Stephen Byrne (hurler)
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| Born | 17 July 1976 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Sales rep | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Hurling | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Stephen Byrne (born 17 July 1976)[1] is an Irish hurling manager, selector and former player. At club level, he played with Kilcormac–Killoughey and at inter-county level with the Offaly senior hurling team.
Club career
[edit]Byrne first played hurling at juvenile and underage levels with the Kilcormac–Killoughey club. After a very successful underage career, which saw him win multiple Offaly MAHC and U21HC titles, he progressed to adult level.[2] Byrne lined out in goal when Birr beat Kilcormac–Killoughey by 3–11 to 2–07 in the 2002 Offaly SHC final.[3]
Inter-county career
[edit]Byrne first appeared on the inter-county scene with Offaly as a dual player at minor level in 1993. He later spent three successive years with Offaly's under-21 team in hurling, but ended his underage inter-county career without silverware.[4]
Byrne made his senior team debut in a National Hurling League game against Antrim in March 1998 and succeeded David Hughes as Offaly's first-choice goalkeeper that season.[5] He won an All-Ireland SHC medal when, after losing out in the Leinster SHC final, he lined out in goal for Offaly's 2–16 to 1–13 win over Kilkenny in the 1998 All-Ireland SHC final, to become the first "back door" winners of the title.[6][7] Byrne ended the season with an All-Star award and was also named Young Hurler of the Year.[8][9]
Two years later, Byrne was again in goal for Offaly's 5–15 to 1–14 defeat by Kilkenny in the 2000 All-Ireland SHC final.[10] He was dropped from the starting fifteen for Offaly's 2003 Leinster SHC semi-final defeat by Wexford and, after being reinstated for a later game against Limerick, he left the panel at the end of the season.[11][12]
Inter-provincial career
[edit]Byrne's performances at inter-county level for Offaly resulted in his selection for the Leinster inter-provincial team. He won a Railway Cup medal in 1998, following Leinster's 0–16 to 2–09 defear of Connacht in the final.[13] Byrne claimed a second Railway Cup medal in 2002, when he came on as a substitute for James McGarry in the 4–15 to 3–17 win over Munster.[14]
Management career
[edit]Byrne was appointed manager of the Offaly under-21 team in April 2009.[15] His two seasons in charge ended with consecutive defeats by Kilkenny. Byrne made the step up to Offaly's senior team in November 2012, when he joined Ollie Baker's management team as a selector following the departure of Paudge Mulhare.[16] At club level, Byrne has taken charge of a number of teams and managed Kilcormac–Killoughey to the Offaly SHC title in 2017, following a 2-16 to 1-16 win over St Rynagh's in the final.[17]
Honours
[edit]Player
[edit]- Kilcormac–Killoughey
- Offaly Under-21 Hurling Championship (5): 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
- Offaly
- Leinster
- Railway Cup (2): 1998, 2002
- Awards
- All-Stars Young Hurler of the Year (1): 1998
- All-Star (1): 1998
Management
[edit]- Kilcormac–Killoughey
References
[edit]- ↑ "Kilcormac/Killoughey Player Profile". Offaly Independent. 27 September 2002. Retrieved 2 May 2026.
- ↑ "Byrne says lengthy break before final has helped". Tullamore Tribune. 9 September 2000. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
- ↑ O'Sullivan, Jim (30 September 2002). "Birr 3-12 Kilcormac/Killoughey 2-7". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ↑ "Offaly: The glory years". Irish Independent. 9 June 2007. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
- ↑ "Cocky 'keeper mauled by Cats". Irish Independent. 10 June 2001. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
- ↑ "Feel-good factor finally returning to Offaly hurling". Irish Examiner. 24 May 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
- ↑ "THURSDAY THROWBACK: Read the full report on Offaly's remarkable victory in the 1998 All Ireland Final". Offaly Express. 13 September 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
- ↑ "All Stars". Offaly GAA website. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
- ↑ "Where are they now?". Irish Independent. 17 March 2013. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
- ↑ "2000 – the dying kick of a great Offaly hurling team". Offaly Express. 25 June 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
- ↑ "Brian and Simon Whelahan missing from Offaly team". RTÉ Sport. 14 June 2007. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
- ↑ "Limerick and Offaly make wholesale changes". RTÉ Sport. 14 June 2007. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
- ↑ "Leinster Railway Cup Winning Teams" (PDF). Leinster GAA. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
- ↑ "Eagle-eye Shefflin strikes gold for Leinster". Irish Independent. 4 November 2002. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ↑ "Byrne takes charge of Offaly under 21s". Hogan Stand website. 15 April 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
- ↑ "Offaly selector's role for Byrne". Hogan Stand website. 21 November 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
- ↑ "Slevin puts Special Ks back on top of pile". Irish Independent. 2 October 2017. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
