Daithí Regan
Encyclopedia
Daithí Regan is a retired Irish
sportsperson. He played hurling
with his local club Birr
and was a member of the Offaly
senior inter-county team between 1989 and 1999. Regan currently works as a hurling analyst with Newstalk's Off The Ball and with TV3.
. His playing career coincided with a great period of success for the club. In 1991 Regan capture dhis first senior county championship winners’ medal. It was Birr’s first county final triumph in twenty years. Birr later represented Offaly in the provincial club championship. A huge defeat of Ballyhale Shamrocks
in the provincial final gave Regan a coveted Leinster
club winners’ medal. Birr later qualified for the All-Ireland final, however, Kiltormer of Galway were the winners by 0-15 to 1-8.
In 1994 Regan captured a second county championship title before later adding a second Leinster club winners’ medal to his collection following a victory in a replay over Oulart the Ballagh
. Birr later qualified for a second All-Ireland, this time with Dunloy
providing the opposition. That game ended in a draw; however, Birr completely dominated the replay. A full-time score of 3-13 to 2-3 gave Regan a coveted All-Ireland
club winners’ medal.
In 1997 Regan added a third county championship title to his collection before later winning a third Leinster club winners’ medal following a victory over Castletown
of Laois. Birr later qualified for a third All-Ireland final, this time with Sarsfield’s providing the opposition. Birr commanded the game and took the lead from early on. At the full-time whistle the Offaly men had secured a 1-13 to 0-9 victory, giving Regan a second All-Ireland club medal.
In 1999 Regan won a fourth set of county and provincial winners’ medals, however, Birr were later defeated in the All-Ireland semi-final. He added a fifth county championship title to his ever-growing collection in 2000.
minor hurling team in the mid-1980s. In 1986 he captured a Leinster
title in that grade following a 4-7 to 1-5 trouncing of Wexford
. Regan later lined out in the subsequent All-Ireland final with Cork providing the opposition. After an exciting game of hurling Offaly were the victors by 3-12 to 3-9, giving Regan a coveted All-Ireland
winners’ medal at minor level.
Regan subsequently joined the Offaly under-21 hurling team. After back-to-back defeated in provincial finals in 1987 and 1988, Regan captured a Leinster
title in that grade in 1989. The subsequent All-Ireland final pitted Offaly against Tipperary. The game was a high-scoring one, however, Tipp were the victors by 4-10 to 3-11.
in the provincial championship in 1989 and later captured his first Leinster
title as Offaly defeated Kilkenny
in the provincial final. Offaly were the hot favourites going into the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final with Antrim
, however, victory went to the Ulster men on a score line of 4-15 to 1-15. The significance of this victory was not lost on Offaly team as the entire team gave the Antrim players a guard of honor and a standing ovation as they left the field.
In 1990 Offaly were the masters of Leinster once again, with Regan picking up a second provincial winners’ medal following a 1-19 to 2-11 win over Dublin
. Regan later lined out in the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final, however, Galway
were the victor son that occasion by 1-16 to 2-7.
At the start of 1991 Offaly reached the final of the National Hurling League
. Wexford were the opponents on that occasion, however, after a tense game Offaly took the victory and Regan won a coveted National League winners’ medal. Offaly lost their provincial crown later that year.
After a few years out of the limelight Offaly bounced back in 1994. That year Regan added a third Leinster winners’ medal to his collection following a 1-18 to 0-14 victory over Wexford. After defeating Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final, Regan 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 victory gave Regan a coveted All-Ireland
winner’s medal.
In 1995 Offaly retained the Leinster title following a 2-16 to 2-5 trouncing of Kilkenny. It was Regan’s fourth 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 defend their title. It was the first ever meeting of these two sides 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 equalizer 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.
In 1996 Offaly surrendered their provincial crown to Wexford. Following this defeat Regan lost his place on the starting fifteen. He made his last appearance as a substitute in a Leinster final trouncing by Kilkenny in 1999 before later retiring from inter-county hurling.
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 played 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 Birr
Birr GAA
Birr GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the town of Birr in County Offaly, Ireland. The club is almost exclusively concerned with hurling and are one of the most successful club hurling teams in the country.-Honours:...
and was a member of the 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...
senior inter-county team between 1989 and 1999. Regan currently works as a hurling analyst with Newstalk's Off The Ball and with TV3.
Club
Regan played his club hurling with his local club in BirrBirr GAA
Birr GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the town of Birr in County Offaly, Ireland. The club is almost exclusively concerned with hurling and are one of the most successful club hurling teams in the country.-Honours:...
. His playing career coincided with a great period of success for the club. In 1991 Regan capture dhis first senior county championship winners’ medal. It was Birr’s first county final triumph in twenty years. Birr later represented Offaly in the provincial club championship. A huge defeat of Ballyhale Shamrocks
Ballyhale Shamrocks GAA
Ballyhale Shamrocks is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the parish of Ballyhale in County Kilkenny, Ireland. The club was founded in 1972 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling...
in the provincial final gave Regan a coveted 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...
club winners’ medal. Birr later qualified for the All-Ireland final, however, Kiltormer of Galway were the winners by 0-15 to 1-8.
In 1994 Regan captured a second county championship title before later adding a second Leinster club winners’ medal to his collection following a victory in a replay over Oulart the Ballagh
Oulart the Ballagh
Oulart the Ballagh are a Gaelic Athletic Association club in County Wexford. Oulart have won the Wexford Senior Hurling Championship on six occasions, most recently in 2007. Their main rivals are Buffer's Alley...
. Birr later qualified for a second All-Ireland, this time with Dunloy
Dunloy GAA
Dunloy Cú Chulainn's is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in Dunloy, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The club is almost exclusively concerned with hurling...
providing the opposition. That game ended in a draw; however, Birr completely dominated the replay. A full-time score of 3-13 to 2-3 gave Regan a coveted All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling tournament played between hundreds of senior hurling clubs in Ireland. The Tommy Moore Cup is awarded to the winners. The current champions are Clarinbridge...
club winners’ medal.
In 1997 Regan added a third county championship title to his collection before later winning a third Leinster club winners’ medal following a victory over Castletown
Castletown GAA
Castletown GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association hurling club in County Laois, Ireland.The club colours are blue and white.The current Castletown club was founded in 1974 and has won a total of 8 Laois Senior Hurling Championship titles since 1995....
of Laois. Birr later qualified for a third All-Ireland final, this time with Sarsfield’s providing the opposition. Birr commanded the game and took the lead from early on. At the full-time whistle the Offaly men had secured a 1-13 to 0-9 victory, giving Regan a second All-Ireland club medal.
In 1999 Regan won a fourth set of county and provincial winners’ medals, however, Birr were later defeated in the All-Ireland semi-final. He added a fifth county championship title to his ever-growing collection in 2000.
Minor and under-21
Regan first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the OffalyOffaly 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...
minor hurling team in the mid-1980s. In 1986 he captured a Leinster
Leinster Minor Hurling Championship
The ESB Leinster Minor Hurling Championship is the Minor "knockout" competition in the game of Hurling played in the province of Leinster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Leinster Council...
title in that grade following a 4-7 to 1-5 trouncing of 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...
. Regan later lined out in the subsequent All-Ireland final with Cork providing the opposition. After an exciting game of hurling Offaly were the victors by 3-12 to 3-9, giving Regan a coveted All-Ireland
All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship is an annual competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for competitors under eighteen years of age in the game of hurling played in Ireland.The series of games are played during the summer months with the All-Ireland final...
winners’ medal at minor level.
Regan subsequently joined the Offaly under-21 hurling team. After back-to-back defeated in provincial finals in 1987 and 1988, Regan captured a Leinster
Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship
For the Senior equivalent see: Leinster Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe Leinster U-21 Hurling Championship or for sponsorship reasons the Erin Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship is an U-21 hurling tournament. The first tournament took place in 1964 when Wexford were crowned champions. Wexford...
title in that grade in 1989. The subsequent All-Ireland final pitted Offaly against Tipperary. The game was a high-scoring one, however, Tipp were the victors by 4-10 to 3-11.
Senior
By this stage Regan was also a member of the Offaly senior hurling team. He made his championship debut against LaoisLaois GAA
The Laois County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Laois GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Laois and the Laois inter-county teams.-History:...
in the provincial championship in 1989 and later captured 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....
title as Offaly defeated 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 provincial final. Offaly were the hot favourites going into the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final with 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...
, however, victory went to the Ulster men on a score line of 4-15 to 1-15. The significance of this victory was not lost on Offaly team as the entire team gave the Antrim players a guard of honor and a standing ovation as they left the field.
In 1990 Offaly were the masters of Leinster once again, with Regan picking up a second provincial winners’ medal following a 1-19 to 2-11 win over Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
. Regan later lined out in the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final, however, 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 victor son that occasion by 1-16 to 2-7.
At the start of 1991 Offaly reached the final of the 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...
. Wexford were the opponents on that occasion, however, after a tense game Offaly took the victory and Regan won a coveted National League winners’ medal. Offaly lost their provincial crown later that year.
After a few years out of the limelight Offaly bounced back in 1994. That year Regan added a third Leinster winners’ medal to his collection following a 1-18 to 0-14 victory over Wexford. After defeating Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final, Regan 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 victory gave Regan 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 1995 Offaly retained the Leinster title following a 2-16 to 2-5 trouncing of Kilkenny. It was Regan’s fourth 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 defend their title. It was the first ever meeting of these two sides 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 equalizer 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.
In 1996 Offaly surrendered their provincial crown to Wexford. Following this defeat Regan lost his place on the starting fifteen. He made his last appearance as a substitute in a Leinster final trouncing by Kilkenny in 1999 before later retiring from inter-county hurling.