Eddie Brennan
Encyclopedia
Eddie Brennan is an Irish
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 Graigue-Ballycallan
Graigue-Ballycallan GAA
Graigue-Ballycallan is a Gaelic Athletic Association club situated in County Kilkenny, Ireland. The club has enjoyed success at county and provincial level, and several players from the club have gone on to play a part in the Kilkenny intercounty team. The catchment area for the club is the...

 and has been a member of the 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...

 senior inter-county team since 2000.

Biography

Born into a parish that was deeply committed to hurling, Brennan was educated at the local national school in Kilmanagh. Since the 1970s the school became prominent for developing young hurlers like Adrian Ronan
Adrian Ronan
Adrian Ronan is an Irish hurling manager and former player. He is the current manager of the Kilkenny minor hurling team....

, Denis Byrne
Denis Byrne
Denis Byrne , is an Irish sportsperson who is a hurling All Star. Denis played with his local club Graigue-Ballycallan and is a former captain of Kilkenny senior inter-county hurling team. His playing career lasted from 1991 until 2001, and he currently skills training the Dublin Senior Hurling...

 and John Hoyne
John Hoyne
John Hoyne is a former Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Graigue-Ballycallan and he used play with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 2000 until 2005.-Club:...

, however, Brennan's formative years passed without progress on the hurling field. He later attended St. Kieran's College, Kilkenny, one of the foremost nurseries for young hurling talent. It took until Brennan's last year at St. Kieran's before he made an impression on the college's senior selectors, however, by then many of his contemporaries had already lined out for the 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...

 minor hurling team.

Following the completion of his Leaving Certificate
Leaving Certificate
The Leaving Certificate Examinations , commonly referred to as the Leaving Cert is the final examination in the Irish secondary school system. It takes a minimum of two years preparation, but an optional Transition Year means that for those students it takes place three years after the Junior...

 Brennan attended the Garda Síochána College
Garda Síochána College
Garda Síochána College is the education and training college of the Garda Síochána . It is located at McCan Barracks, Templemore, North Tipperary in Ireland. The college has been located in Templemore since 1964.-History:...

 in Templemore
Templemore
Templemore is a town in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty. It is part of the Roman Catholic parish of Templemore, Clonmore and Killea....

 where he completed a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 in police studies. He currently works in Portlaoise.

In December 2009 Brennan married Olivia Ryan from Portroe
Portroe
Portroe is a village in North Tipperary, Ireland. The village is located on the R494 regional road about from the eastern shore of Lough Derg...

, 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...

. Ironically, Brennan's side had defeated Tipperary in the All-Ireland final earlier that year.

Club

Brennan plays his club hurling with the Graigue-Ballycallan
Graigue-Ballycallan GAA
Graigue-Ballycallan is a Gaelic Athletic Association club situated in County Kilkenny, Ireland. The club has enjoyed success at county and provincial level, and several players from the club have gone on to play a part in the Kilkenny intercounty team. The catchment area for the club is the...

 club in his native parish. In the late 1990s the club enjoyed a resurgence, however, when the club contest back-to-back county championship finals in 1998 and 1999 Brennan still had not established himself on the senior team. In 2000 he became a regular in the forward line as the club reached a third championship decider in succession. That year Brennan secured his first county title following a 0-16 to 0-9 defeat of O'Loughlin Gaels
O'Loughlin Gaels GAA
O'Loughlin Gaels is a Gaelic Athletic Association club situated in the St. John’s parish of Kilkenny city, County Kilkenny, Ireland. The club was founded in 1969, replacing the St. John’s Hurling Club that started back in 1887....

. That victory earned the club the right to represent Kilkenny in the 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...

 series of games. After reaching the provincial decider Brennan's side defeated UCD
UCD GAA
UCD GAA or University College Dublin Gaelic Athletic Association club is a Dublin based Gaelic games club in University College Dublin. The UCD hurling club was founded in 1900 and boasted the motto's "Ad Astra" and "Cothrom Féinne". The first team was an amalgamation of students from UCD and...

 of Dublin to take the Leinster title. Graigue-Ballycallan subsequently qualified for the All-Ireland final with Athenry
Athenry GAA
St. Mary's, Athenry is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the town of Athenry in County Galway. The club is almost exclusively concerned with hurling.-History:...

. A high-scoring sixty minutes of hurling followed, however the teams were level and extra time was needed. Brennan's side were defeated by 3-24 to 2-19, a scoreline that did not reflect the fact that Ballycallan had led the game for almost the full 60 minutes of normal time, only conceding a late goal to force extra-time.

Inter-county

In the mid-1990s Brennan first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the 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...

 minor hurling team. He won back-to-back Leinster titles in this grade, however, an All-Ireland medal eluded him. Brennan later joined the county’s under-21 team where he won further provincial honours. He also won a coveted 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...

 medal at this grade in 1999. Brennan made his senior debut for Kilkenny in 2000 and he quickly 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 Kilkenny steamrolled Offaly in the provincial final. The two sides later met in the All-Ireland final, however, two goals from 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...

 and an injury-time goal from substitute Brennan helped ‘the Cats’ to secure a huge victory in one of the most one-sided finals in decades. As well as securing the victory he also secured a first 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....

 medal. In 2001 Brennan added a second successive Leinster medal to his collection as Kilkenny completely overpowered 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...

 in the final. After such a huge win ‘the Cats’ were hot favourites to retain the title, however, Kilkenny were outsmarted by 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,...

 in the All-Ireland semi-final. ‘The Cats’ bounced back in 2002 with Brennan claiming a first 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...

 medal. He subsequently claimed yet another Leinster title before later lining out in a second All-Ireland final. 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....

, who were defeated in the first-round of the Munster championship but had made it to the final via the newly introduced qualifier system, put up a good fight. A combined tally of 2-13 for both Henry Shefflin and D.J. Carey gave Kilkenny a seven-point victory and secured a second All-Ireland title for Brennan.

In 2003 Brennan captured a second National League title before later winning a fourth consecutive Leinster medal. Kilkenny later faced Cork in an exciting and close All-Ireland final. The Leinstermen never led by more than four-points and only secured victory with a late Martin Comerford
Martin Comerford
Martin Comerford is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club O'Loughlin Gaels and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 2002 until 2010.-References:-Teams:...

 goal. Brennan won his third All-Ireland medal that day and he was later honoured with an 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...

 award. In 2004 Kilkenny were aiming for an unprecedented third All-Ireland victory in-a-row, however, the team was now under severe pressure from all quarters. For the first time in seven years Kilkenny failed in their bid to become Leinster champions as a last-gasp Wexford goal ended an almost unprecedented run of success. Kilkenny took the scenic route via the qualifiers system, however, after a scare against Clare they still reached the All-Ireland final. Once again Cork provided the opposition on a gloomy and overcast day. The sides were level for much of the game, however, in the final twenty minutes Cork scored nine points without reply and secured the victory. Kilkenny ended the year with no silverware. Kilkenny were back in form in 2005 with Brennan adding a third National League medal to his ever-growing collection. He later won a fifth Leinster title as ‘the Cats’ had a narrow win over reigning provincial champions Wexford. While a third successive All-Ireland showdown with Cork seemed extremely likely, Galway defeated Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-final in one of the game’s of the decade. In 2006 Brennan won his sixth Leinster title before lining out in another All-Ireland final appearance. The game that everyone had predicted would happen in 2005 was now taking place as Cork squared up to Kilkenny for the third time in four years. The Leesiders were aiming for a third All-Ireland victory in-a-row, however, revenge was foremost in the minds of Kilkenny as it was Cork who denied their three-in-a-row bid in 2004. On the day Kilkenny were far too strong for Cork and Brennan played a huge role in capturing Kilkenny's 29th title and his own fourth All-Ireland medal. He was subsequently honoured with a second All-Star award. In 2007 Brennan captured a seventh Leinster medal following another facile victory in the provincial final. Once again Kilkenny later qualified for the All-Ireland final where, surprisingly, 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...

 provided the opposition. Kilkenny got off to a flying start with Brennan and Shefflin scoring two goals within the first ten minutes. Unfortunately, Shefflin sustained an injury during the game and had to retire at half-time. Kilkenny hung onto this lead and went on to win the game, giving Brennan a fifth All-Ireland medal. Brennan's 1-5, following as it did on his two goal haul against Galway in the quarter-final, made him the game's top scorer and earned him the RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...

 Man of the match.

2008 saw Kilkenny launch an all-out attack in an attempt to capture a third All-Ireland title in-a-row. The team had an easy passage through the Leinster Championship, however, the opening half of the provincial final against 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...

 gave ‘the Cats’ another minor scare. In the end Brennan collected his eighth Leinster medal after a 5-21 to 0-17 victory. This victory allowed Kilkenny to advance directly to the All-Ireland semi-final where arch-rivals Cork were the opponents. The game was an interesting encounter; however, Kilkenny claimed a 1-23 to 0-17 victory. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Kilkenny take on 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...

. It was their first meeting in the championship decider since 1963. A classic game of hurling was expected by many, however, Kilkenny started stronger. Two goals by Brennan after twenty minutes effectively killed the game, however, ‘the Cats’ ploughed on to record an enormous 3-30 to 1-13. It was Brennan's sixth All-Ireland medal.

With the three-in-a-row taken care of, Kilkenny set out to break Cork's seemingly unbeatable record of four championship titles in succession. Tipperary were seen as the main challengers to Kilkenny's dominance and 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 battling to the very end Tipp were beaten and Kilkenny won by 2-26 to 4-17. It was Brennan's fourth National League winners' medal. The subsequent championship campaign saw 'the Cats' line out against 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...

 in the Leinster final. While many expected 'the Dubs' to be lambs to the slaughter in that game, Kilkenny found it difficult to cope. It took two goals from Martin Comerford
Martin Comerford
Martin Comerford is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club O'Loughlin Gaels and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 2002 until 2010.-References:-Teams:...

 to secure a 2-18 to 0-18 victory and a tenth Leinster winners' medal for Brennan. After a six-week lay-off and a thrilling semi-final with Waterford, Kilkenny qualified for a fourth successive final and the chance to make history. In a repeat of the league final, Tipperary were the opponents. For much of the match it looked as if Tipp 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. It was the fourth time in-a-row that the famed Liam McCarthy Cup
Liam McCarthy Cup
The MacCarthy Perpetual Challenge Cup is a trophy awarded annually by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the hurling team that wins the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.-The trophy:...

 was presented to a Kilkenny team. It was also Brennan's seventh All-Ireland winners' medal, one off the all-time record held by Christy Ring
Christy Ring
Nicholas Christopher Michael Ring , better known as Christy Ring, was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with the Glen Rovers club from 1941 until 1967 and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1939 until 1963. Ring is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers in...

 and John Doyle
John Doyle (hurler)
John Doyle was an Irish sportsperson and politician, hailed as one of the best defenders in hurling and his county's most iconic player upon his death. He played hurling with his local Holycross-Ballycahill club from the 1940s until the 1970s and was a member of the Tipperary senior inter-county...

.

Graigue-Ballycallan

  • All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship
    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...

    :
    • Winner (0):
    • Runner-up (1): 2001
  • Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship
    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...

    :
    • Winner (1): 2000
  • Kilkenny Senior Club Hurling Championship
    Kilkenny Senior Club Hurling Championship
    The Kilkenny Senior Hurling Club Championship is an annual club competition between the top Kilkenny Gaelic Athletic Association Clubs. The winners of the Kilkenny Championship qualify to represent their county in the Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship and in turn, go on to the All-Ireland...

    :
    • Winner (2): 1998 (as sub), 2000
    • Runner-up (2): 1999 (as sub), 2001

Kilkenny

  • All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
    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 (8): 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011
    • Runner-up (2): 2004, 2010
  • Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
    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....

    :
    • Winner (11): 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
  • 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...

    :
    • Winner (4): 2002, 2003, 2005, 2009
    • Runner-up (2): 2007, 2011
  • Walsh Cup
    Walsh Cup (hurling)
    The Walsh Cup is an annual hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1954 for the top inter-county and third-level hurling teams in the province of Leinster in Ireland. The cup was named after Tom Walsh , Chairman of the Leinster Council...

    :
    • Winner (4): 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
  • All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship
    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...

    :
    • Winner (1): 1999
  • Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship
    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...

    :
    • Winner (1): 1999

Teams

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