Jackie Tyrrell
Encyclopedia
Jackie Tyrrell is an Irish
hurler
who played as a left corner-back for the Kilkenny
senior team.
Tyrrell made his first appearance for the team during the 2005 championship
and immediately became the first-choice left corner-back. Since then he has won five All-Ireland
winner's medals, seven Leinster
winner's medals, two National League
winner's medals and four All-Star
awards. In 2006 Tyrrell captained the team to the All-Ireland title.
At club level Tyrrell is an All-Ireland
club medalist with James Stephens. In addition to this he has also won two Leinster
club winners' medals and three county championship winners' medals.
in 1982. He received his primary education locally before later attending St. Kieran's College, a famed hurling nursery in the city. It was here that Tyrrell's hurling skills were developed and nurtured by the many hurling enthusiasts there. He won back-to-back Leinster colleges' titles in 1999 and 2000. This latter victory was later converted into an All-Ireland colleges
title after a defeat of Gort Community College. Tyrrell later studied at the Cork Institute of Technology
and at the Limerick Institute of Technology
. It was at the latter institution that he won a Fitzgibbon Cup
medal on a team trained by Clare
's Davy Fitzgerald
. Tyrrell won a second Fitzgibbon Cup title two years after his first in 2007.
club. He has had much success at under-age levels with the famous club, known locally as 'the Village', including county titles at ubder-14, under-16, under-21 and junior. In 2004 Tyrrell tasted his first major success with the club when he captured his first senior county title. This was later converted into a Leinster
club title over University College Dublin
(UCD). The subsequent All-Ireland final on St. Patrick's Day, 2005 saw Tyrrell's side take on Athenry
. A final score of 0-19 to 0-14 gave victory to 'the Village' and gave Tyrrell a first All-Ireland
club medal.
In 2005 Tyrrell had another successful year with the club when he added a second consecutive county medal to his collection following a victory over Ballyhale Shamrocks
. James Stephens later represented Kilkenny in the provincial series of games. A second consecutive defeat of UCD gave Tyrrell a second Leinster club medal, however, James Stephens were later defeated in the All-Ireland semi-final.
He has also won 2 Kilkenny Senior Football Championships in 2003 and 2008.
under-21 hurling team in the early 2000s. In 2003 he was captain of the team when he collected his a Leinster
title in that grade. Tyrrell later guided his team to an All-Ireland
victory over Galway
.
In 2003 Tyrrell joined the Kilkenny senior inter-county panel, however, it was 2006 before he secured a place on the starting fifteen. That year Tyrrell won his first senior National Hurling League
medal. He subsequently captured his first senior Leinster
title, however, Kilkenny were later defeated by Galway in a thrilling All-Ireland semi-final.
In 2006 Tyrrell was honoured by being appointed captain of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team for the year. He began the year by guiding his county to the National Hurling League
title. This victory were followed by Tyrrell winning a second Leinster title before later lining out in his first All-Ireland final. The game that everyone had predicted would happen in 2005 was now taking place as Cork squared up to Kilkenny for the third time in four years. The Leesiders were aiming for a third All-Ireland victory in-a-row; however, revenge was foremost in the minds of Kilkenny as it was Cork who denied their three-in-a-row bid in 2004. On the day Kilkenny were far too strong for Cork with Tyrrell playing a captain's role to give his side a 1-16 to 1-13 victory. It was his first senior All-Ireland
medal.
In 2007 Tyrrell collected a third Leinster medal in-a-row following another facile victory in the provincial decider. After a minor scare against Galway Kilkenny later qualified for the All-Ireland final where, surprisingly, Limerick
provided the opposition. Kilkenny got off to a flying start with Eddie Brennan
and Henry Shefflin
scoring two goals within the first ten minutes. Unfortunately, Shefflin sustained an injury during the game and had to retire at half-time. In spite of losing their captain and star player Kilkenny still went on to win the game by 2-19 to 1-15. It was Tyrrell's second consecutive All-Ireland medal. He was later presented with a coveted All-Star
award.
2008 saw Kilkenny launch an all-out attack in an attempt to capture a third All-Ireland title in-a-row. The team had an easy passage through the Leinster Championship, however, the opening half of the provincial final against Wexford
gave ‘the Cats’ another minor scare. In the end Tyrrell collected his fourth consecutive Leinster medal after a 5-21 to 0-17 victory. This victory allowed Kilkenny to advance directly to the All-Ireland semi-final where arch-rivals Cork were the opponents. The game was an interesting encounter; however, Kilkenny claimed a 1-23 to 0-17 victory. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Kilkenny take on Waterford
. It was their first meeting in the championship decider since 1963. A classic game of hurling was expected by many, however, Kilkenny started stronger. Two goals by Eddie Brennan after twenty minutes effectively killed the game, however, ‘the Cats’ ploughed on to record an enormous 3-30 to 1-13 victory.Jackie has stated that throughout the three in a row years there has been two men who have taken him to where he is now, these two men are, A stallwarth of Carlow Gaa David Grath and Nigel "Noddy" Daly, Jackie has been quoted as saying the following " Davids Guidance and indepth knowledge of GAA circles nationally has been instrumental in my achievements such as the three in a row and All Star Awards of recent years," Nigel has been a great source of hurling knowledge and jackie himself has been quoted as saying " Nigel helps me prepare for all the big games and is heavily involved in my preparation for matches, he leaves no stone unturned"
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...
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...
who played as a left corner-back for the 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...
senior team.
Tyrrell made his first appearance for the team during the 2005 championship
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 2005
The Guinness Hurling Championship 2005 began on Sunday, May 15, 2005. The 2005 championship saw some change with the introduction of a new format whereby after the provincial championships and the two new qualifying groups were completed, eight teams were left to face off in four quarter finals....
and immediately became the first-choice left corner-back. Since then he has won five 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....
winner's medals, seven Leinster
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
The Leinster 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 Leinster in Ireland....
winner's medals, two National 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's medals 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 2006 Tyrrell captained the team to the All-Ireland title.
At club level Tyrrell is an All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling tournament played between hundreds of senior hurling clubs in Ireland. The Tommy Moore Cup is awarded to the winners. The current champions are Clarinbridge...
club medalist with James Stephens. In addition to this he has also won two Leinster
Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship
The Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual Hurling tournament played between the winners of the senior club hurling championships of the counties in Leinster. The current holders of the Leinster title are Ballyhale Shamrocks from Kilkenny. The first Leinster senior club hurling...
club winners' medals and three county championship winners' medals.
Early life
Jackie Tyrrell was born in KilkennyKilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
in 1982. He received his primary education locally before later attending St. Kieran's College, a famed hurling nursery in the city. It was here that Tyrrell's hurling skills were developed and nurtured by the many hurling enthusiasts there. He won back-to-back Leinster colleges' titles in 1999 and 2000. This latter victory was later converted into an All-Ireland colleges
Dr. Croke Cup
The Dr. Croke Cup is an inter-county GAA competition in hurling. The first Croke Cups took place between 1896 and 1915. Clare was the first winner of the Dr Croke Cup for Hurling in 1896. In 1909 Ulster were expelled from the Dr...
title after a defeat of Gort Community College. Tyrrell later studied at the Cork Institute of Technology
Cork Institute of Technology
Cork Institute of Technology , formerly the Regional Technical College, Cork, is an Institute of Technology in Ireland, located in Cork, Ireland opened in 1973. The institute has 17,000 students in art, business, engineering, music and science disciplines...
and at the Limerick Institute of Technology
Limerick Institute of Technology
Limerick Institute of Technology is an institution of higher education in Limerick, Ireland and is one of 13 institutes that are members of the Institutes of Technology Ireland . The Institute has four campuses in Limerick City, one in both Thurles and Clonmel in County Tipperary and a regional...
. It was at the latter institution that he won a Fitzgibbon Cup
Fitzgibbon Cup
The Fitzgibbon Cup the championship for top division of university hurling in Ireland. It is administrated by the Higher Education committee which is part of the Gaelic Athletic Association...
medal on a team trained by 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....
's 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....
. Tyrrell won a second Fitzgibbon Cup title two years after his first in 2007.
Club
Tyrrell plays his club hurling with his local James Stephens GAAJames Stephens (GAA Club)
James Stephens is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in Kilkenny, Ireland. The club was founded in 1887 and has enjoyed equal success in both hurling and Gaelic football.-History:...
club. He has had much success at under-age levels with the famous club, known locally as 'the Village', including county titles at ubder-14, under-16, under-21 and junior. In 2004 Tyrrell tasted his first major success with the club when he captured his first senior county title. This was later converted into a Leinster
Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship
The Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual Hurling tournament played between the winners of the senior club hurling championships of the counties in Leinster. The current holders of the Leinster title are Ballyhale Shamrocks from Kilkenny. The first Leinster senior club hurling...
club title over University College Dublin
UCD GAA
UCD GAA or University College Dublin Gaelic Athletic Association club is a Dublin based Gaelic games club in University College Dublin. The UCD hurling club was founded in 1900 and boasted the motto's "Ad Astra" and "Cothrom Féinne". The first team was an amalgamation of students from UCD and...
(UCD). The subsequent All-Ireland final on St. Patrick's Day, 2005 saw Tyrrell's side take on Athenry
Athenry GAA
St. Mary's, Athenry is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the town of Athenry in County Galway. The club is almost exclusively concerned with hurling.-History:...
. A final score of 0-19 to 0-14 gave victory to 'the Village' and gave Tyrrell a first All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling tournament played between hundreds of senior hurling clubs in Ireland. The Tommy Moore Cup is awarded to the winners. The current champions are Clarinbridge...
club medal.
In 2005 Tyrrell had another successful year with the club when he added a second consecutive county medal to his collection following a victory over Ballyhale Shamrocks
Ballyhale Shamrocks GAA
Ballyhale Shamrocks is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the parish of Ballyhale in County Kilkenny, Ireland. The club was founded in 1972 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling...
. James Stephens later represented Kilkenny in the provincial series of games. A second consecutive defeat of UCD gave Tyrrell a second Leinster club medal, however, James Stephens were later defeated in the All-Ireland semi-final.
He has also won 2 Kilkenny Senior Football Championships in 2003 and 2008.
Inter-county
Tyrrell first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the KilkennyKilkenny 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...
under-21 hurling team in the early 2000s. In 2003 he was captain of the team when he collected his a Leinster
Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship
For the Senior equivalent see: Leinster Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe Leinster U-21 Hurling Championship or for sponsorship reasons the Erin Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship is an U-21 hurling tournament. The first tournament took place in 1964 when Wexford were crowned champions. Wexford...
title in that grade. Tyrrell later guided his team to an 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...
victory over 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 2003 Tyrrell joined the Kilkenny senior inter-county panel, however, it was 2006 before he secured a place on the starting fifteen. That year Tyrrell won his first senior 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. He subsequently captured his first senior Leinster
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
The Leinster 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 Leinster in Ireland....
title, however, Kilkenny were later defeated by Galway in a thrilling All-Ireland semi-final.
In 2006 Tyrrell was honoured by being appointed captain of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team for the year. He began the year by guiding his county to 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. This victory were followed by Tyrrell winning a second Leinster title before later lining out in his first All-Ireland final. The game that everyone had predicted would happen in 2005 was now taking place as Cork squared up to Kilkenny for the third time in four years. The Leesiders were aiming for a third All-Ireland victory in-a-row; however, revenge was foremost in the minds of Kilkenny as it was Cork who denied their three-in-a-row bid in 2004. On the day Kilkenny were far too strong for Cork with Tyrrell playing a captain's role to give his side a 1-16 to 1-13 victory. It was his first senior 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.
In 2007 Tyrrell collected a third Leinster medal in-a-row following another facile victory in the provincial decider. After a minor scare against Galway Kilkenny later qualified for the All-Ireland final where, surprisingly, 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...
provided the opposition. Kilkenny got off to a flying start with 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...
scoring two goals within the first ten minutes. Unfortunately, Shefflin sustained an injury during the game and had to retire at half-time. In spite of losing their captain and star player Kilkenny still went on to win the game by 2-19 to 1-15. It was Tyrrell's second consecutive All-Ireland medal. He was later presented with a coveted 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.
2008 saw Kilkenny launch an all-out attack in an attempt to capture a third All-Ireland title in-a-row. The team had an easy passage through the Leinster Championship, however, the opening half of the provincial final 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...
gave ‘the Cats’ another minor scare. In the end Tyrrell collected his fourth consecutive Leinster medal after a 5-21 to 0-17 victory. This victory allowed Kilkenny to advance directly to the All-Ireland semi-final where arch-rivals Cork were the opponents. The game was an interesting encounter; however, Kilkenny claimed a 1-23 to 0-17 victory. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Kilkenny take on 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...
. It was their first meeting in the championship decider since 1963. A classic game of hurling was expected by many, however, Kilkenny started stronger. Two goals by Eddie Brennan after twenty minutes effectively killed the game, however, ‘the Cats’ ploughed on to record an enormous 3-30 to 1-13 victory.Jackie has stated that throughout the three in a row years there has been two men who have taken him to where he is now, these two men are, A stallwarth of Carlow Gaa David Grath and Nigel "Noddy" Daly, Jackie has been quoted as saying the following " Davids Guidance and indepth knowledge of GAA circles nationally has been instrumental in my achievements such as the three in a row and All Star Awards of recent years," Nigel has been a great source of hurling knowledge and jackie himself has been quoted as saying " Nigel helps me prepare for all the big games and is heavily involved in my preparation for matches, he leaves no stone unturned"
Sources
- Corry, Eoghan, The GAA Book of Lists (Hodder Headline Ireland, 2005).
- Donegan, Des, The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games (DBA Publications Limited, 2005).