Liam Sheedy
Encyclopedia
Liam Sheedy 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...

 former hurler
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...

 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...

. He played for his local club Portroe
Portroe GAA
Portroe GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association gaelic football and hurling club located in the village of Portroe, eight miles outside Nenagh in North County Tipperary, Ireland...

 and was a member of 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 1997 until 1999. Sheedy served as manager of the Tipperary senior team from 2007 until 2010.

Club

Sheedy played his club hurling with his local club in Portroe
Portroe GAA
Portroe GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association gaelic football and hurling club located in the village of Portroe, eight miles outside Nenagh in North County Tipperary, Ireland...

 and enjoyed some success. The highlight of his club hurling career came in 1990 when he captured a county title at intermediate level with Portroe.

Minor, under-21 & junior

Sheedy first came to prominence on the inter-county scene in the early 1980s as a member of 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...

 under-16 team. He won a Munster title at this level before later joining the county minor team. Here he enjoyed much more success, winning 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...

 title with the team in 1987. Sheedy later lined out in the All-Ireland final with Leinster champions 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...

 providing the opposition. It was a disappointing day for Tipp as Sheedy’s side lost by 2–8 to 0–12.

Two years later in 1989 Sheedy was a key member of the Tipperary under-21 team. That year he collected 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 in that grade following a 5–16 to 1–6 trouncing of 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...

. The subsequent All-Ireland final pitted Tipperary against Offaly. On this occasion Sheedy ended up on the winning side as Tipp won by 4–10 to 3–11. This victory gave him 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...

 under-21 medal. In 1990 Sheedy captured a second consecutive Munster title in the under-21 grade following another heavy defeat of Limerick. He later lined out in a second consecutive All-Ireland final. On this occasion 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...

 were the opponents, however, Sheedy’s side were defeated by 2–11 to 1–11 on this occasion.

By this stage Sheedy had also joined the Tipperary junior hurling team. He captured a Munster
Munster Junior Hurling Championship
The Munster Junior Hurling Championship is a junior "knockout" competition in the game of Hurling played in the province of Munster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Munster Council....

 title in this grade in 1989 following a 2–14 to 2–8 defeat of Cork. He later lined out in the All-Ireland final with 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. It was a successful day for Sheedy as Tipp defeated the men from the west by 0–12 to 0–8 to take the All-Ireland
All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship was a hurling competition organized by the Gaelic Athletic Association in Ireland. The competition was originally contested by the second teams of the strong counties, and the first teams of the weaker counties...

 title. Two years later in 1991 Sheedy added a second Munster junior title to his collection after an exciting draw and a replay with Cork. After a defeat of Kilkenny in the ‘home’ All-Ireland final Tipp later took on London
London GAA
The London County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or London GAA is one of the county boards outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in London...

 in the All-Ireland proper. A 4–17 to 1–5 trouncing gave Sheedy his second All-Ireland medal at junior level.

Senior

While still a member of both the Tipperary under-21 and junior hurling teams Sheedy joined the senior team. He made his debut in 1989 in 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...

 game against 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...

. In spite of this Sheedy was still not chosen on the Tipp senior team in the championship until 1997.

That year he lined out in his first provincial decider. 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....

 provided the opposition on that occasion, however, it was an occasion to forget for Sheddy as Tipp lost a close and exciting game by 1–18 to 0–18. The introduction of the new ‘back-door’ system resulted in both Clare and Tipperary meeting for the second time in the first all-Munster All-Ireland final. The game itself was one of the best of the decade. Clare were well on top for much of the game, however, Liam Cahill
Liam Cahill
Liam Cahill was an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Ballingarry and with the Tipperary senior inter-county team in the 1990s and 2000s. Cahill transferred to play for Thurles in 2007, winning a County Senior Hurling medal with them in 2009...

 and Eugene O’Neill scored twice for Tipp in the last ten minutes. John Leahy
John Leahy (hurler)
John Leahy is a former Irish sportsperson. He played senior hurling with the Tipperary inter-county team from 1988 until 2003. He also represented Tipperary in all grades in Gaelic Football. He is regarded as a great hurler in Tipperary.-Early life & private life:John Leahy was born in...

 missed a goal chance in the last minute. At the full-time whistle Clare were deserving winners by a single point – 0–20 to 2–13.

Sheedy added a National League medal to his collection in 1999; however, success in the championship still eluded him. He lined out in the National League final again in 2000, however, Tipp lost out to Galway. After failing to make an appearance in the championship that year Sheedy retired from inter-county hurling.

Early managerial career

Shortly after his retirement from playing, Sheedy became involved in team management. In 2000 he took charge of the Tipperary intermediate hurling team and enjoyed some initial success. He guided his team to the Munster
Munster Intermediate Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Intermediate Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1961 for the strong hurling teams in the province of Munster in Ireland...

 title in this grade in 2000 following a 1–19 to 0–15 defeat of Cork. Sheedy’s side later qualified for the All-Ireland final where Galway were the opponents. Tipp were successful on that occasion and trounced the men from the west by 2–17 to 1–10 to take the All-Ireland
All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Championship is a hurling competition played between the strong hurling counties of Ireland. In some cases the teams consist of players who are not on the senior squads for their county , or in others of players who are from junior or intermediate clubs...

 title. It was Sheedy’s first major success as a manager.

In 2005 Sheedy took charge of the Tipperary minor hurling team. His first season in charge was an unsuccessful one. In 2006 things didn't seem to be better as Tipp lost the Munster final to Cork. Tipp, however, later reached the All-Ireland final via the 'back-door system.' Galway provided the opposition on that occasion; however, Tipperary won the game by 2–18 to 2–7.

2008: League & Munster titles

Sheedy’s performance as manager of the Tipperary minor team brought him to the attention of the county board when they were looking for a successor to Michael 'Babs' Keating as manager of the county senior team. In spite of a number of high profile names being mentioned, including Davy Fitzgerald
Davy FitzGerald
David Fitzgerald is an Irish hurling manager and former player. He is a former manager of the Waterford senior hurling team....

 and Declan Ryan
Declan Ryan
Declan Ryan is an Irish hurling manager and former player. He is the current manager of the Tipperary senior hurling team....

, Sheedy was appointed manager in September 2007.

Sheedy's term in charge of the Tipperary senior team got off to a good start. In early 2008 his side breezed through the Waterford Crystal Cup
Waterford Crystal Cup
The Waterford Crystal Cup is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 2006 for the top inter-county teams and third-level universities and institutes of technology teams in the province of Munster in Ireland.The series of games are...

 before defeating 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...

 by 3–13 to 0–13 in the final. Tipp were undefeated in that competition. In 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...

 Tipp's run of success continued. Sheedy's side defeated 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:...

, Offaly and Limerick and drew with Galway and Clare to come second in Division 1B. The team later defeated Waterford in the quarter-final and Kilkenny in the semi-final of the competition, resulting in a league final showdown with Galway. The final was a tough, competitive game with Tipp preserving their unbeaten record in 2008 by defeating Galway on a score line of 3–18 to 3–16. Sheedy's next competitive game in charge was a Munster semi-final showdown with Cork on June 8. The omens pointed to a Cork victory as Tipp hadn't defeated Cork in the championship in Cork since 1923. On this occasion, however, Tipp broke the hoodoo and defeated 'the Rebels' by 1–19 to 1–13. Tipperary later continued their unbeaten run with a 2–21 to 0–19 defeat of Clare in the Munster final. It was Tipp's first provincial final victory since 2001 and it gave the team a save passage into the All-Ireland semi-final. Waterford, the perennial losers at this stage of the competition over the last decade, provided the opposition on this occasion, however, it was a different story for the men from the Déise. At the full-time whistle Waterford had broken their semi-final hoodoo and defeated Tipp by 1–20 to 1–18.

After the success of his first term in charge Sheedy was unanimously appointed for a second term for the 2009 season.

2009

On 12 July 2009, Sheedy guided Tipperary to their second Munster title in a row with a 4–14 to 2–16 win over 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...

 in Thurles
Semple Stadium
Semple Stadium, located in Thurles, North Tipperary, Ireland, is the home of hurling for Tipperary GAA and for the province of Munster. It is the second largest stadium in Ireland with a capacity of 53,500....

.
Tipperary went on to defeat 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 All Ireland Semi-Final by 6–19 to 2–7 on 16 August 2009, to set up a final meeting 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...

.
Sheedy revealed that his side have used the memory of the 2008 All-Ireland hurling semi-final defeat to Waterford as a motivational tool for the semi-final in 2009, he said 'There was a lot of hurt in our dressing room this time last year, the 17th of August was anything but a nice day and it hurt a lot of us, We waited a year to get back up here and redeem ourselves.'
In the final
2009 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final
The 2009 All-Ireland Hurling Final was a hurling match played on 6 September 2009 in Croke Park, Dublin, between Kilkenny and Tipperary. It was the first time the two teams had met in the All-Ireland final since 1991...

 on the 6 September, Tipperary lost to Kilkenny by 2–22 to 0–23 in a match described as one of the best finals ever.
After the game Sheedy commented on the game and Kilkenny saying "“I felt the lads really gave it everything. We just needed a goal at some stage to really kick on, push on. We’d one or two chances, but found PJ Ryan on a very good day today, but these lads have done everything I’ve asked of them in last eight months, everything I could possible want them to, so to just come up short is very, very disappointing, we knew we were facing the best team in probably the history of the game".

2010

On 30 May, Tipperary started the 2010 Munster Championship
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 2010
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship 2010 was the 114th staging of Ireland's premier hurling competition since its establishment in 1887. A total of thirteen teams competed in the championship, with Tipperary unseating the four-time defending champions Kilkenny by 4-17 to 1-18 in the...

 with a quarter final defeat to Cork in 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...

. Tipperary lost the game by 3–15 to 0–14, the county’s biggest defeat to Cork in 68 years. After the game Sheedy was criticised over the collapse to Cork by former manager Babs Keating
Michael Keating (hurler)
Michael 'Babs' Keating is a retired Irish hurling manager and former player. He played hurling with his local club Ballybacon-Grange and with the Tipperary senior inter-county team in the 1960s and 1970s...

 who said that "I think if Liam and his selectors sat down with us at that stage for a couple of hours, they needn't necessarily have taken our ideas on board, that he could have taken a few shortcuts along the way and he'd be in a better position today than he is". On 3 July, in the All-Ireland SHC phase 1 qualifier
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 2010
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship 2010 was the 114th staging of Ireland's premier hurling competition since its establishment in 1887. A total of thirteen teams competed in the championship, with Tipperary unseating the four-time defending champions Kilkenny by 4-17 to 1-18 in the...

, Tipperary comfortably won by 3–24 to 0–19 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...

 at Semple Stadium
Semple Stadium
Semple Stadium, located in Thurles, North Tipperary, Ireland, is the home of hurling for Tipperary GAA and for the province of Munster. It is the second largest stadium in Ireland with a capacity of 53,500....

 to advance to the next phase of qualifiers. In the next round on 18 July , Tipperay defeated 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...

 by 0–21 to 1–12 to advance to the quarter finals. On 25 July, Tipperary met 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,...

 in the quarter final's at Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...

. In what was generally described as the best game of the year so far, Tipperay won by 3–17 to 3–16 with a late winning point coming from Lar Corbett
Lar Corbett
Lar Corbett is an Irish sportsman. He plays hurling with his local club Thurles Sarsfields and has been a member of the Tipperary senior inter-county team since 2001.-Club:...

.
In the semi final on 15 August at Croke Park, Tipperary defeated Munster rivals Waterford by 3–19 to 1–18 to set up a second All Ireland final in a row against Kilkenny.
On 5 September, Sheedy managed Tipperary to win their 26th All Ireland title
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....

, beating reigning champions Killkenny
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...

 by 4–17 to 1–18 in the final
2010 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final
The 2010 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final was the 113th All-Ireland Final and the culmination of the 2010 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, an inter-county hurling tournament for the top teams in Ireland. The match was held at Croke Park, Dublin, on 5 September 2010 and was a...

, preventing Kilkenny from achieving an historic 5-in-a-row. On 7 October 2010 it was announced that Sheedy would be stepping down from his position as Tipperary manager. Sheedy and his selectors, who found themselves working up to 16 hours a day during their three-year term, cited work commitments as the reason for stepping down and Sheedy thanked the board for their “top class” support.
Sheedy was named the Philips Sports Manager of the Year
Philips Sports Manager of the Year
The Philips Sports Manager of the Year is an award for the person considered the most outstanding Irish sports manager or coach of a particular year....

 for 2010.

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 (0):
    • Runner-up (1): 1997
  • 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 (0):
    • Runner-up (1): 1997
  • 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): 1999
    • Runner-up (1): 2000
  • All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship
    All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship
    The All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship was a hurling competition organized by the Gaelic Athletic Association in Ireland. The competition was originally contested by the second teams of the strong counties, and the first teams of the weaker counties...

    :
    • Winner (2): 1989, 1991
  • Munster Junior Hurling Championship
    Munster Junior Hurling Championship
    The Munster Junior Hurling Championship is a junior "knockout" competition in the game of Hurling played in the province of Munster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Munster Council....

    :
    • Winner (2): 1989, 1991
  • 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 (1): 1989
    • Runner-up (1): 1990
  • 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): 1989, 1990
  • All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
    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...

    :
    • Winner (0)
    • Runner-up (1): 1987
  • Munster Minor Hurling Championship
    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...

    :
    • Winner (1): 1987

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): 2010
    • Runner-up (1): 2009
  • 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 (2): 2008, 2009
  • 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): 2008
    • Runner-up (1): 2009
  • Waterford Crystal Cup
    Waterford Crystal Cup
    The Waterford Crystal Cup is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 2006 for the top inter-county teams and third-level universities and institutes of technology teams in the province of Munster in Ireland.The series of games are...

    :
    • Winner (1): 2008
    • Runner-up (1): 2009
  • All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
    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...

    :
    • Winner (1): 2006

External links


Teams

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