Neil Ronan
Encyclopedia
Neil Ronan is an Irish
sportsperson. He plays hurling
with his local club Ballyhea
and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1999 until 2009.
, County Cork
in 1979. He was educated at the local national school in Ballyhea before later attending St. Colman's College
, a famous hurling nursery in Fermoy
. It was here that Ronan's hurling skills were further developed. By the time he entered senior cycle he had established himself as a key member of the forward line on the school's senior hurling team. Ronan won a Dr. Harty Cup
winners' medal in 1996, before later lining out in the All-Ireland final. Mighty St. Kieran's College of Kilkenny provided the opposition and secured a 1-14 to 2-6 victory. St. Colman's retained the Harty Cup in 1997 before qualifying for a second consecutive All-Ireland final. Good Counsel of New Ross
were the opponents on that occasion, however, the game turned into an absolute rout. St. Colman's were much too strong and powered their way to a 4-20 to 0-9 victory. The win gave Ronan a coveted All-Ireland
colleges' winners' medal.
Following his secondary schooling Ronan studied at the Waterford Institute of Technology
(WIT). Here his hurling career developed further, along with such players as Michael Kavanagh
, Dave Bennett
and Henry Shefflin
. In his first year in college Ronan made the senior team and lined out in the Fitzgibbon Cup
final. An exciting 4-15 to 3-12 defeat of University College Cork
gave Ronan a winners' medal in the inter-varsities competition.
After graduating from college Ronan worked as a quantity surveyor.
. He made his underage debut at the age of eight, and was quickly recognised as one of the club's brightest prospects.
In 1995 Ronan had only just turned sixteen when he lined out in the final of the cork senior championship
against Na Piarsaigh
. The game turned out be a disappointing one for the north Cork side as Ballyhea were defeated by 1-12 to 3-1.
After a number of years in the top grade of Cork hurling, Ballyhea were relegated to the county intermediate championship
.
In 1998 Ronan was a fringe player on the Cork under-21 team. He did come on as a substitute to collect a Munster
winners' medal following a 3-18 to 1-10 victory over Tipperary
. For the third year in-a-row Cork played in the All-Ireland final and, for the second consecutive year, Galway
were the opponents. Ronan was introduced as a sub once again and, in a close game, Cork just about secured a 2-15 to 2-10 win. It was Ronan's first All-Ireland
under-21 winners' medal.
, the team that had won three of the last four provincial titles, together with two All-Ireland titles, provided the opposition and were very much the favourites going into the game. An exciting contest unfolded with Joe Deane
scoring a key goal after an excellent pass from Seánie McGrath
. A score line of 1-15 to 0-14 gave Cork the victory and gave Ronan his first senior Munster
title. Cork later defeated Offaly
in one of the games of the year to set up an All-Ireland final meeting with arch-rivals Kilkenny
. A wet and windy day meant that the classic game that everyone expected failed to materialise. Both sides shot seventeen wides over the course of the seventy minutes as a young and inexperienced Cork came back from five points down to win by 0-13 to 0-12, however, Ronan failed to score. It was Cork's first senior All-Ireland
title since 1990 and it was Ronan's first.
In 2000 Cork were the favourites to retain their All-Ireland title. The team got off to a good start by retaining their Munster title, however, Tipperary put up a good fight. Cork won by 0-23 to 3-12 as Ronan added a second Munster winners' medal to his collection. Cork's next game was an All-Ireland semi-final meeting with Offaly. While Cork were expected to win the game without breaking a sweat Offaly caught Cork on the hop and recorded a 0-19 to 0-15 win.
While the Cork hurling team should have gone from strength to strength as a result of a solid foundation at minor and under-21 levels the opposite happened. Embarrassing defeats in 2001 and 2002 saw Cork reach rock bottom and call a players' strike just before Christmas in 2002. Had the strike failed it could have meant the end of his and his fellow teammates' careers, however, in the end the county board relented and met the demands. Although still amateur sportsmen the Cork senior hurling team were treated as professional athletes. In spite of the concessions won in the strike Ronan decided to walk away from hurling. In 2003 and 2004 he lived and worked in Australia
.
In 2005 Ronan was back and reclaimed his place on Cork's starting fifteen. That year the team won back the provincial crown with a 1-12 to 1-16 victory over Tipperary. It was Ronan's third Munster winners’ medal as Cork went on the march for glory once again. Cork qualified for the All-Ireland final once again after a tough semi-final against Clare. While it was expected that Cork and Kilkenny would do battle again in a third consecutive All-Ireland final Galway were the surprise winners of the second semi-final. It was the first meeting of Cork and Galway in an All-Ireland final since 1990 and even more daunting was the fact that men from the west had never beaten Cork in a championship decider. Once again neither side broke away into a considerable lead, however, at the final whistle Cork were ahead by 1-21 to 1-16 with Ben O'Connor
scoring the goal. For the second year in-a-row Cork were the All-Ireland champions and Ronan collected his second winners’ medal.
2006 saw Cork turn their attentions to a first three-in-a-row of All-Ireland titles since 1978. Ronan, however, lost his place on the starting fifteen but was used as an effective impact sub. He came on as a sub in Cork's 2-11 to 1-11 defeat of Tipperary to take his fourth Munster title. Subsequent victories over Limerick
and Waterford
saw Cork qualify for their fourth consecutive All-Ireland final and for the third time Kilkenny were the opponents. Like previous encounters neither side took a considerable lead, however, Kilkenny had a vital goal from Aidan Fogarty
. Ronan started the game but failed to raise a white flag. Cork were in arrears coming into the final few minutes, however, Ben O'Connor goaled for Cork. It was too little too late as ‘the Cats’ denied ‘the Rebels’ the three-in-a-row on a score line of 1-16 to 1-13.
Ronan's final few years on the Cork team proved frustrating. After contesting four consecutive provincial and All-Ireland deciders between 2003 and 2006, Cork's next few seasons frequently saw the team in the All-Ireland qualifiers. Ronan, however, revelled in his role as an impact sub and developed his goal-scoring touch. He was ultimately frustrated at not being included on the Cork starting fifteen and decided to walk away from the set-up in 2009.
in the inter-provincial series of games. He played with his province for the only time in 2001 as Munster beat Connacht
by 1-21 to 1-15 to take the Railway Cup title.
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 Ballyhea
Ballyhea GAA
Ballyhea GAA is a hurling club in the village of Ballyhea in Cork, Ireland. The club is affiliated to the Avondhu, division of Cork GAA. The club currently competes in the Cork Intermediate Hurling Championship. It does not field Gaelic football teams....
and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1999 until 2009.
Biography
Neil Ronan was born in BallyheaBallyhea
Ballyhea is a parish located in north County Cork, Ireland. It is situated on the main N20 Cork–Limerick road, south of Charleville. The parish has approximately 1,000 inhabitants.Ballyhea covers a wide area and has five graveyards...
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
in 1979. He was educated at the local national school in Ballyhea before later attending St. Colman's College
St. Colman's College, Fermoy
St. Colman's College is an all-boys secondary school in Fermoy, County Cork. The school was founded in 1856 and opened in 1858 as the diocesan college of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cloyne. Archbishop Thomas Croke became the school's first President in this year...
, a famous hurling nursery in Fermoy
Fermoy
Fermoy is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is situated on the River Blackwater in the south of Ireland. Its population is some 5,800 inhabitants, environs included ....
. It was here that Ronan's hurling skills were further developed. By the time he entered senior cycle he had established himself as a key member of the forward line on the school's senior hurling team. Ronan won a Dr. 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...
winners' medal in 1996, before later lining out in the All-Ireland final. Mighty St. Kieran's College of Kilkenny provided the opposition and secured a 1-14 to 2-6 victory. St. Colman's retained the Harty Cup in 1997 before qualifying for a second consecutive All-Ireland final. Good Counsel of New Ross
New Ross
New Ross is a town located in southwest County Wexford, in the southeast of Ireland. In 2006 it had a population of 7,709 people, making it the third largest town in the county after Wexford and Enniscorthy.-History:...
were the opponents on that occasion, however, the game turned into an absolute rout. St. Colman's were much too strong and powered their way to a 4-20 to 0-9 victory. The win gave Ronan a coveted All-Ireland
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...
colleges' winners' medal.
Following his secondary schooling Ronan studied at the Waterford Institute of Technology
Waterford Institute of Technology
Waterford Institute of Technology is a state funded third-level educational institution situated in the city of Waterford, Ireland. The Institute has six Schools and 16 Departments....
(WIT). Here his hurling career developed further, along with such players as Michael Kavanagh
Michael Kavanagh
Michael Kavanagh is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club St. Lachtain's and has a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team since 1998.-Biography:...
, Dave Bennett
Dave Bennett (hurler)
Dave Bennett is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Lismore and formerly with the Waterford senior inter-county team. Dave has also previously played with both UCC and WIT at college level. Dave primarily plays in midfield but has also played in the half-forward line for...
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...
. In his first year in college Ronan made the senior team and lined out in the 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...
final. An exciting 4-15 to 3-12 defeat of University College Cork
UCC GAA
UCC is a football and hurling club associated with University College Cork. UCC teams play in the Cork Senior Football Championship and Cork Senior Hurling Championship as well as the two main third-level competitions namely the Sigerson Cup in football and the Fitzgibbon Cup in hurling...
gave Ronan a winners' medal in the inter-varsities competition.
After graduating from college Ronan worked as a quantity surveyor.
Club
Ronan played his club hurling with his local club in BallyheaBallyhea GAA
Ballyhea GAA is a hurling club in the village of Ballyhea in Cork, Ireland. The club is affiliated to the Avondhu, division of Cork GAA. The club currently competes in the Cork Intermediate Hurling Championship. It does not field Gaelic football teams....
. He made his underage debut at the age of eight, and was quickly recognised as one of the club's brightest prospects.
In 1995 Ronan had only just turned sixteen when he lined out in the final of the cork senior championship
Cork Senior Hurling Championship
The Evening Echo Cork County Senior Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Cork County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in the county of Cork in Ireland....
against Na Piarsaigh
Na Piarsaigh GAA
Na Piarsaigh are a Hurling and Gaelic football club based in the north side of Cork City, Ireland. The club was founded in 1943.-Birth of the club:...
. The game turned out be a disappointing one for the north Cork side as Ballyhea were defeated by 1-12 to 3-1.
After a number of years in the top grade of Cork hurling, Ballyhea were relegated to the county intermediate championship
Cork Intermediate Hurling Championship
Cork Intermediate Hurling Championship is the second-tier hurling competition organized by the Cork Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The winners usually will play in the senior grade the following year for the Cork Senior Hurling Championship. This championship has been played for since 1909...
.
Minor & under-21
Ronan's talent at club level brought him to the attention of the Cork inter-county selectors. He subsequently went on to join various county underage teams, winning under-14 and under-16 hurling honours with his native-county. Ronan later joined the Cork minor hurling team, however, he enjoyed little success in this grade.In 1998 Ronan was a fringe player on the Cork under-21 team. He did come on as a substitute to collect a 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...
winners' medal following a 3-18 to 1-10 victory over 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...
. For the third year in-a-row Cork played in the All-Ireland final and, for the second consecutive year, 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,...
were the opponents. Ronan was introduced as a sub once again and, in a close game, Cork just about secured a 2-15 to 2-10 win. It was Ronan's first 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.
Senior
Ronan was just out of the minor ranks and still an under-21 player when he made his senior championship debut with Cork in 1999. That year Cork were back in their first Munster final since 1992 and Ronan was named in the left wing-forward position. ClareClare 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....
, the team that had won three of the last four provincial titles, together with two All-Ireland titles, provided the opposition and were very much the favourites going into the game. An exciting contest unfolded with Joe Deane
Joe Deane
Joe Deane is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Killeagh and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1996 until 2009...
scoring a key goal after an excellent pass from Seánie McGrath
Seánie McGrath
Seánie McGrath is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local clubs Mayfield and Glen Rovers and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1997 until 2003.-Early life:...
. A score line of 1-15 to 0-14 gave Cork the victory and gave Ronan his first senior Munster
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....
title. Cork later defeated 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...
in one of the games of the year to set up an All-Ireland final meeting with arch-rivals 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...
. A wet and windy day meant that the classic game that everyone expected failed to materialise. Both sides shot seventeen wides over the course of the seventy minutes as a young and inexperienced Cork came back from five points down to win by 0-13 to 0-12, however, Ronan failed to score. It was Cork's 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....
title since 1990 and it was Ronan's first.
In 2000 Cork were the favourites to retain their All-Ireland title. The team got off to a good start by retaining their Munster title, however, Tipperary put up a good fight. Cork won by 0-23 to 3-12 as Ronan added a second Munster winners' medal to his collection. Cork's next game was an All-Ireland semi-final meeting with Offaly. While Cork were expected to win the game without breaking a sweat Offaly caught Cork on the hop and recorded a 0-19 to 0-15 win.
While the Cork hurling team should have gone from strength to strength as a result of a solid foundation at minor and under-21 levels the opposite happened. Embarrassing defeats in 2001 and 2002 saw Cork reach rock bottom and call a players' strike just before Christmas in 2002. Had the strike failed it could have meant the end of his and his fellow teammates' careers, however, in the end the county board relented and met the demands. Although still amateur sportsmen the Cork senior hurling team were treated as professional athletes. In spite of the concessions won in the strike Ronan decided to walk away from hurling. In 2003 and 2004 he lived and worked in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
In 2005 Ronan was back and reclaimed his place on Cork's starting fifteen. That year the team won back the provincial crown with a 1-12 to 1-16 victory over Tipperary. It was Ronan's third Munster winners’ medal as Cork went on the march for glory once again. Cork qualified for the All-Ireland final once again after a tough semi-final against Clare. While it was expected that Cork and Kilkenny would do battle again in a third consecutive All-Ireland final Galway were the surprise winners of the second semi-final. It was the first meeting of Cork and Galway in an All-Ireland final since 1990 and even more daunting was the fact that men from the west had never beaten Cork in a championship decider. Once again neither side broke away into a considerable lead, however, at the final whistle Cork were ahead by 1-21 to 1-16 with Ben O'Connor
Ben O'Connor
Ben O'Connor is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Newtownshandrum and has been a member of the Cork senior inter-county team since 1999. O'Connor is regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation.-Biography:Ben O’Connor was born in the village of...
scoring the goal. For the second year in-a-row Cork were the All-Ireland champions and Ronan collected his second winners’ medal.
2006 saw Cork turn their attentions to a first three-in-a-row of All-Ireland titles since 1978. Ronan, however, lost his place on the starting fifteen but was used as an effective impact sub. He came on as a sub in Cork's 2-11 to 1-11 defeat of Tipperary to take his fourth Munster title. Subsequent victories over 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...
and 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...
saw Cork qualify for their fourth consecutive All-Ireland final and for the third time Kilkenny were the opponents. Like previous encounters neither side took a considerable lead, however, Kilkenny had a vital goal from Aidan Fogarty
Aidan Fogarty
Aidan Fogarty is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Emeralds and with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team.-Club:...
. Ronan started the game but failed to raise a white flag. Cork were in arrears coming into the final few minutes, however, Ben O'Connor goaled for Cork. It was too little too late as ‘the Cats’ denied ‘the Rebels’ the three-in-a-row on a score line of 1-16 to 1-13.
Ronan's final few years on the Cork team proved frustrating. After contesting four consecutive provincial and All-Ireland deciders between 2003 and 2006, Cork's next few seasons frequently saw the team in the All-Ireland qualifiers. Ronan, however, revelled in his role as an impact sub and developed his goal-scoring touch. He was ultimately frustrated at not being included on the Cork starting fifteen and decided to walk away from the set-up in 2009.
Inter-provincial
Ronan also had the honour of being called up to play with MunsterMunster GAA
The Munster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Munster.-Constituent counties:*Cork*Clare*Kerry*Limerick*Tipperary*Waterford-Honours:...
in the inter-provincial series of games. He played with his province for the only time in 2001 as Munster beat Connacht
Connacht GAA
The Connacht Council are a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Connacht.-Constituent counties:*Galway*Leitrim*Mayo*Roscommon*Sligo-Special counties:...
by 1-21 to 1-15 to take the Railway Cup title.