Nicky English
Encyclopedia
Nicholas J. English better known as Nicky English, is a retired Irish
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 Lattin-Cullen
Lattin-Cullen GAA
Lattin-Cullen GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club which represents the parish villages of Lattin and Cullen in Ireland. The club plays at Hannon GAA Park which is situated in the village of Lattin, and they and are part of the West Tipperary GAA division.-Honours:*County Intermediate Hurling...

 and with 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 from 1982 until 1996. His claiming of a position on the Tipperary Hurling Team of the Century marks English out as one of Tipperary's greatest-ever players.

English's status as one of Tipperary's all-time greats is self-evident. In a senior inter-county career that lasted for fourteen years he won two 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....

 titles, five Munster Senior Hurling Championships (1987, 1988, 1989, 1991 and 1993)titles,twoNational 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...

 titles (1988 and 1994, although he missed the final in '94 through injury) and two Railway Cup titles. His tally of 20 goals and 117 points from 35 championship games marks him out as Tipperary's third highest scorer of all-time.

English has also been the recipient of many awards and honours off the field. In 1989 his hurling prowess earned him the prestigious Texaco Hurler of the Year
Texaco Hurler of the Year
The Texaco Hurler of the Year is a hurling award, created in 1958, that honours the achievements of a hurler of outstanding excellence. The award is part of the Texaco Sportstars Awards, in which Irish sportspeople from all fields are honoured....

 award. He was later honoured in 2000 when he was named, by popular opinion, in the left full-forward position on the Tipperary Hurling Team of the Century. English has also won six 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.

As a manager English has had much success with his own native county. In 2001 he guided Tipperary to All-Ireland, Munster and National Hurling League titles. What is more remarkable is the fact that these victories came at a time when many believed that Tipperary hurling was on a downward spiral again.

Biography

Nicholas English was born in the village of Cullen on the Limerick
County Limerick
It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...

-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...

 border in 1962. He was educated locally and from a young age he showed great skill at 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...

. Although his local club had a hurling tradition, they were primarily a football club, so for the most part, English practised his hurling skills alone. His father was also a huge influence as he was a huge follower of local and inter-county hurling. English later attended the Abbey Christian Brothers
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...

 School in Tipperary
Tipperary
Tipperary is a town and a civil parish in South Tipperary in Ireland. Its population was 4,415 at the 2006 census. It is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly, and is in the historical barony of Clanwilliam....

 town, where his hurling skills were further developed. Here he shared in the school's Croke Cup and Rice Cup successes. He also won a Fitzgerald Shield following a win over Rockwell College
Rockwell College
Rockwell College, founded in 1864, is a private Catholic secondary school near Cashel, South Tipperary in Ireland. It offers day as well as full boarding. Rockwell is run by the Holy Ghost Fathers.-Politics:...

.

English did his leaving certificate in 1980. He studied electrical engineering at University College Cork until May 1981. He displayed a total lack of interest in this course. He did not atend all of his lectures. He transcribed some of his labarotary reports. From September 1981 he studied for 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...

 degree. At University College Cork he won five 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...

 medals in a row with UCC
UCC GAA
UCC is a football and hurling club associated with University College Cork. UCC teams play in the Cork Senior Football Championship and Cork Senior Hurling Championship as well as the two main third-level competitions namely the Sigerson Cup in football and the Fitzgibbon Cup in hurling...

 and scored in all five finals.

He currently works with Allied Irish Bank and is a member of the high-profile Hurling Development Committee.

In 1996 he published his autobiography "Beyond The Tunnel". The book was ghost written by Vincent Hogan of the Irish Independent.

Club

English played his club hurling with his local Lattin-Cullen
Lattin-Cullen GAA
Lattin-Cullen GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club which represents the parish villages of Lattin and Cullen in Ireland. The club plays at Hannon GAA Park which is situated in the village of Lattin, and they and are part of the West Tipperary GAA division.-Honours:*County Intermediate Hurling...

 side. With the club English won an intermediate football title in 1989, a junior hurling title in 1992 and an intermediate hurling title in 1996.

Inter-county

In 1979 English joined 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...

 minor hurling side but was eventually dropped from the team. He subsequently regained his place and won his first 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...

 medal in 1980. By 1981 English had joined the under-21 team, where he shared in Tipperary’s third 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...

 victory in-a-row.

In 1982 English joined the senior team, however, Tipperary hurling was in the doldrums at the time. He played in his first 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....

 final in 1984, however, Cork snatched victory with two quick goals in the last few minutes. In spite of this defeat English was honoured with a second consecutive 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. He added a third in 1985. Two years later in 1987 English won his first 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....

 title following a thrilling replay against Cork. Tipp were subsequently defeated 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, however, English won his fourth All-Star award. In 1988 English captured his 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...

 title before winning his second Munster medal. He subsequently captained the side in the All-Ireland final after the controversial dropping of the original captain, Pat O'Neill. Once again 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,...

 defeated 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...

 but English was still presented with a fifth All-Star award. In 1989 English won his third Munster title in-a-row before finally getting the better of Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final. Surprisingly, 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...

 provided the opposition in the All-Ireland final. however, they were wiped off the pitch on a scoreline of 4-24 to 3-9. English himself amassed a personal tally of 2-12 which is the second highest total ever in a McCarthy Cup final only surpassed by the 5 goals and 4 points scored by Gah Ahern of Blackrock and Cork in the 1928 final between Cork and Galway. If 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...

 had lost that final it would have been the first decade in Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...

 history in which the Premier County had failed to win an All-Ireland title. The year ended with English winning his sixth 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 and being named Texaco Hurler of the Year
Texaco Hurler of the Year
The Texaco Hurler of the Year is a hurling award, created in 1958, that honours the achievements of a hurler of outstanding excellence. The award is part of the Texaco Sportstars Awards, in which Irish sportspeople from all fields are honoured....

.

In 1990 Tipperary lost their 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....

 crown. Tipp were back on form in 1991 with English winning his fourth provincial title. He later captured his second All-Ireland medal following a defeat of 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...

. Two years later in 1993 English won his fifth Munster medal when he came on as a substitute against 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
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...

, however, were later defeated in the All-Ireland semi-final by their old enemies 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,...

. English continued playing with Tipp
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...

 until his retirement in 1996.

In 2000 English’s reputation as one of Tipperary’s greatest-ever players was cemented when he was named on 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...

 Hurling Team of the Millennium.

Tipperary

In 1999 English took over as 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...

 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 hurling team. In his first year in charge, English's Tipperary won 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...

, but failed to get anywhere in the Championship
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1999
The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship of 1999 was the 113th staging of Ireland's premier hurling competition...

. However, the following year
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 2000
The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship of 2000 was the 114th edition of Ireland’s premier hurling knockout competition. The championship ran from May to September of that year, culminating with the All-Ireland final, held at Croke Park, Dublin on 10 September...

, Tipperary got to the Munster Final, where they faced Cork. However, they were beaten 0-23 to 3-12, and went through to an All Ireland quarter final, where they were beaten 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 2001 Tipperary won 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...

 for the first time since 1994. English subsequently guided his native county to their first Munster title since English himself was a player in 1993, beating 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 final
2001 Munster Senior Hurling Championship Final
The 2001 Munster Senior Hurling Championship Final was a hurling match played on 1 July 2001 at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork, County Cork between Tipperary and Limerick...

 2-16 to 1-17. Following this victory, Tipperary played an All Ireland semi final against the years losing Leinster finalists, 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...

. The game ended in a draw, and Tipperary won the replay 3-12 to 0-10. Tipperary subsequently captured their 25th All-Ireland title following a win over Galway on a scoreline of 2-18 to 2-15.

In 2002
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 2002
The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship of 2002 was the 116th staging of Ireland's premier hurling knock-out competition...

, Tipperary were beaten 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...

 in the Munster final
2002 Munster Senior Hurling Championship Final
The 2002 Munster Senior Hurling Championship Final was a hurling match played on Sunday 30 June 2002 at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork, County Cork between Waterford and Tipperary...

 2-23 to 3-12. They won their qualifier match 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...

 and their 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....

 Quarter final against 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...

, to set up a semi final against 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...

 where they were beaten 1-20 to 1-16. In the wake of this defeat, English resigned as manager.

In October 2010, various reports linked English with a return to Tipperary to succeed the departed Liam Sheedy
Liam Sheedy
Liam Sheedy is an Irish former hurler and manager. He played for his local club Portroe and was a member of the Tipperary senior inter-county team from 1997 until 1999...

 as manager. He ruled himself out saying it was an honour to be associated with the vacancy and that he did give serious consideration to the possibility of taking on the role. He cited the difficulty in balancing the commitment required in managing an All Ireland winning squad coupled with his obligations to his employers AIB.

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