Richie Bennis
Encyclopedia
Richie Bennis is a retired Irish
hurling
manager
and former player. He played hurling with his local club Patrickswell
and with the Limerick senior inter-county in the 1960s and 1970s. Bennis later served as manager of the Limerick senior team from 2006 until 2008.
As a player Bennis was involved with the great Limerick team of the 1970s. In a senior inter-county career that lasted from 1975 until 1985 he won one All-Ireland
titles, two Munster
titles and one National Hurling League
title. Bennis was also the recipient of an All-Star
award.
As a manager Bennis has had some success with Limerick. In 2007 he brought the team to both the Munster and All-Ireland finals, however, Limerick were beaten by Waterford
and Kilkenny
respectively. This was a remarkable turnaround in fortunes for a team that had not won a Munster championship game in six years.
, County Limerick
in 1945. He was born into a large family of seven boys and six girls, and from an early age he showed a great interest in the game of hurling. Bennis was educated locally and received his secondary school
ing in Limerick. Here his hurling skills were developed further, and in 1961 he captained Limerick city to victory over Kilkenny
in the All-Ireland Vocational Schools final.
with the club in 1965. When Patrickswell won a second consecutive county title in 1966 six Bennis brothers shared the honours – Phil
, Richie, Gerry, Pat, Peter and Thomas. This was the start of a remarkable run of success for Bennis with the club. He won a further eight county medals in 1969, 1970, 1977, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1987.
minor hurling team in the early 1960s. He later played with the county's under-21 side, however, he had little success in either grade. In 1965 Bennis made his senior debut with Limerick, however, it was a lean period for the county's hurlers. The team hadn’t won a provincial title since 1955 and hadn’t even contested a provincial final since 1956. Thius streak of bad luck continued throughout the 1960s.
By 1970 Bennis had become the first-choice free-taker on the Limerick team. That year he headed the county scoring charts, a record he held until his retirement in 1975. Bennis's first major success came in 1971 when he won a National Hurling League
title after Limerick defeated Tipperary
in the final at the Cork Athletic Grounds. In spite of this success the team lost out to Tipp in the subsequent Munster final by just a single point. In 1972 Limerick surprisingly lost again to Clare
in their opening match of the Munster championship. One year later, however, Limerick followed up on this league success by winning the provincial final for the first time in eighteen years. Bennis played a key role in securing this win as he scored a crucial ‘65’ in the last minute of the game to give Limerick a one-point win over Tipperary. After seeing off London
in the All-Ireland semi-final Limerick later lined out against Kilkenny
in the championship decider at Croke Park
. The game hung in the balance for the first-half, however, eight minutes after the restart Mossie Dowling
got a vital goal for the Munstermen. Shortly after this Bennis spear-headed a rampant Limerick attack which resulted in a seven-point victory for Limerick. A score line of 1-21 to 1-14 meant that Bennis had secured his first, and only, All-Ireland
medal. He finished off the year by winning a coveted All-Star
award.
In 1974 Bennis won his second Munster
title as Limerick accounted for Clare in the provincial decider. The Munster champions later qualified to play in the All-Ireland final where Kilkenny provided the oppoistion for the second consecutive year. After the first eleven minutes the reigning champions had stormed into a 0-6 to 0-1 lead, however, three goals from Kilkenny's expert forwards changed the game and secured the victory for the Leinstermen. In 1975 Bennis's side reached a third consecutive Munster final, however, an up-and-coming Cork team ended Limerick's great run on a flattering scoreline of 3-14 to 0-12. Bennis retired from inter-county hurling following this defeat.
of the Limerick
senior hurling team following the controversial resignation of his former team mate Joe McKenna
who had also followed a similar career path once taking over the helm and trying to achieve success with the mighty Rovers.
Bennis took over Limerick mid-way through a disastrous championship season. The team had surrendered an early lead to Tipperary
in the opening round of the Munster championship while the subsequent qualifier game saw Clare
administer a 17-point drubbing. Bennis's side later won their other qualifier games and went on to face reigning All-Ireland champions Cork in the All-Ireland quarter-final. That game saw Bennis nearly master-mind the upset of the championship, however, Cork hung on to win by a single point after a very tense affair at Semple Stadium
.
At the end of the season, Bennis was appointed Limerick manager for a further two years.
In 2007 Limerick faced near neighbours Tipperary in the semi-final of the Munster championship. That game ended in a draw with both sides scoring 1-19. The replay saw Limerick in arrears by ten points at half-time, however, Bennis's side rallied to level the game at the end of normal time. A period of extra time failed to separate the sides and a score line of 1-24 to 2-21 resulted in a second replay. Once again, Limerick looked vulnerable at times during the game, however, they grinded out a victory with a score line of 0-22 to 2-13. It was Limerick's first win in the Munster championship since 2001. Bennis's side later lined out against Waterford
in the Munster final, however, they were defeated on a score line of 3-17 to 1-14. These two sides later met again in the All-Ireland semi-final, however, Bennis had done his homework and master-minded a surprise victory over the Munster champions. Reigning champions Kilkenny were waiting for Limerick in the All-Ireland final, however, the Munstermen got off to a bad start and were 2-3 to 0-0 down after ten minutes. Bennis's side later settled down, however, the damage was done and ‘the Cats’ won the game by seven points.
In 2008, Limerick began well by reaching the knock-out stages of the National Hurling League, however, Cork accounted for Bennis's side in the quarter-final. Limerick's next competitive match was a Munster semi-final appearance with the winners of the Clare
-Waterford
quarter-final. While many people expected a replay of the previous year's Munster and All-Ireland finals Clare won the game and played Limerick in the subsequent semi-final. While many people expected Limerick to win that game relatively easily, Clare scored four goals and ended Limerick's Munster championship hopes. Limerick later played Offaly
in an All-Ireland qualifier and were surprisingly beaten by a superior team, courtesy of a hat-trick of goals by Joe Bergin
. Bennis's term as Limerick manager came to an end following a meeting of the Limerick county board not long after this defeat.
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 Patrickswell
Patrickswell GAA
Patrickswell GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the small village of Patrickswell in County Limerick, Ireland. The club is almost exclusively concerned with the game of hurling.-Honours:*Munster Senior Club Hurling Championships: 2...
and with the Limerick senior inter-county in the 1960s and 1970s. Bennis later served as manager of the Limerick senior team from 2006 until 2008.
As a player Bennis was involved with the great Limerick team of the 1970s. In a senior inter-county career that lasted from 1975 until 1985 he won one 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, two 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 and one 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. Bennis was also the recipient of 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.
As a manager Bennis has had some success with Limerick. In 2007 he brought the team to both the Munster and All-Ireland finals, however, Limerick 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...
and 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...
respectively. This was a remarkable turnaround in fortunes for a team that had not won a Munster championship game in six years.
Early life
Richie Bennis was born in PatrickswellPatrickswell
Patrickswell, historically known as Toberpatrick , is a small town in County Limerick, Ireland.-Etymology:The name refers to St. Patrick and there is a small hand pump/well in the main street; Microsoft mappoint and some other programs call the village St. Patrick's Well or St....
, County 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...
in 1945. He was born into a large family of seven boys and six girls, and from an early age he showed a great interest in the game of hurling. Bennis was educated locally and received his secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
ing in Limerick. Here his hurling skills were developed further, and in 1961 he captained Limerick city to victory over Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
in the All-Ireland Vocational Schools final.
Club
Bennis played his club hurling with his local Patrickswell team. He won his first senior county titleLimerick Senior Hurling Championship
The Limerick Senior Hurling Championship is an annual club competition between the top Limerick Clubs. The winners of the Limerick Championship qualify to represent their county in the Munster Club Championship and in turn, go on to the All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship...
with the club in 1965. When Patrickswell won a second consecutive county title in 1966 six Bennis brothers shared the honours – Phil
Phil Bennis
Phil Bennis is a retired Irish hurling manager and former player. He played hurling with his local club Patrickswell and was a member of the Limerick senior inter-county team in the 1960s and 1970s. Bennis later served as manager of the team...
, Richie, Gerry, Pat, Peter and Thomas. This was the start of a remarkable run of success for Bennis with the club. He won a further eight county medals in 1969, 1970, 1977, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1987.
Inter-county
Bennis first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the LimerickLimerick 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...
minor hurling team in the early 1960s. He later played with the county's under-21 side, however, he had little success in either grade. In 1965 Bennis made his senior debut with Limerick, however, it was a lean period for the county's hurlers. The team hadn’t won a provincial title since 1955 and hadn’t even contested a provincial final since 1956. Thius streak of bad luck continued throughout the 1960s.
By 1970 Bennis had become the first-choice free-taker on the Limerick team. That year he headed the county scoring charts, a record he held until his retirement in 1975. Bennis's first major success came in 1971 when he won a 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 after Limerick 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...
in the final at the Cork Athletic Grounds. In spite of this success the team lost out to Tipp in the subsequent Munster final by just a single point. In 1972 Limerick surprisingly lost again to 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....
in their opening match of the Munster championship. One year later, however, Limerick followed up on this league success by winning the provincial final for the first time in eighteen years. Bennis played a key role in securing this win as he scored a crucial ‘65’ in the last minute of the game to give Limerick a one-point win over Tipperary. After seeing off London
London GAA
The London County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or London GAA is one of the county boards outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in London...
in the All-Ireland semi-final Limerick later lined out 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...
in the championship decider at Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
. The game hung in the balance for the first-half, however, eight minutes after the restart Mossie Dowling
Mossie Dowling
Mossie Dowling is a former Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Kilmallock and with the Limerick senior inter-county team in the 1970s.-References:...
got a vital goal for the Munstermen. Shortly after this Bennis spear-headed a rampant Limerick attack which resulted in a seven-point victory for Limerick. A score line of 1-21 to 1-14 meant that Bennis had secured his first, and only, 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. He finished off the year by winning a coveted 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 1974 Bennis won his second 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 as Limerick accounted for Clare in the provincial decider. The Munster champions later qualified to play in the All-Ireland final where Kilkenny provided the oppoistion for the second consecutive year. After the first eleven minutes the reigning champions had stormed into a 0-6 to 0-1 lead, however, three goals from Kilkenny's expert forwards changed the game and secured the victory for the Leinstermen. In 1975 Bennis's side reached a third consecutive Munster final, however, an up-and-coming Cork team ended Limerick's great run on a flattering scoreline of 3-14 to 0-12. Bennis retired from inter-county hurling following this defeat.
Early experience
In retirement from playing Bennis has remained strongly involved at club and county level. In his early years as a manager, Bennis took a job that would mould his managerial career. He attempted to lead Camogue Rovers to their first county title. Although unsuccessful in his bid, Bennis instilled a great belief in the team that to this day can still be seen. Unfortunately the promise and belief remain unfulfilled. That same spirit that he beat into the Junior club can be seen every time his Limerick team take to the field in modern day.Managing Limerick
In the summer of 2006 he was appointed managerManager (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 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...
senior hurling team following the controversial resignation of his former team mate Joe McKenna
Joe McKenna
Joe McKenna is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club South Liberties and with the Limerick senior inter-county team from 1971 until 1985...
who had also followed a similar career path once taking over the helm and trying to achieve success with the mighty Rovers.
Bennis took over Limerick mid-way through a disastrous championship season. The team had surrendered an early lead to 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...
in the opening round of the Munster championship while the subsequent qualifier game saw 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....
administer a 17-point drubbing. Bennis's side later won their other qualifier games and went on to face reigning All-Ireland champions Cork in the All-Ireland quarter-final. That game saw Bennis nearly master-mind the upset of the championship, however, Cork hung on to win by a single point after a very tense affair at Semple Stadium
Semple Stadium
Semple Stadium, located in Thurles, North Tipperary, Ireland, is the home of hurling for Tipperary GAA and for the province of Munster. It is the second largest stadium in Ireland with a capacity of 53,500....
.
At the end of the season, Bennis was appointed Limerick manager for a further two years.
In 2007 Limerick faced near neighbours Tipperary in the semi-final of the Munster championship. That game ended in a draw with both sides scoring 1-19. The replay saw Limerick in arrears by ten points at half-time, however, Bennis's side rallied to level the game at the end of normal time. A period of extra time failed to separate the sides and a score line of 1-24 to 2-21 resulted in a second replay. Once again, Limerick looked vulnerable at times during the game, however, they grinded out a victory with a score line of 0-22 to 2-13. It was Limerick's first win in the Munster championship since 2001. Bennis's side later lined out against 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, however, they were defeated on a score line of 3-17 to 1-14. These two sides later met again in the All-Ireland semi-final, however, Bennis had done his homework and master-minded a surprise victory over the Munster champions. Reigning champions Kilkenny were waiting for Limerick in the All-Ireland final, however, the Munstermen got off to a bad start and were 2-3 to 0-0 down after ten minutes. Bennis's side later settled down, however, the damage was done and ‘the Cats’ won the game by seven points.
In 2008, Limerick began well by reaching the knock-out stages of the National Hurling League, however, Cork accounted for Bennis's side in the quarter-final. Limerick's next competitive match was a Munster semi-final appearance with the winners of the 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....
-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...
quarter-final. While many people expected a replay of the previous year's Munster and All-Ireland finals Clare won the game and played Limerick in the subsequent semi-final. While many people expected Limerick to win that game relatively easily, Clare scored four goals and ended Limerick's Munster championship hopes. Limerick later played 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...
in an All-Ireland qualifier and were surprisingly beaten by a superior team, courtesy of a hat-trick of goals by Joe Bergin
Joe Bergin (hurler)
Joe Bergin is an Irish sportsperson. He playes hurling with his local club Seir Kieran and has been a member of the Offaly senior hurling inter-county team since 2006.-External links:*...
. Bennis's term as Limerick manager came to an end following a meeting of the Limerick county board not long after this defeat.