John McIntyre (hurler)
Encyclopedia
John McIntyre is an Irish
hurling
manager
and former player. He is the former manager of the Galway
senior hurling team.
An effective centre-back, McIntyre enjoyed a relatively successful playing career at club level with Lorrha-Dorrha
and at inter-county level with Tipperary
. He was a member of the latter team for a number of seasons in the 1980s, when Tipperary were going though an uncharacteristic drought in terms of championship success.
After his playing days ended McIntyre gained notoriety as a manager and coach at all levels. A successful stint as manager of the Clarinbridge
club team in Galway followed his first term as manager of the Offaly
senior hurling team in the 1990s. McIntyre returned as Offaly manager almost a decade later before being appointed manager of the Galway
senior hurling team in November 2008.
. Moycarkey-Borris
provided the opposition on that occasion, however, McIntyre's side could not match them. A 2–8 to 0–9 score line resulted in defeat for the north Tipp club. In spite of this, Lorrha-Dorrha were named club of the year in 1984, the centenary year of the Gaelic Athletic Association
.
McIntyre added a second north Tipperary title to his collection in 1989.
under-21 hurling team in the early 1980s. That year Tipp were hoping to capture a third All-Ireland under-21 title in-a-row. McIntyre was a key member of the team that claimed the Munster
title following a 1–15 to 0–10 defeat of arch-rivals Cork. Tipperary later qualified for the All-Ireland final and McIntyre was once again named in the centre-back position on the team. Kilkenny
provided the opposition, however, Tipp had too much for their near neighbours and fierce rivals. A final score of 2–16 to 1–10 meant that McIntyre had picked up a coveted All-Ireland
under-21 winners' medal.
McIntyre subsequently joined the Tipperary senior inter-county team, making his championship debut in a Munster quarter-final against Clare
in 1983. It was a n uncharacteristic lean period for Tipp.
In his second season McIntyre lined out in his first Munster final. Cork provided the opposition and were going for a third provincial title in succession. Tipperary were hoping to win their first since 1971. With four minutes remaining Tipperary led by four points and the hoodoo looked set to end. Cork's Seánie O'Leary
and Tony O'Sullivan had a different idea. Two quick goals clinched a 4–15 to 3–14 victory and McIntyre's side were defeated once again.
In 1985 Tipperary and Cork went to battle in the Munster decider once again. On this occasion there was no nail-biting finish as Cork secured a 4–17 to 4–11 victory and McIntyre found himself on the losing side for the second time.
By 1986 McIntyre was relegated to the substitutes' bench and was replaced at centre-back by Noel Sheehy
. He came on as a replacement in Tipp's Munster semi-final defeat by Clare. This was his last game with Tipperary.
senior hurling team as coach. It was a successful year for the club, as Clarinbridge reached the final of the county senior championship. Reigning All-Ireland club champions Athenry
provided the opposition and were the favourites going into the game. Former Galway
star Darragh Coen scored a point from a disputed free deep into injury time to secure a deserved 0–18 to 2–11 victory for McIntyre's side. It was Calrinbridge's first county title. The club subsequently reached the Connacht
club final. Four Roads
of Roscommon provided the opposition, however, Clarinbridge were too strong and won the game by 2–18 to 1–6. McIntyre's side later defeated Ballygunner
in the All-Ireland semi-final to set up a championship decider meeting with Birr
. That game at Semple Stadium
saw Birr take complete control and defeat Clarinbridge by 2–10 to 1–5.
senior team. His term in charge was not a successful one. After an average National League campaign Offaly subsequently had an unlucky Leinster semi-final defeat by Wexford
. McIntyre's side lost that game by three points on a day when it took a fantastic save by Damien Fitzhenry
to prevent Billy Dooley
from scoring an equalizing goal in injury-time. He was subsequently ousted as manager and replaced by fellow county-man Michael 'Babs' Keating.
McIntyre was appointed Offaly manager for the second time on November 15, 2004. By this stage Offaly was no longer the hurling power that it was in the 1980s and 1990s. His first season on charge was far from successful. After a 6–28 to 0–15 thrashing by Kilkenny
in the Leinster semi-final, McIntyre's side later crashed out of the championship in the All-Ireland qualifier group stage. By 2006 little had changed. After a defeat by Wexford in the Leinster semi-final, McIntyre's side later exited the championship in the All-Ireland qualifier group stage once again. 2007 saw the pattern continue with Offaly being defeated in the semi-final stage of the provincial championship. A defeat of Dublin
in the qualifiers failed to save McIntyre's side from being dumped out of the championship. He resigned as manager shortly afterwards.
, on 18 November 2008. There were high hopes for Galway as the team entered the Leinster championship for the first time. After a trouncing of Laois
in the opening round, McIntyre's Galway faced three-in-a-row All-Ireland champions Kilkenny in the provincial semi-final. Galway went five points ahead but 'the Cats' clawed their way back to win by 2–20 to 3–13. Galway later defeated Clare
and Cork before being surprising defeated by Waterford
in an All-Ireland quarter-final.
In May 2010, he guided Galway to win the 2010 National Hurling League
with a 2–22 to 1–17 win against Cork at Semple Stadium
.
In September 2011 McIntyre resigned as manager after a very disappointing season.
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...
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...
and former player. He is the former manager of the 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,...
senior hurling team.
An effective centre-back, McIntyre enjoyed a relatively successful playing career at club level with Lorrha-Dorrha
Lorrha-Dorrha GAA
Lorrha-Dorrha GAA club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in the parish of Lorrha & Dorrha, in North County Tipperary, Ireland. The club is most famous for Hurling Team of the Millennium goalkeeper Tony Reddin, who played with the club from 1947 to 1957...
and at inter-county level with 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...
. He was a member of the latter team for a number of seasons in the 1980s, when Tipperary were going though an uncharacteristic drought in terms of championship success.
After his playing days ended McIntyre gained notoriety as a manager and coach at all levels. A successful stint as manager of the Clarinbridge
Clarinbridge GAA
Clarinbridge GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the village of Clarinbridge in County Galway, Ireland. The club is almost exclusively concerned with the game of hurling...
club team in Galway followed his first term as manager of the 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...
senior hurling team in the 1990s. McIntyre returned as Offaly manager almost a decade later before being appointed manager of the 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,...
senior hurling team in November 2008.
Club
McIntyre played his club hurling with his local team Lorrha-Dorrha and enjoyed some success during the 1980s. In 1984 he captured a north Tipperary divisional title in 1984. This victory paved the way for Lorrha-Dorrha to advance to the final of the county senior championshipTipperary Senior Hurling Championship
The Tipperary Senior Hurling Club Championship is an annual club competition between the top Tipperary hurling clubs...
. Moycarkey-Borris
Moycarkey-Borris GAA
Moycarkey-Borris GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club is located in the town of Littleton, County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland, but also takes in areas such as Two-Mile-Borris and Horse and Jockey in Mid Tipperary.-History:...
provided the opposition on that occasion, however, McIntyre's side could not match them. A 2–8 to 0–9 score line resulted in defeat for the north Tipp club. In spite of this, Lorrha-Dorrha were named club of the year in 1984, the centenary year of the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
.
McIntyre added a second north Tipperary title to his collection in 1989.
Inter-county
McIntyre first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the TipperaryTipperary 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-21 hurling team in the early 1980s. That year Tipp were hoping to capture a third All-Ireland under-21 title in-a-row. McIntyre was a key member of the team that claimed the 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 following a 1–15 to 0–10 defeat of arch-rivals Cork. Tipperary later qualified for the All-Ireland final and McIntyre was once again named in the centre-back position on the team. 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...
provided the opposition, however, Tipp had too much for their near neighbours and fierce rivals. A final score of 2–16 to 1–10 meant that McIntyre had picked up 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 winners' medal.
McIntyre subsequently joined the Tipperary senior inter-county team, making his championship debut in a Munster quarter-final 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....
in 1983. It was a n uncharacteristic lean period for Tipp.
In his second season McIntyre lined out in his first Munster final. Cork provided the opposition and were going for a third provincial title in succession. Tipperary were hoping to win their first since 1971. With four minutes remaining Tipperary led by four points and the hoodoo looked set to end. Cork's Seánie O'Leary
Seánie O'Leary
Seanie O'Leary is a former Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Youghal and with the Cork senior inter-county team from 1971 until 1984.-Early & private life:...
and Tony O'Sullivan had a different idea. Two quick goals clinched a 4–15 to 3–14 victory and McIntyre's side were defeated once again.
In 1985 Tipperary and Cork went to battle in the Munster decider once again. On this occasion there was no nail-biting finish as Cork secured a 4–17 to 4–11 victory and McIntyre found himself on the losing side for the second time.
By 1986 McIntyre was relegated to the substitutes' bench and was replaced at centre-back by Noel Sheehy
Noel Sheehy
Noel Sheehy is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Silvermines GAA in Tipperary, and was a member of the Tipperary senior inter-county team from 1986 to 1997. Sheehy won All-Ireland winners' medals in 1989 and 1991, and five Munster winners' medals in 1987, 1988,...
. He came on as a replacement in Tipp's Munster semi-final defeat by Clare. This was his last game with Tipperary.
Clarinbridge
In 2001 McIntyre was recruited to the ClarinbridgeClarinbridge GAA
Clarinbridge GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the village of Clarinbridge in County Galway, Ireland. The club is almost exclusively concerned with the game of hurling...
senior hurling team as coach. It was a successful year for the club, as Clarinbridge reached the final of the county senior championship. Reigning All-Ireland club champions 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:...
provided the opposition and were the favourites going into the game. Former 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,...
star Darragh Coen scored a point from a disputed free deep into injury time to secure a deserved 0–18 to 2–11 victory for McIntyre's side. It was Calrinbridge's first county title. The club subsequently reached the Connacht
Connacht Senior Club Hurling Championship
The Connacht Senior Club Hurling Championship was an annual hurling tournament played between the senior hurling clubs in Connacht contested from 1970 until it became defunct after the conclusion of the 2007/08 season due to the predominance of the Galway champions coupled with a lack of meaningful...
club final. Four Roads
Four Roads GAA
Four Roads Hurling Club are a hurling club from Co. Roscommon. They are the most successful team in the history of the Roscommon Senior Hurling Championship with 29 titles. They also won the Connacht Senior Club Hurling Championship in 1977 and 1988 and played in nine other finals...
of Roscommon provided the opposition, however, Clarinbridge were too strong and won the game by 2–18 to 1–6. McIntyre's side later defeated Ballygunner
Ballygunner GAA
Ballygunner GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the parish of Ballygunner in County Waterford, Ireland. The club is exclusively concerned with hurling.- History :...
in the All-Ireland semi-final to set up a championship decider meeting with Birr
Birr GAA
Birr GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the town of Birr in County Offaly, Ireland. The club is almost exclusively concerned with hurling and are one of the most successful club hurling teams in the country.-Honours:...
. That game 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....
saw Birr take complete control and defeat Clarinbridge by 2–10 to 1–5.
Offaly
In late 1996 McIntyre became involved in inter-county management for the first time when he took charge of the OffalyOffaly 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...
senior team. His term in charge was not a successful one. After an average National League campaign Offaly subsequently had an unlucky Leinster semi-final defeat by 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...
. McIntyre's side lost that game by three points on a day when it took a fantastic save by Damien Fitzhenry
Damien Fitzhenry
Damien Fitzhenry is a retired Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling and Gaelic football with his local club Duffry Rovers and was a member of the Wexford senior inter-county hurling team from 1993 until 2010...
to prevent Billy Dooley
Billy Dooley
Billy Dooley is a former Irish sportsperson. He played senior hurling with the Offaly inter-county team from 1991 until 1999.-Early life:...
from scoring an equalizing goal in injury-time. He was subsequently ousted as manager and replaced by fellow county-man Michael 'Babs' Keating.
McIntyre was appointed Offaly manager for the second time on November 15, 2004. By this stage Offaly was no longer the hurling power that it was in the 1980s and 1990s. His first season on charge was far from successful. After a 6–28 to 0–15 thrashing by 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...
in the Leinster semi-final, McIntyre's side later crashed out of the championship in the All-Ireland qualifier group stage. By 2006 little had changed. After a defeat by Wexford in the Leinster semi-final, McIntyre's side later exited the championship in the All-Ireland qualifier group stage once again. 2007 saw the pattern continue with Offaly being defeated in the semi-final stage of the provincial championship. A defeat of 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 the qualifiers failed to save McIntyre's side from being dumped out of the championship. He resigned as manager shortly afterwards.
Galway
McIntyre was confirmed as manager of the Galway senior hurling team, in succession to Ger LoughnaneGer Loughnane
Ger Loughnane is a Irish hurling manager and former player. He played hurling with his local club Feakle and with the Clare senior inter-county team in the 1970s and 1980s...
, on 18 November 2008. There were high hopes for Galway as the team entered the Leinster championship for the first time. After a trouncing of 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:...
in the opening round, McIntyre's Galway faced three-in-a-row All-Ireland champions Kilkenny in the provincial semi-final. Galway went five points ahead but 'the Cats' clawed their way back to win by 2–20 to 3–13. Galway later defeated 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....
and Cork before being surprising defeated by 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 an All-Ireland quarter-final.
In May 2010, he guided Galway to win the 2010 National Hurling League
National Hurling League 2010
The 2010 National Hurling League was the 78th season of the National Hurling League. 35 teams competed in the league.Galway were the champions, defeating Cork in the final....
with a 2–22 to 1–17 win against Cork 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....
.
In September 2011 McIntyre resigned as manager after a very disappointing season.