Barry Foley
Encyclopedia
Barry Foley is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling
with his local club Patrickswell
and was a member of the Limerick
senior inter-county team from 1996 untl 2008.
, County Limerick
in 1977. He was born into a family that had a strong association with the game of hurling
. His father and uncles all played for Patrickswell and one uncle, Seán Foley
, won an All-Ireland medal in 1973. Foley was educated locally and later attended secondary school in Limerick
. Here he won a Harty Cup medal in 1993 and was named ‘Man of the Match’ in the final.
with Patrickswell
. He has enjoyed much success with the club, winning county medals at under-14, under-15, under-16, minor and under-21 levels. In 1995 Foley won his first senior county
medal. He added another two county medals in 1996 and 1997 before winning his fourth and fifth county titles in 2000 and 2003. In 2006 Foley narrowly missed out on winning a sixth medal when Patrickswell were defeated by a single point by Bruree.
minor and under-21 hurling teams, however, he had little success. In 1996 he made his senior debut in a Munster Championship
game against Clare
. Limerick later went on to win the Munster final and Foley had his first senior inter-county success. In the subsequent All-Ireland
final Foley’s side lost out to Wexford
. The following year he won his first National Hurling League
medal, however, since then Limerick’s senior hurling fortunes have taken a downturn and Foley has failed to add any more winners’ medals to his collection.
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 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...
and was a member of 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 inter-county team from 1996 untl 2008.
Early life
Barry Foley was born in PatrickswellPatrickswell
Patrickswell, historically known as Toberpatrick , is a small town in County Limerick, Ireland.-Etymology:The name refers to St. Patrick and there is a small hand pump/well in the main street; Microsoft mappoint and some other programs call the village St. Patrick's Well or St....
, County Limerick
County Limerick
It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...
in 1977. He was born into a family that had a strong association with the game of 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...
. His father and uncles all played for Patrickswell and one uncle, Seán Foley
Seán Foley
Seán Foley is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Patrickswell and was a member of the Limerick senior inter-county team in the 1970s and 1980s.-Club:...
, won an All-Ireland medal in 1973. Foley was educated locally and later attended secondary school in Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
. Here he won a Harty Cup medal in 1993 and was named ‘Man of the Match’ in the final.
Club
Foley plays his club hurlingHurling
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 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...
. He has enjoyed much success with the club, winning county medals at under-14, under-15, under-16, minor and under-21 levels. In 1995 Foley won his first senior county
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...
medal. He added another two county medals in 1996 and 1997 before winning his fourth and fifth county titles in 2000 and 2003. In 2006 Foley narrowly missed out on winning a sixth medal when Patrickswell were defeated by a single point by Bruree.
Inter-county
In the early 1990s Foley played for both 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 hurling teams, however, he had little success. In 1996 he made his senior debut in a Munster 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....
game against 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....
. Limerick later went on to win the Munster final and Foley had his first senior inter-county success. In the subsequent 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....
final Foley’s side lost out to 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...
. The following year he won his first 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, however, since then Limerick’s senior hurling fortunes have taken a downturn and Foley has failed to add any more winners’ medals to his collection.