T. J. Ryan (hurler)
Encyclopedia
T. J. Ryan is an Irish
hurling
selector and player. He is currently a selector with the Limerick
senior hurling team.
An effective player in either attack or in defence, Ryan enjoyed a successful playing career at club level with Garryspillane and at inter-county level with Limerick. He was a key member of the latter team during the 1990s and collected two Munster
titles and one National Hurling League
title.
In retirement from inter-county activity Ryan has become involved in team management. He was appointed as a selector on the Limerick senior hurling team in September 2010.
After little success at minor level, Ryan was a member of the Garryspillane under-21 team that secured the county championship title in 1995. By this stage he had already moved onto the club's senior team. He won a county intermediate championship title in 1996, as Garryspillane gained promotion to the top flight of club hurling in Limerick.
In their debut season in the senior championship Garryspillane reached the county final and faced three-in-a-row hopefuls Patrickswell
. Ryan was at centre-back, however, Patrickswell proved much too strong for Garryspillane in a disappointing and one-sided encounter. A final score of 1-12 to 0-9 resulted in defeat for Ryan.
After a number of years out of the limelight Garryspillane returned to centre stage by qualifying for the county final again in 2004. Ahane
provided the opposition on that occasion and a close game developed. Neither side took more than a two-point lead at any stage of the game, however, at the long whistle it was Ryan's side who were defeated by 1-11 to 0-13.
In 2005 Garryspillane bounced back to qualify for a second successive county final. Near rivals Kilmallock
were the opponents, however, it was third time lucky for Ryan and for Garryspillane. A 2-15 to 2-12 score line gave Ryan's side the victory and a very first county senior championship
title.
minor and under-21 teams of the early 1990s. He enjoyed little success in either of these grades.
Ryan made his senior championship debut for his native county in 1994, at a time when the county team was emerging from the doldrums. In his debut season Limerick qualified for the Munster final. 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 Ryan, a mere nineteen year-old, his first Munster
winners' medal. Limerick subsequently qualified to meet Offaly
in the All-Ireland final. It looked as if Ryan's side were going to make history and claim the title as Limerick 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
.
Limerick surrendered their Munster title to Clare in 1995, however, both sides met in the opening round of the championship the following year. Ryan's side emerged victorious thanks to a remarkable point from Ciarán Carey
, described by many as the greatest match-winner of all-time. Limerick later faced Tipperary
in the provincial final and looked to be heading out of the championship as Tipp took a ten-point lead. Ryan'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 Ryan a second Munster winners' medal in three years. 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.
Limerick bounced back immediately in 1997 by defeating Galway
by 1-12 to 1-9 to take the National Hurling League
title. It was Ryan's first 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 and it was 2001 before Ryan lined out in another Munster final. Tipperary were the opponents on that occasion, however, Limerick fell by 2-16 to 1-17.
From 2001 until 2006 Ryan's team failed to win a single game in the provincial championship, while the All-Ireland qualifers also proved to be an unhappy hunting ground for Limerick. He retired from inter-county hurling in 2006.
team in the inter-provincial series of games. He first lined out for his province in 2000 as Munster faced arch-rivals Leinster
in the decider. That game ended in victory for Ryan, who came on as a sub for Alan Markham
, as the southerners won by 3-15 to 2-15. It was a first Railway Cup winners' medal for Ryan.
Ryan was named on the Munster starting fifteen for the final time in 2001. On that occasion Munster faced Connacht
in the decider, however, the southerners had a comfortable 1-21 to 1-15 victory and Ryan collected his second Railway Cup title.
and Ciarán Carey
in Dónal O'Grady
's new management team that will oversee the Limerick senior hurling team for 2011.
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...
selector and player. He is currently a selector with the 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...
senior hurling team.
An effective player in either attack or in defence, Ryan enjoyed a successful playing career at club level with Garryspillane and at inter-county level with Limerick. He was a key member of the latter team during 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 and one 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...
title.
In retirement from inter-county activity Ryan has become involved in team management. He was appointed as a selector on the Limerick senior hurling team in September 2010.
Club
Ryan plays his club hurling with the local Garryspillane team and has enjoyed much success in a club career that has spanned three decades. He first came to prominence as a member of the club's under-12 team, capturing a county championship winners' medal in 1986.After little success at minor level, Ryan was a member of the Garryspillane under-21 team that secured the county championship title in 1995. By this stage he had already moved onto the club's senior team. He won a county intermediate championship title in 1996, as Garryspillane gained promotion to the top flight of club hurling in Limerick.
In their debut season in the senior championship Garryspillane reached the county final and faced three-in-a-row hopefuls 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...
. Ryan was at centre-back, however, Patrickswell proved much too strong for Garryspillane in a disappointing and one-sided encounter. A final score of 1-12 to 0-9 resulted in defeat for Ryan.
After a number of years out of the limelight Garryspillane returned to centre stage by qualifying for the county final again in 2004. Ahane
Ahane GAA
Ahane GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the Ahane, Castleconnell and Montpelier areas of east County Limerick, Republic of Ireland. The club fields teams in both hurling and football and historically is regarded as one of the great clubs of Limerick. Ahane's greatest players...
provided the opposition on that occasion and a close game developed. Neither side took more than a two-point lead at any stage of the game, however, at the long whistle it was Ryan's side who were defeated by 1-11 to 0-13.
In 2005 Garryspillane bounced back to qualify for a second successive county final. Near rivals Kilmallock
Kilmallock GAA
Kilmallock GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the town of Kilmallock in County Limerick, Ireland. The club is almost exclusively concerned with the game of hurling.-Hurling:*Munster Senior Club Hurling Championships:** 1992, 1994...
were the opponents, however, it was third time lucky for Ryan and for Garryspillane. A 2-15 to 2-12 score line gave Ryan's side the victory and a very first county senior 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...
title.
Inter-county
Ryan 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 and under-21 teams of the early 1990s. He enjoyed little success in either of these grades.
Ryan made his senior championship debut for his native county in 1994, at a time when the county team was emerging from the doldrums. In his debut season Limerick qualified for the Munster final. 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 Ryan, a mere nineteen year-old, 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 Ryan's side were going to make history and claim the title as Limerick 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:...
.
Limerick surrendered their Munster title to Clare in 1995, however, both sides met in the opening round of the championship the following year. Ryan's side emerged victorious thanks to a remarkable point from Ciarán Carey
Ciarán Carey
Ciarán Carey is an Irish hurling selector and player. He is currently a selector with the Limerick senior hurling team....
, described by many as the greatest match-winner of all-time. Limerick later faced 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...
in the provincial final and looked to be heading out of the championship as Tipp took a ten-point lead. Ryan'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 Ryan a second Munster winners' medal in three years. 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.
Limerick bounced back immediately in 1997 by defeating 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,...
by 1-12 to 1-9 to take 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...
title. It was Ryan's first 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 and it was 2001 before Ryan lined out in another Munster final. Tipperary were the opponents on that occasion, however, Limerick fell by 2-16 to 1-17.
From 2001 until 2006 Ryan's team failed to win a single game in the provincial championship, while the All-Ireland qualifers also proved to be an unhappy hunting ground for Limerick. He retired from inter-county hurling in 2006.
Inter-provincial
Ryan 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 2000 as Munster faced arch-rivals 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...
in the decider. That game ended in victory for Ryan, who came on as a sub for Alan Markham
Alan Markham
Alan Markham is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Kilmaley and with the Clare senior inter-county team.-References:...
, as the southerners won by 3-15 to 2-15. It was a first Railway Cup winners' medal for Ryan.
Ryan was named on the Munster starting fifteen for the final time in 2001. On that occasion 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, however, the southerners had a comfortable 1-21 to 1-15 victory and Ryan collected his second Railway Cup title.
Limerick
In September 2010 Ryan was named as a selector along with former team mates Pat HeffernanPat Heffernan
Pat Heffernan is an Irish hurling selector and former player. He is currently a selector with the Limerick senior hurling team....
and Ciarán Carey
Ciarán Carey
Ciarán Carey is an Irish hurling selector and player. He is currently a selector with the Limerick senior hurling team....
in Dónal O'Grady
Dónal O'Grady
Dónal O'Grady is an Irish former hurler and manager.O'Grady enjoyed a successful playing career as a full-back with the Cork senior team throughout the early 1980s...
's new management team that will oversee the Limerick senior hurling team for 2011.