Kevin Downes (hurler)
Encyclopedia
Kevin Downes is an Irish
sportsperson. He plays hurling
with his local club Na Piarsaigh
and has been a member of the Limerick
senior inter-county team since 2011.
-Limerick
, Downes was educated at Caherdavin Boys National School before later attending Ardscoil Rís. It was here that he first came to prominence on the hurling field under the guidance of teacher and inter-county hurler Niall Moran
. Downes was one of the stars of the Ardscoil Rís team that secured the Harty Cup
title in 2010 following an epic three-game series against reigning All-Ireland champions Thurles CBS. He later lined out in the All-Ireland final
against St. Kieran's College, however, Ardscoil Rís were narrowly beaten by 2-11 to 2-8.
Following the completion of his Leaving Certificate
Downes attended NUI Galway where he is currently studying Arts
.
club in Limerick. After developing his hurling at juvenile levels he later came to prominence as a member of the club's minor hurling team. He enjoyed little success in this grade as Na Piarsaigh lost back-to-back county minor championship
finals to Patrickswell
in 2008 and Kilmallock
in 2009.
Downes currently plays with the club's under-21 and senior teams. He won a county under-21 championship
title in 2010 following a defeat of underage rivals Kilmallock.
In 2011 he helped Na Piarsaigh to there first ever county senior championship
with a 2-18 to 0-13 defeat of Ahane
.
title following an epic extra-time win over Cork in the final.
By this stage Downes had already been called up to the Limerick senior team and made his debut in the 2011 National League
. Limerick defeated Clare
by 4-12 to 2-13 in the Division 2 final, giving Downes his first success in the senior grade. He later made his championship debut against Waterford
, scoring 2-1 in a one-point defeat.
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...
sportsperson. He plays 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...
with his local club Na Piarsaigh
Na Piarsaigh GAA (Limerick)
Na Piarsaigh is a Gaelic Athletic Association club situated on the north side of Limerick City, Ireland. It was founded in 1968. Na Piarsaigh competes in both the Limerick Senior Hurling Championship and the Limerick Intermediate Football Championship....
and has been 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 since 2011.
Early life
Born in Coonagh on the ClareCounty Clare
-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
-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...
, Downes was educated at Caherdavin Boys National School before later attending Ardscoil Rís. It was here that he first came to prominence on the hurling field under the guidance of teacher and inter-county hurler Niall Moran
Niall Moran
Niall Moran is an Irish sportsman. He plays hurling with his local club Ahane and with the Limerick senior inter-county team. Brother of Ollie and James. Teacher and Hurling coach in Ardscoil Ris Limerick; also coaches the Ahane u16 hurling team .- References :...
. Downes was one of the stars of the Ardscoil Rís team that secured the Harty Cup
Dr. Harty Cup
The Dr. Harty Cup is a hurling competition for schools in the province of Munster in Ireland. The cup is presented to the winners of the Munster Colleges Senior "A" Hurling Championship. Players have to be under the age of 19 to compete. The winning team represents Munster in the Dr. Croke Cup...
title in 2010 following an epic three-game series against reigning All-Ireland champions Thurles CBS. He later lined out in the All-Ireland final
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...
against St. Kieran's College, however, Ardscoil Rís were narrowly beaten by 2-11 to 2-8.
Following the completion of his Leaving Certificate
Leaving Certificate
The Leaving Certificate Examinations , commonly referred to as the Leaving Cert is the final examination in the Irish secondary school system. It takes a minimum of two years preparation, but an optional Transition Year means that for those students it takes place three years after the Junior...
Downes attended NUI Galway where he is currently studying Arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
.
Club
Downes plays his club hurling with the Na PiarsaighNa Piarsaigh GAA (Limerick)
Na Piarsaigh is a Gaelic Athletic Association club situated on the north side of Limerick City, Ireland. It was founded in 1968. Na Piarsaigh competes in both the Limerick Senior Hurling Championship and the Limerick Intermediate Football Championship....
club in Limerick. After developing his hurling at juvenile levels he later came to prominence as a member of the club's minor hurling team. He enjoyed little success in this grade as Na Piarsaigh lost back-to-back county minor championship
Limerick Minor Hurling Championship
The Limerick Minor Hurling Championship is a hurling competition played by GAA teams in Limerick in Ireland. All players have to be under the age of 18 in the year in which they take part here. The competition is organized by Limerick GAA county board....
finals to 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...
in 2008 and 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...
in 2009.
Downes currently plays with the club's under-21 and senior teams. He won a county under-21 championship
Limerick Under-21 Hurling Championship
The Limerick Under-21 Hurling Championship is a hurling competition played by GAA teams in Limerick in Ireland. The winners of the championship receive an Corn Cuimhneachán Uí Lanagáin. All players have to be under the age of 21 in the year in which they take part here. The competition is organized...
title in 2010 following a defeat of underage rivals Kilmallock.
In 2011 he helped Na Piarsaigh to there first ever 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...
with a 2-18 to 0-13 defeat of 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...
.
Inter-county
Downes first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Limerick minor team in 2008. He enjoyed little success in this grade before joining the county's under-21 hurling side. Downes was captain of that team in 2011 and collected a MunsterMunster 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 an epic extra-time win over Cork in the final.
By this stage Downes had already been called up to the Limerick senior team and made his debut in the 2011 National League
National Hurling League 2011
The 2011 National Hurling League was a Hurling competition run by the Gaelic Athletic Association between February and May 2011. It was contested by 35 county hurling teams—34 from Ireland , and London. Dublin won the Division 1 title after a 0-22 to 1-7 win against Kilkenny in the final at Croke...
. Limerick 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....
by 4-12 to 2-13 in the Division 2 final, giving Downes his first success in the senior grade. He later made his championship debut against 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...
, scoring 2-1 in a one-point defeat.
Club
- Limerick Senior Hurling ChampionshipLimerick Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe 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...
(1): 2011 - Limerick Under-21 Hurling ChampionshipLimerick Under-21 Hurling ChampionshipThe Limerick Under-21 Hurling Championship is a hurling competition played by GAA teams in Limerick in Ireland. The winners of the championship receive an Corn Cuimhneachán Uí Lanagáin. All players have to be under the age of 21 in the year in which they take part here. The competition is organized...
(1): 2010
Inter-county
- National League (Division 2)National Hurling LeagueThe 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...
(1): 2011 - Munster Under-21 Hurling ChampionshipMunster Under-21 Hurling ChampionshipThe 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...
(1): 2011