Noel Lane
Encyclopedia
Noel Lane is a retired Irish
hurling
manager
and former player. He played hurling with his local club Ballinderreen and with the Galway
senior inter-county team from 1977 until 1990. Lane served as manager of the Galway senior inter-county team from 2000 until 2002. He is regarded as one of Galway's greatest-ever players.
, County Galway
in 1954. He was educated locally at Ballyglass national school where he first came into contact with the game of hurling
. He later attended Our Lady's College in Gort
where he played in an All-Ireland Colleges hurling final but lost. In spite of being a skilled hurler, Lane's heroes were the Galway
Gaelic football
side that completed the three-in-a-row between 1964 and 1966.
game in 1977. Two years later in 1979 Lane was a full member of the team as Galway shocked the hurling world and defeated reigning champions Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final. Lane’s side later faced Kilkenny
in the championship decider, however, they were defeated in one of the least memorable finals of the decade. In spite of this defeat Lane scored a goal in the final that was named "Goal of the Year." In 1980 Galway were back in the All-Ireland final. Limerick
were the opponents on that occasion, however, after an absence of fifty-seven years Galway captured the All-Ireland
title. It was Lane’s first major triumph at senior level as Croke Park
witnessed an outpouring of emotion as the Galway team finally made it back to the top of the hurling world. The following year he lined out in his third consecutive All-Ireland final. Offaly
were the opponents and took inspiration from Galway’s victory the previous year by capturing their first All-Ireland title.
Galway went into decline following this defeat; however, Lane collected back-to-back All-Star
awards in 1983 and 1984. The team bounced back in 1985 and shocked Cork once again in the All-Ireland semi-final, however, Galway wee defeated by Offaly in the championship decider. 1986 saw Lane appointed captain of the Galway team. That year the men from the West reached the All-Ireland final appearance once again and went into the game with Cork as red-hot favourites. On that occasion Cork gained revenge for previous defeats by beating Galway in an exciting game. In 1987 Lane came on as a substitute to collect his first National League medal. Galway continued their run of success in the championship by reaching their third All-Ireland final in-a-row. The pressure was on the men from Connacht as no team had ever lost three consecutive All-Ireland finals. Lane was named as a substitute for that game; however, his introduction saw him score the winning goal with seven minutes to go. It was Galway’s third title ever and it was Lane’s second All-Ireland medal.
In 1988 Galway were the favourites to retain their title. For the fourth year in succession the team reached the All-Ireland final with Lane once again coming on as a ‘super-sub.’ His crucial goal gave Galway a 1-15 to 0-14 victory and gave Lane a third All-Ireland medal. In 1989 he came on as a substitute to win a second National League medal before Galway were firmly installed as favourites to win a third championship in-a-row. Surprise package Antrim
had already qualified for the All-Ireland final, resulting in the winners of the Galway-Tipperary
semi-final being virtually guaranteed to take the All-Ireland title. Galway, however, were without the services of star player Tony Keady
and duly lost an ill-tempered game. In 1990 Galway reached the All-Ireland final once again with the veteran Lane firmly installed at full-forward. Cork were once again regarded as underdogs; however, in an open and exciting game of hurling they defeated the men from the West on a score line of 5-15 to 2-21. Lane retired from inter-county hurling following this defeat.
in the inter-provincial hurling competition. He captured Railway Cup titles in 1980, 1982, 1983, 1986 and 1987.
In his first season in charge Lane's Galway surrendered their National Hurling League
title, however, Lane's sights were firmly set on the championship. After disposing of Derry
in the All-Ireland quarter-final, Galway squared up to reigning champions Kilkenny
in the subsequent semi-final. Naturally, 'the Cats' were the favourites, however, Galway masterminded a five point victory over Brian Cody
's team. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Galway pitted against old rivals Tipperary
. Galway staged a comeback in the closing stages of the game, however, Tipp held on to win by a goal.
In 2002 Galway were regarded as one of the teams to watch in the championship. Defeats over Down
and Cork saw Galway reach the All-Ireland quarter-final where they faced Clare
. In a close game it was Clare who emerged victorious by a single point. This was Lane's last game in charge of Galway, however, he has been linked with a return to management on several occasions.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
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 played hurling with his local club Ballinderreen and with 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 inter-county team from 1977 until 1990. Lane served as manager of the Galway senior inter-county team from 2000 until 2002. He is regarded as one of Galway's greatest-ever players.
Early life
Noel Lane was born in BallyglassBallyglass
Ballyglass is a small village in central County Mayo in Ireland. It is situated about 10 miles from Castlebar, and closer to Claremorris and Ballinrobe...
, County Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
in 1954. He was educated locally at Ballyglass national school where he first came into contact with the game of 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...
. He later attended Our Lady's College in Gort
Gort
Gort is a town in south County Galway in the west of Ireland. An Gort is the official Irish name for the town, as defined by the Placenames Commission. In spoken Irish, however, the town is known by its traditional name Gort Inse Guaire. It lies just north of the border with County Clare on the...
where he played in an All-Ireland Colleges hurling final but lost. In spite of being a skilled hurler, Lane's heroes were 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,...
Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
side that completed the three-in-a-row between 1964 and 1966.
Club
Lane played his club hurling with his local Ballinderreen club and enjoyed some success. The club reached the county final in 1978, however, Lane’s side were beaten after extra-time.Inter-county
Lane’s talent was quickly spotted by the Galway inter-county hurling selectors and he made his senior debut in a National Hurling LeagueNational 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...
game in 1977. Two years later in 1979 Lane was a full member of the team as Galway shocked the hurling world and defeated reigning champions Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final. Lane’s side later faced 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 championship decider, however, they were defeated in one of the least memorable finals of the decade. In spite of this defeat Lane scored a goal in the final that was named "Goal of the Year." In 1980 Galway were back in the All-Ireland final. 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...
were the opponents on that occasion, however, after an absence of fifty-seven years Galway captured the 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. It was Lane’s first major triumph at senior level as Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
witnessed an outpouring of emotion as the Galway team finally made it back to the top of the hurling world. The following year he lined out in his third consecutive All-Ireland final. 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...
were the opponents and took inspiration from Galway’s victory the previous year by capturing their first All-Ireland title.
Galway went into decline following this defeat; however, Lane collected back-to-back 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 1983 and 1984. The team bounced back in 1985 and shocked Cork once again in the All-Ireland semi-final, however, Galway wee defeated by Offaly in the championship decider. 1986 saw Lane appointed captain of the Galway team. That year the men from the West reached the All-Ireland final appearance once again and went into the game with Cork as red-hot favourites. On that occasion Cork gained revenge for previous defeats by beating Galway in an exciting game. In 1987 Lane came on as a substitute to collect his first National League medal. Galway continued their run of success in the championship by reaching their third All-Ireland final in-a-row. The pressure was on the men from Connacht as no team had ever lost three consecutive All-Ireland finals. Lane was named as a substitute for that game; however, his introduction saw him score the winning goal with seven minutes to go. It was Galway’s third title ever and it was Lane’s second All-Ireland medal.
In 1988 Galway were the favourites to retain their title. For the fourth year in succession the team reached the All-Ireland final with Lane once again coming on as a ‘super-sub.’ His crucial goal gave Galway a 1-15 to 0-14 victory and gave Lane a third All-Ireland medal. In 1989 he came on as a substitute to win a second National League medal before Galway were firmly installed as favourites to win a third championship in-a-row. Surprise package 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...
had already qualified for the All-Ireland final, resulting in the winners of the Galway-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...
semi-final being virtually guaranteed to take the All-Ireland title. Galway, however, were without the services of star player Tony Keady
Tony Keady
Tony Keady is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Killimordaly and was a member of the Galway senior inter-county team in the 1980s and 1990s.-Club:...
and duly lost an ill-tempered game. In 1990 Galway reached the All-Ireland final once again with the veteran Lane firmly installed at full-forward. Cork were once again regarded as underdogs; however, in an open and exciting game of hurling they defeated the men from the West on a score line of 5-15 to 2-21. Lane retired from inter-county hurling following this defeat.
Inter-provincial
Lane was also a regular player for ConnachtConnacht 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:...
in the inter-provincial hurling competition. He captured Railway Cup titles in 1980, 1982, 1983, 1986 and 1987.
Galway
In retirement from playing Lane has maintained a keen interest in the game. He was appointed manager of the Galway senior inter-county team in late 2000.In his first season in charge Lane's Galway surrendered their 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, however, Lane's sights were firmly set on the championship. After disposing of Derry
Derry GAA
The Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Derry GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. It is responsible for Gaelic games in the GAA county of Derry, which covers virtually the same territory as the former administrative county of Londonderry...
in the All-Ireland quarter-final, Galway squared up to reigning champions 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 subsequent semi-final. Naturally, 'the Cats' were the favourites, however, Galway masterminded a five point victory over Brian Cody
Brian Cody
Brian Cody is an Irish hurling manager and former player, currently managing the Kilkenny senior inter-county team, where he has been in charge since 1998...
's team. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Galway pitted against old rivals 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...
. Galway staged a comeback in the closing stages of the game, however, Tipp held on to win by a goal.
In 2002 Galway were regarded as one of the teams to watch in the championship. Defeats over 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...
and Cork saw Galway reach the All-Ireland quarter-final where they faced 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 a close game it was Clare who emerged victorious by a single point. This was Lane's last game in charge of Galway, however, he has been linked with a return to management on several occasions.
See also
- Mauricius Ó LeaáinMauricius Ó LeaáinMauricius Ó Leaáin, Bishop of Kilmacduagh 1254-1284. Ó Leaáin is associated with the Oranmore-Clarenbridge are of County Galway. He was the first of three men of the surname to become bishop of Kilmacduagh....
, Bishop of KilmacduaghBishop of KilmacduaghThe Bishop of Kilmacduagh was an episcopal title which took its name after the village of Kilmacduagh in County Galway, Ireland. In both the Church of Ireland and the Roman Catholic Church, the title is now united with other bishoprics.-History:...
1254-1284. - Seoán Ó LeaáinSeoán Ó LeaáinSeoán Ó Leaáin, Bishop of Clonfert, 1322-1336. Ó Leaáin appears to have been a member of the same family asMauricius Ó Leaáin , Nicol Ó Leaáin, and Gregorius Ó Leaáin ....
, Bishop of Clonfert, 1322-1336. - Sylvie LinnaneSylvie LinnaneSylvie Linnane is an Irish retired sportsman. He played hurling with his local club Gort and was a member of the Galway senior inter-county team in the 1970s and 1980s...
(born 1956) retired GAA sportsman