Tony Brennan
Encyclopedia
James Anthony Brennan better known as Tony Brennan, was an Irish
sportsperson. He played hurling
with his local club Clonoulty-Rossmore
and with the Tipperary
senior inter-county team from 1939 until 1953. Brennan is regarded as one of Tipperary’s greatest-ever players.
, County Tipperary
in 1916 to a family steeped in sporting history. His uncles, on his father's side, were outstanding athletes in their day in their native place of Boyle
, County Roscommon
. A maternal uncle was Phil Byrne
who won four All-Ireland hurling medals with Tipperary
in 1895, 1896, 1898 and in 1899. Another uncle, Tom Byrne, won two All-Ireland football medals with Dublin
in 1892 and 1894.
Brennan became interested in hurling
at a young age, however, his career as a hurler almost ended when he fractured his skull at the age of twelve. After spending three weeks in hospital he recovered and was able to resume his playing career.
Brennan was educated at the local national school and later attended Thurles
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where his hurling skills were further developed. In 1930 he was a member of the Dean Ryan Cup team and was full-back on the team that won the first ever Harty Cup for the school in 1933. Brennan’s final year of secondary school took him to Rockwell College
where he won numerous honours for being an outstanding athlete in 1935. That same year he played for the college's Harty Cup team, however, his side was beaten in the final by the North Monastery from Cork
. At that time the All-Ireland colleges' championship was played on an inter-provincial basis and Brennan was selected for Munster on four occasions from 1931 to 1935.
In 1937 Brennan joined the Irish
-speaking battalion of the Irish Army
and was stationed at Renmore, County Galway
for eight years. He remained in the army for all of his life.
Tony Brennan died accidentally on 4 November 1965. On that day he and his father-in-law embarked on a pheasant shoot. Brennan had borrowed a shotgun from a neighbour that had a defective catch. While changing the gun from one hand to another to put a pheasant he had just shot into his bag, the firearm accidentally discharged and fatally wounded him.
Brennan was posthumously honoured in 2000 when he was named in the full-back position on the Tipperary Hurling Team of the Century.
club. After moving to Galway in the late 1930s he joined the local club there in Renmore. Brennan won a junior county title in the late 1930s and played senior hurling with the club until his return to Clonoulty in 1945. In 1951 the club reached their first county final in several decades, however, Brennan never realized his ambition of winning a county medal as Holycross-Ballycahil
were victorious on that occasion.
minor team in the early 1930s. He won a Munster
title in this grade in 1931, however, his side were later defeated in the All-Ireland semi-final. Two years later in 1933 Brennan added a second Munster minor medal to his collection. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Tipp defeat Galway
by 4-6 to 2-3 giving Brennan a coveted All-Ireland
medal. He missed Tipp’s Munster minor final victory in 1934, however, he returned in time to capture a second consecutive All-Ireland medal.
After moving to Renmore, Brennan lined out with the Galway
junior hurling team. He won a Connacht
junior title, however, All-Ireland success in this grade eluded him.
In 1945 Brennan was back in his native-county and was invited onto the Tipperary
team. He played at centre-forward that year as Tipp defeated Limerick
in a memorable provincial final. It was Brennan’s first Munster
senior title. The subsequent All-Ireland final pitted Tipperary against Kilkenny
for the first time in eight years. Brennan was moved to full-forward for that game as a crowd of almost 70,000 went to Croke Park
. Tipp took a 4-3 to 0-3 lead at half-time, however, ‘the Cats’ fought back. Nevertheless, Tipperary won the game by 5-6 to 3-6 giving Brennan his first senior All-Ireland
medal.
It would be four years later in 1949 before Brennan tasted further success. He captured a National Hurling League
medal at the start of the year before later winning a second Munster medal following another victory over Limerick. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Tipp play Laois
, the surprise winners of the Leinster final. The game turned into a rout as the Munster men completely overpowered the Leinster men. Brennan collected a second All-Ireland medal following a 3-11 to 0-3 victory.
In 1950 Brennan began the year by winning a second National League title with Tipp.
Tipperary later took on Cork in the Munster final. The stakes were high as both sides realized that whoever won would be the favourites to take the All-Ireland title. The game itself has gone down in history as a nadir in the history of crowd-troubled matches. It is estimated that up to 50,000 people packed into FitzGerald Stadium
to witness the game as gates were broken down, walls were scaled and the playing field was frequently invaded. Oranges, sods of earth and overcoats were thrown at Tipp goalkeeper Tony Reddin
as he tried to do his duty. In the end Tipp won the game by 2-17 to 3-11. In the All-Ireland final Tipperary faced Kilkenny. The game failed to live up to expectations, however, Brennan added a third All-Ireland medal to his collection following a 1-9 to 1-8 victory.
1951 saw Cork and Tipp meet once again in the provincial final. The atmosphere was different to the previous encounter; however, Tipp still won the game giving Brennan a third Munster medal in-a-row, his fourth overall. Wexford
won the Leinster final for the first time in several decades that year and provided the opposition in the All-Ireland final. Wexford’s Nicky Rackard
gave a superb display of hurling, however, the Tipp forwards ran riot and notched up 7-7 to Wexford’s 3-9. with that Brennan had captured his fourth All-Ireland medal.
1952 began well for Brennan when he won his third National League medal. Later in the Munster semi-final Tipp secured their 15th consecutive championship win, a record which still stands today. It looked as if Doyle’s side would cruise to almost certain further Munster and All-Ireland titles; however, Cork put a stop to this with a narrow victory in the Munster final.
In 1953 both Cork and Tipperary met for the fourth consecutive year in the Munster final. The latter team was now on a downward spiral and duly lost the game by 3-10 to 1-11. This was Brennan’s final appearance for Tipperary as he retired from inter-county hurling shortly after the defeat.
in the inter-provincial hurling competition. He captured his sole Railway Cup winners’ medal in 1951.
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,...
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 Clonoulty-Rossmore
Clonoulty-Rossmore GAA
Clonoulty-Rossmore GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the parish of Clonoulty and Rossmore, five miles from Cashel in County Tipperary, Ireland...
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 1939 until 1953. Brennan is regarded as one of Tipperary’s greatest-ever players.
Biography
Tony Brennan was born in ClonoultyClonoulty
Clonoulty or Clonulty is a small village in the barony of Kilnamanagh Lower, South Tipperary in Ireland. It is also half of the Clonoulty-Rossmore parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly.-Location and facilities:...
, 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...
in 1916 to a family steeped in sporting history. His uncles, on his father's side, were outstanding athletes in their day in their native place of Boyle
Boyle, County Roscommon
Boyle is a town in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is located at the foot of the Curlew Mountains near Lough Key in the north of the county. Carrowkeel Megalithic Cemetery, the Drumanone Dolmen and the popular fishing lakes of Lough Arrow and Lough Gara are also close by...
, County Roscommon
County Roscommon
County Roscommon is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the town of Roscommon. Roscommon County Council is the local authority for the county...
. A maternal uncle was Phil Byrne
Phil Byrne
Philip Byrne is an Irish football player. Football was in his blood - his father Damien Byrne was also a League of Ireland player....
who won four All-Ireland hurling medals with 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 1895, 1896, 1898 and in 1899. Another uncle, Tom Byrne, won two All-Ireland football medals with 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 1892 and 1894.
Brennan became interested in 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...
at a young age, however, his career as a hurler almost ended when he fractured his skull at the age of twelve. After spending three weeks in hospital he recovered and was able to resume his playing career.
Brennan was educated at the local national school and later attended Thurles
Thurles
Thurles is a town situated in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty and is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly...
CBS
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...
where his hurling skills were further developed. In 1930 he was a member of the Dean Ryan Cup team and was full-back on the team that won the first ever Harty Cup for the school in 1933. Brennan’s final year of secondary school took him to 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:...
where he won numerous honours for being an outstanding athlete in 1935. That same year he played for the college's Harty Cup team, however, his side was beaten in the final by the North Monastery from Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
. At that time the All-Ireland colleges' championship was played on an inter-provincial basis and Brennan was selected for Munster on four occasions from 1931 to 1935.
In 1937 Brennan joined the Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
-speaking battalion of the Irish Army
Irish Army
The Irish Army, officially named simply the Army is the main branch of the Defence Forces of Ireland. Approximately 8,500 men and women serve in the Irish Army, divided into three infantry Brigades...
and was stationed at Renmore, County Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
for eight years. He remained in the army for all of his life.
Tony Brennan died accidentally on 4 November 1965. On that day he and his father-in-law embarked on a pheasant shoot. Brennan had borrowed a shotgun from a neighbour that had a defective catch. While changing the gun from one hand to another to put a pheasant he had just shot into his bag, the firearm accidentally discharged and fatally wounded him.
Brennan was posthumously honoured in 2000 when he was named in the full-back position on the Tipperary Hurling Team of the Century.
Club
Brennan began his club hurling career with his local Clonoulty-RossmoreClonoulty-Rossmore GAA
Clonoulty-Rossmore GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the parish of Clonoulty and Rossmore, five miles from Cashel in County Tipperary, Ireland...
club. After moving to Galway in the late 1930s he joined the local club there in Renmore. Brennan won a junior county title in the late 1930s and played senior hurling with the club until his return to Clonoulty in 1945. In 1951 the club reached their first county final in several decades, however, Brennan never realized his ambition of winning a county medal as Holycross-Ballycahil
Holycross-Ballycahill GAA
Holycross-Ballycahill GAA club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the areas of Holycross and Ballycahill five miles outside Thurles in mid County Tipperary, Ireland.-History:...
were victorious on that occasion.
Inter-county
Brennan first came to prominence on the inter-county scene with 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 team in the early 1930s. He won 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...
title in this grade in 1931, however, his side were later defeated in the All-Ireland semi-final. Two years later in 1933 Brennan added a second Munster minor medal to his collection. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Tipp defeat 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,...
by 4-6 to 2-3 giving Brennan 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...
medal. He missed Tipp’s Munster minor final victory in 1934, however, he returned in time to capture a second consecutive All-Ireland medal.
After moving to Renmore, Brennan lined out with the 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,...
junior hurling team. He won a Connacht
Connacht Junior Hurling Championship
The Connacht Junior Hurling Championship is a junior "knockout" competition in the game of Hurling played in the province of Connacht in Ireland...
junior title, however, All-Ireland success in this grade eluded him.
In 1945 Brennan was back in his native-county and was invited onto 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...
team. He played at centre-forward that year as Tipp defeated 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 a memorable provincial final. It was Brennan’s 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....
senior title. The subsequent All-Ireland final pitted Tipperary 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...
for the first time in eight years. Brennan was moved to full-forward for that game as a crowd of almost 70,000 went to Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
. Tipp took a 4-3 to 0-3 lead at half-time, however, ‘the Cats’ fought back. Nevertheless, Tipperary won the game by 5-6 to 3-6 giving Brennan his first senior 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.
It would be four years later in 1949 before Brennan tasted further success. He captured 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...
medal at the start of the year before later winning a second Munster medal following another victory over Limerick. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Tipp play Laois
Laois 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:...
, the surprise winners of the Leinster final. The game turned into a rout as the Munster men completely overpowered the Leinster men. Brennan collected a second All-Ireland medal following a 3-11 to 0-3 victory.
In 1950 Brennan began the year by winning a second National League title with Tipp.
Tipperary later took on Cork in the Munster final. The stakes were high as both sides realized that whoever won would be the favourites to take the All-Ireland title. The game itself has gone down in history as a nadir in the history of crowd-troubled matches. It is estimated that up to 50,000 people packed into FitzGerald Stadium
FitzGerald Stadium
Fitzgerald Stadium is the principal Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Killarney, Ireland, and is the home championship venue for the Kerry senior football team....
to witness the game as gates were broken down, walls were scaled and the playing field was frequently invaded. Oranges, sods of earth and overcoats were thrown at Tipp goalkeeper Tony Reddin
Tony Reddin
Martin Charles Reddington , better known as Tony Reddin, is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling at various times with his local clubs Castlegar in Galway and Lorrha-Dorrha in Tipperary from the 1930s until the 1950s...
as he tried to do his duty. In the end Tipp won the game by 2-17 to 3-11. In the All-Ireland final Tipperary faced Kilkenny. The game failed to live up to expectations, however, Brennan added a third All-Ireland medal to his collection following a 1-9 to 1-8 victory.
1951 saw Cork and Tipp meet once again in the provincial final. The atmosphere was different to the previous encounter; however, Tipp still won the game giving Brennan a third Munster medal in-a-row, his fourth overall. 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...
won the Leinster final for the first time in several decades that year and provided the opposition in the All-Ireland final. Wexford’s Nicky Rackard
Nicky Rackard
Nicholas Rackard better known as Nicky or Nickey Rackard, was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local Rathnure club and was a member of the Wexford senior inter-county team from 1940 until 1956...
gave a superb display of hurling, however, the Tipp forwards ran riot and notched up 7-7 to Wexford’s 3-9. with that Brennan had captured his fourth All-Ireland medal.
1952 began well for Brennan when he won his third National League medal. Later in the Munster semi-final Tipp secured their 15th consecutive championship win, a record which still stands today. It looked as if Doyle’s side would cruise to almost certain further Munster and All-Ireland titles; however, Cork put a stop to this with a narrow victory in the Munster final.
In 1953 both Cork and Tipperary met for the fourth consecutive year in the Munster final. The latter team was now on a downward spiral and duly lost the game by 3-10 to 1-11. This was Brennan’s final appearance for Tipperary as he retired from inter-county hurling shortly after the defeat.
Provincial
Brennan also lined out with MunsterMunster GAA
The Munster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Munster.-Constituent counties:*Cork*Clare*Kerry*Limerick*Tipperary*Waterford-Honours:...
in the inter-provincial hurling competition. He captured his sole Railway Cup winners’ medal in 1951.