Patrickswell contested the county championship decider for the second consecutive year. Cappamore provided the opposition, however, Patrickswell triumphed by ten points and Kirby added a third county title to his collection. Patrickswell later represented the county in the provincial series of games and even reached the final. The famous Mount Sion club provided the opposition, however, Patrickswell won by 3-13 to 2-13 and Kirby collected a Munster
club winners' medal. Patrickswell's run of success came to an end in the All-Ireland semi-final when the O'Donovan Rossa from Belfast
defeated the Munster champions by a single point.
Patrickswell failed to make it three-in-a-row in 1989, however, the team bounced back the following year to defeat Adare
and give Kirby a fourth county championship title. He later added a second Munster club title to his collection following a triumph over Éire Óg, however, he was back on the team for the All-Ireland final against Glenmore
. The game was an exciting one, however, Patrickswell only held the lead on one occasion when Leonard Enright
opened the scoring. A 1-13 to 0-12 score line gave Glenmore the title.
The next decade saw Patrickswell become the dominant force in club hurling in Limerick. Kirby won his fifth county championship title in 1993. He added to his haul of medals as Patrickswell won three county championships in-a-row in 1995, 1996 and 1997. This latter win was subsequently followed by another Munster final appearance. Clarecastle
provided the opposition and eventually won the game by two points.
Four-in-a-row proved beyond Patrickswell, however, in 2000 a one point defeat of Doon
gave Kirby a ninth county championship winners' medal.
Defeat in 2001 was followed by a tenth county championship success for Kirby in 2003 when Adare were accounted for by two points. Patrickswell subsequently qualified for the Munster final, however, Cork champions Newtwonshandrum
recorded a 2-18 to 2-9 victory.
Following nearly twenty years of service to Patrickswell, Kirby announced his retirement from club hurling in June 2004.
minor hurling team in the early 1980s. After losing nine provincial deciders since their last success in 1965, Kirby's minor team went into the 1984 unster final as underdogs. Tipperary
, the team that had beaten Limerick in the two previous deciders, provided the opposition once again. At the long whistle Limerick were the champions by 3-6 to 2-7 and Kirby collected a Munster
minor winners' medal. Limerick later qualified for the All-Ireland final with Kilkenny
providing the opposition. It was the very first meeting between these two sides in the minor championship. An exciting game developed, however, at the full-time whistle both sides were level and a replay was required. The second encounter between the two sides was a low-scoring tense affair, however, Limerick narrowly triumphed by 2-5 to 2-4 and Kirby collected a coveted All-Ireland
minor winners' medal.
Two years later Kirby was a key member of the Limerick under-21 hurling team. A Munster final appearance beckoned with near neighbours Clare
providing the opposition. A close game developed and, at the end, both sides were level with 3-9 apiece. The subsequent replay was something akin to a walkover for Limerick. A 2-10 to 0-3 score line gave imerick the win and gave Kirby a Munster
winners' medal in the under-21 grade. Limerick, however, were later beaten in the All-Ireland semi-final.
In 1987 Limerick reached the provincial under-21 decider for a second successive year. Cork were the opponents on that ocacsion, however, Kirby collected a second Munster under-21 title following a 3-14 to 2-9 victory. An appearance in the All-Ireland final soon followed with reigning champions Galway
providing the opposition. Limerick, however, proved unstoppable and powered to a 2-15 to 3-6 victory and a coveted All-Ireland
winners' medal.
in 1987 at a time when the county team was in the doldrums. His first few seasons on the team ended with an early exit from the provincial championship, however, even though Limerick weren't enjoying much success Kirby was presented with his first All-Star
award in 1991.
In 1992 Limerick's fortunes began to change. That year Kirby's side qualified for the final of the National Hurling League
and a stern test awaited. Reigning All-Ireland
champions Tipperary provided the opposition and took an eight-point lead at half-time. Limerick battled back to claim a narrow 0-14 to 0-13 victory and Kirby collected his first National League winners' medal. The new league champions built on this momentum and subsequently qualified for a Munster final showdown with Cork. A high-scoring game developed, however, at the long whistle Cork were the champions by 1-22 to 3-11.
Limerick failed to reach the provincial decider the following year, however, in 1994 Kirby was captain as the team bounced back and qualified for the Munster final again. Provincial whipping boys Clare
were the opponents and a rout took place. A 0-25 to 2-10 score line gave Limerick the win and gave Kirby his first Munster
winners' medal. Limerick subsequently qualified to meet Offaly
in the All-Ireland final. It looked as if Kirby's side were going to make history and claim the title as they had a five-point lead with as many minutes left. Offaly suddenly sprang to life following a Johnny Dooley
goal from a close-in free. Following the puck-out Offaly worked the ball up field and Pat O'Connor
struck for a second goal. The Offaly forwards scored another five unanswered points in the time remaining to secure a 3-16 to 2-13 victory. It was a bitter blow for Limerick who looked as if they had one hand on the Liam McCarthy Cup
. In spite of the defeat Kirby was later presented with a second All-Star award.
Limerick surrendered their Munster title to Clare in 1995, however, Kirby picked up a third All-Star. The men from the Treaty county faced Tipperary in the provincial final the following year. All did not go to plan and looked to be heading out of the championship as Tipp took a ten-point lead. Kirby's side battled back to secure a 0-19 to 1-16 draw and a second chance to defeat their near rivals. The replay also saw Tipperary take a decisive lead, however, Limerick's goal-scoring ability was the deciding factor. A 4-7 to 0-16 score line gave Limerick the title and gave Kirby a second Munster winners' medal. The subsequent All-Ireland final pitted Limerick against Wexford
for the first time in over forty years. The game was far from a classic; however, it did provide excitement. Tom Dempsey
was the hero of the day as he scored a goal after nineteen minutes to give Wexford a major advantage. His side led by 1-8 to 0-10 at half-time in spite of having Éamonn Scallan
sent off. Wexford took a four-point lead in the second-half; however, this was whittled back to two points as Wexford hung on for the last twenty minutes. The final score of 1-13 to 0-14 showed how vital Dempsey’s goal was. It was Limerick's second All-Ireland defeat in two years. Once again Kirby's individual skill was recognised when he collected his fourth All-Star award.
Limerick bounced back immediately in 1997 by defeating Galway by 1-12 to 1-9 to take the National League title. It was Kirby's second winners' medal in that competition. The recent All-Ireland defeats, however, seemed to have damaged the team as Limerick crashed out of the provincial championship at an early stage.
This process repeated itself over the next few years. Following Limerick's exit from the championship in 1999 Kirby decided to retire from inter-county hurling.
team in the inter-provincial series of games. He first lined out for his province in 1991 as Munster faced Connacht
in the decider. That game ended in defeat for Kirby's side as the westerners won by 4-16 to 3-17.
After being omitted from the team for three years, Kirby was back on the team in 1994, however, Munster were defeated in the opening game. He was appointed captain in 1995 as the southerners qualified for the final. Ulster
provided the opposition, however, Munster scraped a win by 0-13 to 1-9 and Kirby collected a coveted Railway Cup winners' medal.
It was the beginning of a successful era for the province as Munster retained the title in 1996 with Kirby winning a second Railway Cup title in his last Railway Cup appearance.
suddenly resigned following the county's exit from the provincial championship. Richie Bennis
was appointed manager on an interim basis while Kirby joined the management team as a selector. While Limerick hurling was at a low ebb the team still qualified for an All-Ireland quarter-final meeting with reigning All-Ireland champions Cork. A close game developed, however, at the full-time whistle Limerick lost out by a single point.
Bennis and his selection team remained in charge of Limerick again for the 2007 season, a season which turned out to be one of Limerick's best in many years. After a remarkable three-game sage with Tipperary in the Munster semi-final, the Treaty county qualified for their first provincial decider since 2001. Waterford
provided the opposition, however, they were defeated on a score line of 3-17 to 1-14. These two sides later met again in the All-Ireland semi-final, however, the management and players master-minded a magnificent 5-11 to 2-15 victory over the Munster champions. This victory allowed Limerick to play Kilkenny in the championship decider. Unfortunately, Limerick got off to a bad start with goalkeeper Brian Murray
letting in two goals by Eddie Brennan
and Henry Shefflin
in the first ten minutes. Limerick fought back, however 'the Cats' went on to win the game by seven points.
In 2008 Limerick failed to build on the relative success of the previous season. The team were beaten by 4-12 to 1-16 in opening game of the championship by Clare. The newly-structured qualifier system pitted Limerick against Offaly
in a must-win game. Limerick, however, were out of sorts as they suffered a surprising 3-19 to 0-18 defeat and were dumped out of the championship.
Following this defeat the management team's term in charge ended and, while there was some speculation that Kirby would succeed Richie Bennis as manager, the poistion went to Justin McCarthy
instead.
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...
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...
manager
Manager (Gaelic games)
In Gaelic games, a manager or coach is an individual involved in the direction and instruction of the on-field operations of a team. Managing, or coaching, entails the application of sport tactics and strategies during the game itself, and usually entails substitution of players and other such...
and former player. He is currently the manager of the Patrickswell
Patrickswell GAA
Patrickswell GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the small village of Patrickswell in County Limerick, Ireland. The club is almost exclusively concerned with the game of hurling.-Honours:*Munster Senior Club Hurling Championships: 2...
senior hurling team.
An effective centre-forward, Kirby is often regarded as one of the greatest players never to have won an 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. Nonetheless he enjoyed a successful playing career at club level with Patrickswell and at inter-county level with 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...
. He was a key member of the latter team during the resurgence of the 1990s and collected two 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....
titles, two 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...
titles and four 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...
awards.
In retirement from playing Kirby has become involved in team management at all levels. He was a selector with the Limerick senior hurling team under Richie Bennis
Richie Bennis
Richie Bennis is a retired Irish hurling manager and former player. He played hurling with his local club Patrickswell and with the Limerick senior inter-county in the 1960s and 1970s. Bennis later served as manager of the Limerick senior team from 2006 until 2008.As a player Bennis was involved...
from 2006 until 2008, a period which saw Limerick qualify for the All-Ireland final in 2007. While Kirby has been touted as a possible future manager of Limerick, he has been in charge of the Patrickswell senior hurling team since 2008.
Club
Kirby played his club hurling with the famous PatrickswellPatrickswell GAA
Patrickswell GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the small village of Patrickswell in County Limerick, Ireland. The club is almost exclusively concerned with the game of hurling.-Honours:*Munster Senior Club Hurling Championships: 2...
team and enjoyed much success in a club career that spanned three decades. He first came to prominence on the club scene as a seventeen year-old in 1984, when he starred on both the club's minor and senior teams. Furthermore, Kirby collected a minor county title while a defeat of Cappamore gave him his very first senior county championship
Limerick Senior Hurling Championship
The Limerick Senior Hurling Championship is an annual club competition between the top Limerick Clubs. The winners of the Limerick Championship qualify to represent their county in the Munster Club Championship and in turn, go on to the All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship...
winners' medal.
Three years later Kirby was a key member of the forwards as rivals Ballybrown provided the opposition in another county championship decider. 'The Well' narrowly took the title by 1-17 to 3-10 and Kirby collected his second winners' medal.
In 1988 Patrickswell contested the county championship decider for the second consecutive year. Cappamore provided the opposition, however, Patrickswell triumphed by ten points and Kirby added a third county title to his collection. Patrickswell later represented the county in the provincial series of games and even reached the final. The famous Mount Sion club provided the opposition, however, Patrickswell won by 3-13 to 2-13 and Kirby collected a 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 winners' medal. Patrickswell's run of success came to an end in the All-Ireland semi-final when the O'Donovan Rossa from Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
defeated the Munster champions by a single point.
Patrickswell failed to make it three-in-a-row in 1989, however, the team bounced back the following year to defeat Adare
Adare GAA
Adare GAA club is a GAA club based in Adare, west County Limerick, Republic of Ireland. Hurling is more popular in the village.Adare have reached the county senior hurling final on 11 occasions, most recently in 2009 when they defeated Na Piarsaigh...
and give Kirby a fourth county championship title. He later added a second Munster club title to his collection following a triumph over Éire Óg, however, he was back on the team for the All-Ireland final against Glenmore
Glenmore GAA
Glenmore is a Gaelic Athletic Association club situated in the south of County Kilkenny, Ireland. The club was founded in 1888 and has achieved hurling success at county, provincial and national level. Glenmore has also provided the Kilkenny intercounty team with several top players...
. The game was an exciting one, however, Patrickswell only held the lead on one occasion when Leonard Enright
Leonard Enright
Leonard Enright is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Patrickswell and with the Limerick senior inter-county team from 1971 until 1988.-References:...
opened the scoring. A 1-13 to 0-12 score line gave Glenmore the title.
The next decade saw Patrickswell become the dominant force in club hurling in Limerick. Kirby won his fifth county championship title in 1993. He added to his haul of medals as Patrickswell won three county championships in-a-row in 1995, 1996 and 1997. This latter win was subsequently followed by another Munster final appearance. 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...
provided the opposition and eventually won the game by two points.
Four-in-a-row proved beyond Patrickswell, however, in 2000 a one point defeat of Doon
Doon GAA
Doon GAA club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club, founded in 1888. It is based in the village of Doon in County Limerick, Ireland. The club is part of the East Division of the Limerick GAA, and has provided several players to the county and provincial hurling squads...
gave Kirby a ninth county championship winners' medal.
Defeat in 2001 was followed by a tenth county championship success for Kirby in 2003 when Adare were accounted for by two points. Patrickswell subsequently qualified for the Munster final, however, Cork champions Newtwonshandrum
Newtownshandrum GAA
Newtownshandrum GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the small village of Newtownshandrum in County Cork, Ireland. The club, situated in half a parish of about 800 people, was founded in 1896 and is almost exclusively concerned with the game of hurling.In senior hurling...
recorded a 2-18 to 2-9 victory.
Following nearly twenty years of service to Patrickswell, Kirby announced his retirement from club hurling in June 2004.
Minor & under-21
Kirby first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the LimerickLimerick 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...
minor hurling team in the early 1980s. After losing nine provincial deciders since their last success in 1965, Kirby's minor team went into the 1984 unster final as underdogs. 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...
, the team that had beaten Limerick in the two previous deciders, provided the opposition once again. At the long whistle Limerick were the champions by 3-6 to 2-7 and Kirby collected a Munster
Munster Minor Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Minor Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for the youngest competitors in the province of Munster in Ireland...
minor winners' medal. Limerick later qualified for 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. It was the very first meeting between these two sides in the minor championship. An exciting game developed, however, at the full-time whistle both sides were level and a replay was required. The second encounter between the two sides was a low-scoring tense affair, however, Limerick narrowly triumphed by 2-5 to 2-4 and Kirby collected a coveted All-Ireland
All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship is an annual competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for competitors under eighteen years of age in the game of hurling played in Ireland.The series of games are played during the summer months with the All-Ireland final...
minor winners' medal.
Two years later Kirby was a key member of the Limerick under-21 hurling team. A Munster final appearance beckoned with near neighbours 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....
providing the opposition. A close game developed and, at the end, both sides were level with 3-9 apiece. The subsequent replay was something akin to a walkover for Limerick. A 2-10 to 0-3 score line gave imerick the win and gave Kirby 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...
winners' medal in the under-21 grade. Limerick, however, were later beaten in the All-Ireland semi-final.
In 1987 Limerick reached the provincial under-21 decider for a second successive year. Cork were the opponents on that ocacsion, however, Kirby collected a second Munster under-21 title following a 3-14 to 2-9 victory. An appearance in the All-Ireland final soon followed with reigning 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,...
providing the opposition. Limerick, however, proved unstoppable and powered to a 2-15 to 3-6 victory and a coveted 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...
winners' medal.
Senior
Kirby made his senior championship debut for LimerickLimerick 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 1987 at a time when the county team was in the doldrums. His first few seasons on the team ended with an early exit from the provincial championship, however, even though Limerick weren't enjoying much success Kirby was presented with 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 in 1991.
In 1992 Limerick's fortunes began to change. That year Kirby's side qualified for the final of the 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...
and a stern test awaited. Reigning 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....
champions Tipperary provided the opposition and took an eight-point lead at half-time. Limerick battled back to claim a narrow 0-14 to 0-13 victory and Kirby collected his first National League winners' medal. The new league champions built on this momentum and subsequently qualified for a Munster final showdown with Cork. A high-scoring game developed, however, at the long whistle Cork were the champions by 1-22 to 3-11.
Limerick failed to reach the provincial decider the following year, however, in 1994 Kirby was captain as the team bounced back and qualified for the Munster final again. Provincial whipping boys 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....
were the opponents and a rout took place. A 0-25 to 2-10 score line gave Limerick the win and gave Kirby his 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....
winners' medal. Limerick subsequently qualified to meet Offaly
Offaly GAA
The Offaly County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Offaly GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Offaly...
in the All-Ireland final. It looked as if Kirby's side were going to make history and claim the title as they had a five-point lead with as many minutes left. Offaly suddenly sprang to life following a Johnny Dooley
Johnny Dooley
Johnny Dooley is an Irish former hurling manager and player. He played hurling with his local club Seir Kieran and was a member of the Offaly senior inter-county team from 1991 until 2002...
goal from a close-in free. Following the puck-out Offaly worked the ball up field and Pat O'Connor
Pat O'Connor (hurler)
Pat O'Connor is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Coolderry and was a member of the Offaly senior inter-county team from 1987 until 1996.-References:...
struck for a second goal. The Offaly forwards scored another five unanswered points in the time remaining to secure a 3-16 to 2-13 victory. It was a bitter blow for Limerick who looked as if they had one hand on the Liam McCarthy Cup
Liam McCarthy Cup
The MacCarthy Perpetual Challenge Cup is a trophy awarded annually by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the hurling team that wins the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.-The trophy:...
. In spite of the defeat Kirby was later presented with a second All-Star award.
Limerick surrendered their Munster title to Clare in 1995, however, Kirby picked up a third All-Star. The men from the Treaty county faced Tipperary in the provincial final the following year. All did not go to plan and looked to be heading out of the championship as Tipp took a ten-point lead. Kirby's side battled back to secure a 0-19 to 1-16 draw and a second chance to defeat their near rivals. The replay also saw Tipperary take a decisive lead, however, Limerick's goal-scoring ability was the deciding factor. A 4-7 to 0-16 score line gave Limerick the title and gave Kirby a second Munster winners' medal. The subsequent All-Ireland final pitted Limerick against Wexford
Wexford GAA
The Wexford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Wexford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Wexford. The county board is also responsible for the Wexford inter-county teams.-History:Hurling has been played in...
for the first time in over forty years. The game was far from a classic; however, it did provide excitement. Tom Dempsey
Tom Dempsey (hurler)
Tom Dempsey is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Buffer's Alley and with the Wexford senior inter-county team from 1984 until 2000.-Club:...
was the hero of the day as he scored a goal after nineteen minutes to give Wexford a major advantage. His side led by 1-8 to 0-10 at half-time in spite of having Éamonn Scallan
Éamonn Scallan
Éamonn Scallan is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Ferns-St. Aidan's and with the Wexford senior inter-county team in the 1990s and 2000s.- References :...
sent off. Wexford took a four-point lead in the second-half; however, this was whittled back to two points as Wexford hung on for the last twenty minutes. The final score of 1-13 to 0-14 showed how vital Dempsey’s goal was. It was Limerick's second All-Ireland defeat in two years. Once again Kirby's individual skill was recognised when he collected his fourth All-Star award.
Limerick bounced back immediately in 1997 by defeating Galway by 1-12 to 1-9 to take the National League title. It was Kirby's second winners' medal in that competition. The recent All-Ireland defeats, however, seemed to have damaged the team as Limerick crashed out of the provincial championship at an early stage.
This process repeated itself over the next few years. Following Limerick's exit from the championship in 1999 Kirby decided to retire from inter-county hurling.
Inter-provincial
Kirby also had the honour of being selected for the MunsterMunster 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:...
team in the inter-provincial series of games. He first lined out for his province in 1991 as Munster faced 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 decider. That game ended in defeat for Kirby's side as the westerners won by 4-16 to 3-17.
After being omitted from the team for three years, Kirby was back on the team in 1994, however, Munster were defeated in the opening game. He was appointed captain in 1995 as the southerners qualified for the final. Ulster
Ulster GAA
The Ulster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, and handball in the province of Ulster. The headquarters of the Ulster GAA is based in Armagh City....
provided the opposition, however, Munster scraped a win by 0-13 to 1-9 and Kirby collected a coveted Railway Cup winners' medal.
It was the beginning of a successful era for the province as Munster retained the title in 1996 with Kirby winning a second Railway Cup title in his last Railway Cup appearance.
Limerick
In 2006 Limerick manager Joe McKennaJoe McKenna
Joe McKenna is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club South Liberties and with the Limerick senior inter-county team from 1971 until 1985...
suddenly resigned following the county's exit from the provincial championship. Richie Bennis
Richie Bennis
Richie Bennis is a retired Irish hurling manager and former player. He played hurling with his local club Patrickswell and with the Limerick senior inter-county in the 1960s and 1970s. Bennis later served as manager of the Limerick senior team from 2006 until 2008.As a player Bennis was involved...
was appointed manager on an interim basis while Kirby joined the management team as a selector. While Limerick hurling was at a low ebb the team still qualified for an All-Ireland quarter-final meeting with reigning All-Ireland champions Cork. A close game developed, however, at the full-time whistle Limerick lost out by a single point.
Bennis and his selection team remained in charge of Limerick again for the 2007 season, a season which turned out to be one of Limerick's best in many years. After a remarkable three-game sage with Tipperary in the Munster semi-final, the Treaty county qualified for their first provincial decider since 2001. 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...
provided the opposition, however, they were defeated on a score line of 3-17 to 1-14. These two sides later met again in the All-Ireland semi-final, however, the management and players master-minded a magnificent 5-11 to 2-15 victory over the Munster champions. This victory allowed Limerick to play Kilkenny in the championship decider. Unfortunately, Limerick got off to a bad start with goalkeeper Brian Murray
Brian Murray (hurler)
Brian Murray is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Patrickswell and was a member of the Limerick senior inter-county team from 2006 until 2009.-Club:...
letting in two goals by Eddie Brennan
Eddie Brennan
Eddie Brennan is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Graigue-Ballycallan and has been a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team since 2000.-Biography:...
and Henry Shefflin
Henry Shefflin
Henry Shefflin is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Ballyhale Shamrocks and has been a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team since 1999...
in the first ten minutes. Limerick fought back, however 'the Cats' went on to win the game by seven points.
In 2008 Limerick failed to build on the relative success of the previous season. The team were beaten by 4-12 to 1-16 in opening game of the championship by Clare. The newly-structured qualifier system pitted Limerick against Offaly
Offaly GAA
The Offaly County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Offaly GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Offaly...
in a must-win game. Limerick, however, were out of sorts as they suffered a surprising 3-19 to 0-18 defeat and were dumped out of the championship.
Following this defeat the management team's term in charge ended and, while there was some speculation that Kirby would succeed Richie Bennis as manager, the poistion went to Justin McCarthy
Justin McCarthy (hurler)
Justin McCarthy is an Irish former hurling manager and former player, who took over as manager of the Limerick senior inter-county team in October 2008. He played hurling with his local club Passage and with the Cork senior inter-county team in the 1960s and 1970s.As a player McCarthy was involved...
instead.