Michael Ryan 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...

 retired 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 the current manager of the 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...

 senior hurling team.

A player with the Fourmilewater

The Nire-Fourmilewater GAA

The Nire/Fourmilewater GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Ballymacarbry, County Waterford, Republic of Ireland. The Nire and Fourmilewater are two separate clubs, with separate committees pulling from the same pool of players. The Nire is the football club in the area and...

 club, he often played with his twin brother William Ryan an under 21 county goal-keeper with the 1974 team. He turned his hand to coaching and team management prior to his retirement. He came to national prominence as manager of the multiple All-Ireland winning Waterford and Ballymacarby ladies football

Ladies' Gaelic football

Ladies' Gaelic football is a team sport for women, very similar to Gaelic football, and co-ordinated by the Ladies' Gaelic Football Association...

 teams of the 1980s and 1990s winning 5 senior county all Ireland championships. He coached the Laois senior ladies football team to win their first senior All Ireland title in 2001 and was a selector with the Dublin ladies football team that the 2010 All Ireland senior final. He has managed/coached/trained teams to win 32 All Ireland ladies football titles. He subsequently served as a selector with the Waterford under-21 football and senior hurling teams while he also managed the 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:...

hurling team in 2007. He managed the Mullinahone senior hurling team to win the South Tipperary senior hurling championship in 2009 before going on to manage De la Salle in 2010. De la Salle won the 2010 Waterford Senior hurling championship and went on to win the Munster senior hurling club championship.

Ryan was ratified as manager of the Waterford senior hurling team on 17 October 2011.