Paul Curran (hurler)
Encyclopedia
Paul Curran is an Irish
sportsperson. He plays hurling
with his local club Mullinahone
and has been a member of the Tipperary
senior inter-county team since 2002.
, County Tipperary
in 1981. He was educated locally and from an early age he showed a great interest in the game of hurling
. Curran later attended the Waterford Institute of Technology
where he played on the college’s senior hurling team. He captained the side to a Fitzgibbon Cup
victory in 2003. Curran has also played underage soccer with Moyglass United.
and has enjoyed some success. In 2002 he lined out in his first county senior championship
final with county kingpins Thurles Sarsfield's
providing the opposition. Curran's side led by six points coming into the last quarter, however, Sarsfield's battled back to secure a 0-14 apiece draw. The replay a week later was a much more conclusive affair. Curran's clubmate Eoin Kelly
scored a remarkable 2-7 to give Mullinahone a merited 2-10 to 1-11 victory and a very first county title.
minor hurling selectors and he quickly joined the team. He collected a Munster
winners' medal in 1999 following a 1-13 to 2-7 defeat of Clare
. Tipp subsequently progressed to the All-Ireland final where Galway
provided the opposition. A 0-13 to 0-10 score line resulted in defeat for Curran's side.
Curran subsequently joined the Tipperary under-21 team, however, Limerick
dominated the under-21 series at provincial and All-Ireland level between 2000 and 2002.
game against Cork in 2001, however, he remained on the fringes of the team for the entire season. He did, however, win a set of National League, Munster
and All-Ireland
medals as a non-playing substitute that year.
In 2002 Curran still found it hard to break onto the Tipp team. He made his championship debut against Offaly
in an All-Ireland qualifier, however, Tipperary's season came to an end with a defeat by eventual champions Kilkenny
in the penultimate stage of the championship.
The next few seasons were frustrating for Curran and for Tipperary. Back-to-back Munster final defeats in 2005 and 2006 were followed by an even more disppointing season in 2007.
In 2008 Tipperary announced their return to the big time by winning the pre-season Waterford Crystal Cup
. The men from the Premier County later remained undefeated in the National League before meeting Galway in the final. In an exciting game Tipp emerged victorious by 3-18 to 3-16 and Curran collected his first winners' medal on the field of play. Tipperary later qualified for the Munster final where they defeated a resurgent Clare team by 2-21 to 0-19. Curran collected his first Munster title on the field of play. Tipperary were subsequently defeated in a tense All-Ireland semi-final by Waterford
on a scoreline of 1-20 to 1-18.
At the start of 2009 Tipperary were regarded as the main challengers to Kilkenny’s assault on the four-in-a-row of All-Ireland championship titles. Both sides lined out against each other in the final of the National League. Tipperary stormed into a decisive lead as they took the game by the scruff of the; however, ‘the Cats’ clawed their way back into the game. At the end of normal time both sides were level. A period of extra-time followed, however, in spite of a 2-26 to 4-17 defeat, Curran's side were widely lauded for their performance. The subsequent championship campaign saw Tipp reach the Munster final for a second consecutive year. Curran's side raced into a decisive lead at the interval, however, the Decies fought back to narrow the deficit and maybe cause an upset. In the end Tipp won the game by 4-14 to 2-16. It was Curran's second consecutive Munster winners’ medal. After a six-week lay-off and a facile semi-final win over Limerick, Tipp qualified for an All-Ireland final meeting with Kilkenny. For much of the match it looked as if Curran's side would pull off a shock and deny 'the Cats' a record-equaling four-in-a-row. Two quick goals in the space of a minute, one from a penalty by Henry Shefflin
, sealed a 2-22 to 0-23 victory and defeat for Tipperary.
In 2010 Tipperary were regarded as being the second best team in the country once again. Their first championship assignment was a clash with Cork in Páirc Uí Chaoimh
. While Tipp were the favourites going into the game Cork ambushed Curran's side with a 3-15 to 0-14 defeat. The qualifiers beckoned and, after victories over Wexford, Offaly
, Galway and Waterford, Tipperary reached a second consecutive All-Ireland final. Kilkenny, a team chasing an unprecedented fifth successive championship, provided the opposition and a great game was expected. Tipperary got off to a great start as Kilkenny's star forward Henry Shefflin
had to leave the field with an injury. A hat-trick of goals by Lar Corbett
and a fourth by Noel McGrath denied Kilkenny's drive-for-five and secured a remarkable 4-17 to 1-18 victory. It was Curran's first All-Ireland winners' medal on the field of play.
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 Mullinahone
Mullinahone GAA
Mullinahone-CJ Kickhams GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association located in Mullinahone, south County Tipperary, Ireland, close to the border with County Kilkenny. The Mullinahone Club is named in honour of Charles J...
and has been a member of the 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...
senior inter-county team since 2002.
Early life
Paul Curran was born in MullinahoneMullinahone
Mullinahone is a village in the barony of Slievardagh, South Tipperary in Ireland. It is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly.The Irish Census of 2006 recorded the village as having a population of 372.-Location and access:...
, County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
in 1981. He was educated locally and from an early age he showed a great interest in 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...
. Curran later attended 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....
where he played on the college’s senior hurling team. He captained the side to a 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...
victory in 2003. Curran has also played underage soccer with Moyglass United.
Club
Curran plays with his club hurling with his native MullinahoneMullinahone GAA
Mullinahone-CJ Kickhams GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association located in Mullinahone, south County Tipperary, Ireland, close to the border with County Kilkenny. The Mullinahone Club is named in honour of Charles J...
and has enjoyed some success. In 2002 he lined out in his first county senior championship
Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship
The Tipperary Senior Hurling Club Championship is an annual club competition between the top Tipperary hurling clubs...
final with county kingpins Thurles Sarsfield's
Thurles Sarsfields GAA
Thurles Sarsfields is a Gaelic Athletic Association hurling club located in the town of Thurles in Tipperary, Ireland. The club was founded in 1881...
providing the opposition. Curran's side led by six points coming into the last quarter, however, Sarsfield's battled back to secure a 0-14 apiece draw. The replay a week later was a much more conclusive affair. Curran's clubmate Eoin Kelly
Eoin Kelly (Tipperary hurler)
Eoin Kelly is an Irish hurler who plays as a forward for inter-county side Tipperary. He is the current captain and is his county's top championship scorer of all-time....
scored a remarkable 2-7 to give Mullinahone a merited 2-10 to 1-11 victory and a very first county title.
Minor & under-21
Curran's skills at club level brought him to the attention 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...
minor hurling selectors and he quickly joined the team. He collected a Munster
Munster Minor Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Minor Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for the youngest competitors in the province of Munster in Ireland...
winners' medal in 1999 following a 1-13 to 2-7 defeat of 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....
. Tipp subsequently progressed to the All-Ireland final where 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,...
provided the opposition. A 0-13 to 0-10 score line resulted in defeat for Curran's side.
Curran subsequently joined the Tipperary under-21 team, however, 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...
dominated the under-21 series at provincial and All-Ireland level between 2000 and 2002.
Senior
By this stage Curran had also joined the Tipperary senior team. 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 against Cork in 2001, however, he remained on the fringes of the team for the entire season. He did, however, win a set of National League, 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....
and 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....
medals as a non-playing substitute that year.
In 2002 Curran still found it hard to break onto the Tipp team. He made his championship debut against 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 an All-Ireland qualifier, however, Tipperary's season came to an end with a defeat by eventual 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 penultimate stage of the championship.
The next few seasons were frustrating for Curran and for Tipperary. Back-to-back Munster final defeats in 2005 and 2006 were followed by an even more disppointing season in 2007.
In 2008 Tipperary announced their return to the big time by winning the pre-season Waterford Crystal Cup
Waterford Crystal Cup
The Waterford Crystal Cup is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 2006 for the top inter-county teams and third-level universities and institutes of technology teams in the province of Munster in Ireland.The series of games are...
. The men from the Premier County later remained undefeated in the National League before meeting Galway in the final. In an exciting game Tipp emerged victorious by 3-18 to 3-16 and Curran collected his first winners' medal on the field of play. Tipperary later qualified for the Munster final where they defeated a resurgent Clare team by 2-21 to 0-19. Curran collected his first Munster title on the field of play. Tipperary were subsequently defeated in a tense All-Ireland semi-final 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...
on a scoreline of 1-20 to 1-18.
At the start of 2009 Tipperary were regarded as the main challengers to Kilkenny’s assault on the four-in-a-row of All-Ireland championship titles. Both sides lined out against each other in the final of the National League. Tipperary stormed into a decisive lead as they took the game by the scruff of the; however, ‘the Cats’ clawed their way back into the game. At the end of normal time both sides were level. A period of extra-time followed, however, in spite of a 2-26 to 4-17 defeat, Curran's side were widely lauded for their performance. The subsequent championship campaign saw Tipp reach the Munster final for a second consecutive year. Curran's side raced into a decisive lead at the interval, however, the Decies fought back to narrow the deficit and maybe cause an upset. In the end Tipp won the game by 4-14 to 2-16. It was Curran's second consecutive Munster winners’ medal. After a six-week lay-off and a facile semi-final win over Limerick, Tipp qualified for an All-Ireland final meeting with Kilkenny. For much of the match it looked as if Curran's side would pull off a shock and deny 'the Cats' a record-equaling four-in-a-row. Two quick goals in the space of a minute, one from a penalty by 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...
, sealed a 2-22 to 0-23 victory and defeat for Tipperary.
In 2010 Tipperary were regarded as being the second best team in the country once again. Their first championship assignment was a clash with Cork in Páirc Uí Chaoimh
Páirc Uí Chaoimh
Páirc Uí Chaoimh is a Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in the Ballintemple area of Cork in Ireland, where major hurling and Gaelic football matches are played. It is the home of Cork GAA...
. While Tipp were the favourites going into the game Cork ambushed Curran's side with a 3-15 to 0-14 defeat. The qualifiers beckoned and, after victories over Wexford, 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...
, Galway and Waterford, Tipperary reached a second consecutive All-Ireland final. Kilkenny, a team chasing an unprecedented fifth successive championship, provided the opposition and a great game was expected. Tipperary got off to a great start as Kilkenny's star forward 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...
had to leave the field with an injury. A hat-trick of goals by Lar Corbett
Lar Corbett
Lar Corbett is an Irish sportsman. He plays hurling with his local club Thurles Sarsfields and has been a member of the Tipperary senior inter-county team since 2001.-Club:...
and a fourth by Noel McGrath denied Kilkenny's drive-for-five and secured a remarkable 4-17 to 1-18 victory. It was Curran's first All-Ireland winners' medal on the field of play.
Honours
- All-Ireland Senior Hurling ChampionshipAll-Ireland Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe 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 (2): 2001, 2010
- Runner-up (2): 2009, 2011
- Munster Senior Hurling ChampionshipMunster Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe 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....
:- Winner (4): 2001, 2008, 2009, 2011
- Runner-up (3): 2002, 2005, 2006
- National Hurling LeagueNational 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...
:- Winner (2): 2001, 2008