Paddy Stapleton
Encyclopedia
Paddy Stapleton is an Irish
sportsperson. He plays hurling
with his local club Borris-Ileigh
and has been a member of the Tipperary
senior inter-county team since 2008.
club and has enjoyed some success. After enjoying little success at underage levels, he graduated onto the senior team where he won North Tipperary county titles in 2005 and 2007. Stapleton, however, is still waiting to line out in a county senior championship
decider.
minor hurling team in 2003. He collected a Munster
winners' medal that year following a 2-12 to 0-16 defeat of Cork. Stapleton's side, however, were later defeated by Galway
in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Three years later in 2006 Stapleton was also a key fixture on the Tipperary under-21 hurling team. He was in his final year on the team when he secured a Munster
winners' medal in that grade following a 3-11 to 0-13 defeat of Cork. Tipp were later qualified for the All-Ireland final against Kilkenny
. After a thrilling 2-14 apiece draw, both sides met for a replay which Kilkenny narrowly won by 1-11 to 0-11.
in the pre-seaon Waterford Crystal Cup
in 2006. He remained a fringe player for the next few years, capturing National Hurling League
and Munster
titles as a non-playing substitute in 2008.
In 2009 Stapleton was included on Tipperary's championship starting fifteen for the very first time. That year Tipperary were regarded as the main challengers to Kilkenny’s assault on the four-in-a-row of All-Ireland championship titles. After losing a thrilling National League final to 'the Cats', Tipp later qualified for a Munster final showdown with Waterford. Stapleton'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 Stapleton's first Munster winners’ medal on the field of play. After a six-week lay-off and a facile semi-final win over Limerick
, a game which saw Stapleton pick up the man of the match
award, Tipp qualified for an All-Ireland final meeting with Kilkenny. 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
, sealed a 2-22 to 0-23 victory and defeat for Tipperary. Following the completion of the championship Stapleton was nominated for the 2009 All Star Team
and Opel Gaelic Players' Association Team of the Year.
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 Stapleton'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 which was bolstered by an early Lar Corbett goal when he fielded a Shane McGrath delivery to finish to the net. He subsequently completed a hat-trick of goals and Tipperary had a fourth by Noel McGrath to deny Kilkenny's drive-for-five and secure a remarkable and convincing 4-17 to 1-18 victory. It was Stapleton's first All-Ireland
winners' medal.
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 Borris-Ileigh
Borris-Ileigh GAA
Borris-Ileigh GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club is located in the town of Borrisoleigh in north County Tipperary, Ireland.- Honours :*All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship: 1987...
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 2008.
Club
Stapleton plays his club hurling with the Borris-IleighBorris-Ileigh GAA
Borris-Ileigh GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club is located in the town of Borrisoleigh in north County Tipperary, Ireland.- Honours :*All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship: 1987...
club and has enjoyed some success. After enjoying little success at underage levels, he graduated onto the senior team where he won North Tipperary county titles in 2005 and 2007. Stapleton, however, is still waiting to line out in a county senior championship
Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship
The Tipperary Senior Hurling Club Championship is an annual club competition between the top Tipperary hurling clubs...
decider.
Minor & under-21
Stapleton first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member 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 team in 2003. 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 that year following a 2-12 to 0-16 defeat of Cork. Stapleton's side, however, were later 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.
Three years later in 2006 Stapleton was also a key fixture on the Tipperary under-21 hurling team. He was in his final year on the team when he secured a Munster
Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Under-21 Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 for players aged between 18 and 21 in the province of Munster in Ireland...
winners' medal in that grade following a 3-11 to 0-13 defeat of Cork. Tipp were later qualified for the All-Ireland 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...
. After a thrilling 2-14 apiece draw, both sides met for a replay which Kilkenny narrowly won by 1-11 to 0-11.
Senior
Stapleton made his senior competitive debut for Tipperary against WaterfordWaterford 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 pre-seaon 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...
in 2006. He remained a fringe player for the next few years, capturing 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...
and 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....
titles as a non-playing substitute in 2008.
In 2009 Stapleton was included on Tipperary's championship starting fifteen for the very first time. That year Tipperary were regarded as the main challengers to Kilkenny’s assault on the four-in-a-row of All-Ireland championship titles. After losing a thrilling National League final to 'the Cats', Tipp later qualified for a Munster final showdown with Waterford. Stapleton'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 Stapleton's first Munster winners’ medal on the field of play. After a six-week lay-off and a facile semi-final win over 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...
, a game which saw Stapleton pick up the man of the match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
award, Tipp qualified for an All-Ireland final meeting with Kilkenny. 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 and defeat for Tipperary. Following the completion of the championship Stapleton was nominated for the 2009 All Star Team
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...
and Opel Gaelic Players' Association Team of the Year.
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 Stapleton'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 which was bolstered by an early Lar Corbett goal when he fielded a Shane McGrath delivery to finish to the net. He subsequently completed a hat-trick of goals and Tipperary had a fourth by Noel McGrath to deny Kilkenny's drive-for-five and secure a remarkable and convincing 4-17 to 1-18 victory. It was Stapleton's 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....
winners' medal.
Borris-Ileigh
- North Tipperary Senior Club Hurling Championship:
- Winner (2): 2005, 2007
Tipperary
- 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 (1): 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 (2): 2009, 2011
- 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 (0):
- Runner-up (1): 2009
- All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling ChampionshipAll-Ireland Under-21 Hurling ChampionshipThe 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 (0):
- Runner-up (1): 2006
- Munster Under-21 Hurling ChampionshipMunster Under-21 Hurling ChampionshipThe Munster GAA Hurling Under-21 Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 for players aged between 18 and 21 in the province of Munster in Ireland...
:- Winner (1): 2006
- Runner-up (1): 2005
- Munster Minor Hurling ChampionshipMunster Minor Hurling ChampionshipThe 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...
:- Winner (1): 2003