Kevin Martin (hurler)
Encyclopedia
Kevin Martin is an Irish
retired hurling
manager
and player. He was the manager
of the Westmeath
senior and under-21 hurling teams from 2009 until 2011.
Martin still enjoys a successful playing career at club level with Tullamore
and formerly at inter-county level with Offaly
. He was a wing-back on the latter team during the 'golden age' of the 1990s and collected two All-Ireland
titles, two Leinster
titles and two All-Star
awards.
Immediately after retiring from inter-county activity Martin became involved in team management. He was player-manager with the Tullamore team that won their first county title in thirty-five years in 2009. Martin was appointed manager of the Westmeath senior and under-21 hurling teams in October 2009, serving until April 2011.
club, however, it has only been in recent years that he has enjoyed any success.
In 2009 Tullamore bridged a forty-five-year gap to reach the final of the county senior championship. Kilcormac/Killoughey, a team hoping to win their very first championship, provided the opposition on that occasion. Tullamore were much the better team on the day and, even after having two penalties saved, easily won by 2-12 to 0-11. It was a first county title for Martin. Tullamore later represented Offaly in the provincial series of games and even reached the Leinster
final. Ballyhale Shamrocks were the opponents and were made to work for their 1-16 to 1-8 victory.
In 2010 Martin's Tullamore side quaified for a second successive county final, this time against Coolderry
.
during the 1993-94 National Hurling League
campaign. In the subsequent championship he became a regular at left wing-back. That year, after a few years out of the limelight, Offaly bounced back in 1994. That year Martin won his first Leinster
winners’ medal following a 1-18 to 0-14 victory over Wexford
. After defeating Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final, Martin later lined out against Limerick
in the All-Ireland final. With five minutes left in the game Limerick were five points ahead and were coasting to victory. It was then that one of the most explosive All-Ireland final finishes of all-time took place. Offaly were awarded a close-in free which Johnny Dooley
stepped up to take. Dooley was told by the management team to take a point; however, he lashed the ball into the Limerick net to reduce the deficit. 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. This sensational victory gave Martin a coveted All-Ireland
winner’s medal in his debut season. He was subsequently presented with his first All-Star
award.
In 1995 Offaly retained the Leinster title following a 2-16 to 2-5 trouncing of Kilkenny. It was Martin's and final provincial winners’ medal. Down
fell to Offaly in the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final, allowing Offaly to advance to the championship decider and attempt to put back-to-back All-Ireland titles together for the first time ever. It was the first-ever meeting of Offaly and Clare
in the history of the championship. The game developed into a close affair with Offaly taking a half-time lead. Four minutes from the end substitute Éamonn Taaffe
first timed a long range free straight into the net to give Clare a one-point lead. After a quick equaliser Anthony Daly
sent over a 65-metre free to give his team the lead again. Jamesie O'Connor
pointed soon afterwards and at the full-time whistle Clare were the 1-13 to 2-8 winners.
After a couple of seasons in the doldrums Offaly emerged again in 1998, however, the year was not without controversy. That year Martin's side reached the Leinster final but lost by five points to Kilkenny. This defeat prompted their manager, Babs Keating, to describe the Offaly hurlers as "sheep in a heap", and he promptly resigned. It looked as if Offaly's championship hopes were in disarray, however, they overcame Antrim
in the All-Ireland quarter-final and qualified to meet Clare in the semi-final. That game ended in a draw 1-13 apiece draw and had to be replayed. The replay, however, was ended early because of a time-keeping error by the referee Jimmy Cooney
. Following a protest on the pitch of Croke Park
by the Offaly supporters it was decided that Clare and Offaly would meet for a third time. Martin's side won the third game and qualified to play Kilkenny in the final in a repeat of the provincial decider. On that day Brian Whelahan
delivered one of his greatest performances. Despite suffering from 'flu, he started in defence and was later moved to full-forward where he scored 1-6. Offaly reversed the Leinster final defeat by winning the All-Ireland final by six points. Martin captured a second All-Ireland medal that day and later picked up a second All-Star award.
Two years later in 2000 Martin's side suffered a heavy defeat to Kilkenny in the Leinster final. As a result of the 'back-door' system in the championship both sides later faced off against each other again in the All-Ireland final. D. J. Carey
capitalised on an Offaly mistake after just six minutes to start a goal-fest for 'the Cats'. Carey scored 2-4 in all, sharing his second goal with Henry Shefflin
who also scored a goal in the second-half. At the full-time whistle Kilkenny were the champions by 5-15 to 1-14. It was one of the most one-sided finals in decades and marked the end of the great Offaly team of the nineties.
Martin continued with the Offaly team for another two years. He retired from inter-county hurling just before the start of the 2003 championship campaign.
senior and under-21 hurling team managers. His debut season as manager got off to a shaky start in the National League. Westmeath only won two out of the seven group games and were relegation candidates. Eventually Martin's side preserved their division 2 status as it was Kildare
who bottomed out. The subsequent Christy Ring Cup
campaign saw Westmeath enjoy some ups and downs, however, Martin's side eventually qualified for the final. Kerry
, a team that defeated Westmeath in an earlier round of the competition, provided the opposition. A close and exciting game developed with the result remaining in doubt until the full-time whistle. When the game was over Westmeath were the champions for the third time in six years on a score line of 2-16 to 1-18.
In 2011 Martin's Westmeath will compete in the Leinster championship.
After the success of 2010 2011 turned out to be a bad year for both Martin and Westmeath as the finished bottom of Div 2 of the National League with out a win and so were relegated to Div 3A for the 2012 season.
Martin was sacked as manager before the start of the 2011 championship.
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...
retired 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 player. He was the 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...
of the Westmeath
Westmeath GAA
The Westmeath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Westmeath GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Westmeath...
senior and under-21 hurling teams from 2009 until 2011.
Martin still enjoys a successful playing career at club level with Tullamore
Tullamore GAA
Tullamore GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the town of Tullamore, County Offaly, Ireland. The club is concerned with both hurling and Gaelic football. The club competes in Offaly GAA competitions. The club has won three senior football championships and one senior hurling...
and formerly at inter-county level with 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...
. He was a wing-back on the latter team during the 'golden age' of the 1990s and collected two 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....
titles, two 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....
titles and two 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.
Immediately after retiring from inter-county activity Martin became involved in team management. He was player-manager with the Tullamore team that won their first county title in thirty-five years in 2009. Martin was appointed manager of the Westmeath senior and under-21 hurling teams in October 2009, serving until April 2011.
Club
Martin plays his club hurling with the TullamoreTullamore GAA
Tullamore GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the town of Tullamore, County Offaly, Ireland. The club is concerned with both hurling and Gaelic football. The club competes in Offaly GAA competitions. The club has won three senior football championships and one senior hurling...
club, however, it has only been in recent years that he has enjoyed any success.
In 2009 Tullamore bridged a forty-five-year gap to reach the final of the county senior championship. Kilcormac/Killoughey, a team hoping to win their very first championship, provided the opposition on that occasion. Tullamore were much the better team on the day and, even after having two penalties saved, easily won by 2-12 to 0-11. It was a first county title for Martin. Tullamore later represented Offaly in the provincial series of games and even reached the 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...
final. Ballyhale Shamrocks were the opponents and were made to work for their 1-16 to 1-8 victory.
In 2010 Martin's Tullamore side quaified for a second successive county final, this time against Coolderry
Coolderry GAA
Coolderry GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the town of Coolderry in County Offaly, Ireland. The club is the most successful side in the Offaly Senior Hurling Championship with a record 29 titles.- History :...
.
Inter-county
Martin made his senior inter-county debut against 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...
during the 1993-94 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...
campaign. In the subsequent championship he became a regular at left wing-back. That year, after a few years out of the limelight, Offaly bounced back in 1994. That year Martin won his first 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....
winners’ medal following a 1-18 to 0-14 victory over 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...
. After defeating Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final, Martin later lined out against 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...
in the All-Ireland final. With five minutes left in the game Limerick were five points ahead and were coasting to victory. It was then that one of the most explosive All-Ireland final finishes of all-time took place. Offaly were awarded a close-in free which 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...
stepped up to take. Dooley was told by the management team to take a point; however, he lashed the ball into the Limerick net to reduce the deficit. 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. This sensational victory gave Martin a coveted 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 medal in his debut season. He was subsequently presented with his first 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.
In 1995 Offaly retained the Leinster title following a 2-16 to 2-5 trouncing of Kilkenny. It was Martin's and final provincial winners’ medal. Down
Down GAA
The Down County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Down GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Down...
fell to Offaly in the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final, allowing Offaly to advance to the championship decider and attempt to put back-to-back All-Ireland titles together for the first time ever. It was the first-ever meeting of Offaly and 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 the history of the championship. The game developed into a close affair with Offaly taking a half-time lead. Four minutes from the end substitute Éamonn Taaffe
Éamonn Taaffe
Éamonn Taaffe is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Tubber and was a member of the Clare senior inter-county team in the 1990s. Taaffe scored Clare's only goal in their 2-point victory over Offaly in the 1995 All-Ireland Final. This was Clare's first All-Ireland win in 81...
first timed a long range free straight into the net to give Clare a one-point lead. After a quick equaliser Anthony Daly
Anthony Daly (hurler)
Anthony Daly is an Irish hurling manager and former player. He is the current manager of the Dublin senior hurling team....
sent over a 65-metre free to give his team the lead again. Jamesie O'Connor
Jamesie O'Connor
Jamesie O'Connor is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club St. Joseph's Doora-Barefield and with the Clare senior inter-county team from 1993 until 2004.-Biography:...
pointed soon afterwards and at the full-time whistle Clare were the 1-13 to 2-8 winners.
After a couple of seasons in the doldrums Offaly emerged again in 1998, however, the year was not without controversy. That year Martin's side reached the Leinster final but lost by five points to Kilkenny. This defeat prompted their manager, Babs Keating, to describe the Offaly hurlers as "sheep in a heap", and he promptly resigned. It looked as if Offaly's championship hopes were in disarray, however, they overcame Antrim
Antrim GAA
The Antrim County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Antrim GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Antrim. The county board is also responsible for the Antrim inter-county teams...
in the All-Ireland quarter-final and qualified to meet Clare in the semi-final. That game ended in a draw 1-13 apiece draw and had to be replayed. The replay, however, was ended early because of a time-keeping error by the referee Jimmy Cooney
Jimmy Cooney (hurler)
Jimmy Cooney is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Sarsfield's and was a member of the Galway senior inter-county team in the 1970s and 1980s. Cooney later served as an inter-county referee.-References:...
. Following a protest on the pitch of Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
by the Offaly supporters it was decided that Clare and Offaly would meet for a third time. Martin's side won the third game and qualified to play Kilkenny in the final in a repeat of the provincial decider. On that day Brian Whelahan
Brian Whelahan
Brian Whelahan is an Irish sportsperson. He currently plays hurling with his local club Birr and was a member of the Offaly senior inter-county team from 1989 until 2006...
delivered one of his greatest performances. Despite suffering from 'flu, he started in defence and was later moved to full-forward where he scored 1-6. Offaly reversed the Leinster final defeat by winning the All-Ireland final by six points. Martin captured a second All-Ireland medal that day and later picked up a second All-Star award.
Two years later in 2000 Martin's side suffered a heavy defeat to Kilkenny in the Leinster final. As a result of the 'back-door' system in the championship both sides later faced off against each other again in the All-Ireland final. D. J. Carey
D. J. Carey
Denis Joseph Carey , better known as D.J. Carey , is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Young Irelands from 1988 until 2007 and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1990 until 2005...
capitalised on an Offaly mistake after just six minutes to start a goal-fest for 'the Cats'. Carey scored 2-4 in all, sharing his second goal with 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...
who also scored a goal in the second-half. At the full-time whistle Kilkenny were the champions by 5-15 to 1-14. It was one of the most one-sided finals in decades and marked the end of the great Offaly team of the nineties.
Martin continued with the Offaly team for another two years. He retired from inter-county hurling just before the start of the 2003 championship campaign.
Early experience
Martin cut his teeth in management with his native club Tullamore. He was player-manager in 2009 as the club claimed their first county title since 1964. Martin guided Tullamore back to a second consecutive county championship decider in 2010.Westmeath
In October 2009 Martin was confirmed as the new WestmeathWestmeath GAA
The Westmeath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Westmeath GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Westmeath...
senior and under-21 hurling team managers. His debut season as manager got off to a shaky start in the National League. Westmeath only won two out of the seven group games and were relegation candidates. Eventually Martin's side preserved their division 2 status as it was Kildare
Kildare GAA
For more information see Kildare Senior Club Football Championship or Kildare Senior Club Hurling Championship.The Kildare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Kildare GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kildare...
who bottomed out. The subsequent Christy Ring Cup
Christy Ring Cup
The Christy Ring Cup is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 2005 for middle-ranking hurling teams in Ireland....
campaign saw Westmeath enjoy some ups and downs, however, Martin's side eventually qualified for the final. Kerry
Kerry GAA
The Kerry 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 Kerry...
, a team that defeated Westmeath in an earlier round of the competition, provided the opposition. A close and exciting game developed with the result remaining in doubt until the full-time whistle. When the game was over Westmeath were the champions for the third time in six years on a score line of 2-16 to 1-18.
In 2011 Martin's Westmeath will compete in the Leinster championship.
After the success of 2010 2011 turned out to be a bad year for both Martin and Westmeath as the finished bottom of Div 2 of the National League with out a win and so were relegated to Div 3A for the 2012 season.
Martin was sacked as manager before the start of the 2011 championship.