Who is Cian Lynch?
Cian Lynch, born on 3 January 1996, is an exceptional Irish hurler renowned for his goalkeeping skills. He is a valuable asset to both the Limerick Championship club, Patrickswell, where he holds the captaincy, and the Limerick senior team. Often referred to as a “goalkeeper magician,” Lynch is widely regarded as one of the best players in the current game, known for his remarkable abilities and selfless team-player attitude.
Lynch began his inter-county journey with Limerick at the minor level in 2012, winning consecutive Munster Minor Championship titles in his last two years with the team. He later joined the Limerick under-21 team in 2014, playing a pivotal role in their triumphs in the All-Ireland Under-21 Championship in 2015 and 2017.
In 2015, Lynch made his debut for the Limerick senior team and has since achieved numerous accolades, including four All-Ireland Championship titles, three Munster Championship titles, and two National Hurling League titles with the team.
A remarkable feat was in 2020, when he played a significant part in Limerick’s history-making 100% winning record in all competitions during a single season, a feat not achieved since Tipperary in 1961.
At the club level, Lynch made his senior championship debut with Patrickswell at the age of 17 in 2013 and has since become a key player for the team. He contributed to Patrickswell’s County Championship victories in 2016 and 2019.
Lynch’s outstanding performances have earned him several prestigious awards, including being named on the GAA-GPA All-Star Team and The Sunday Game Team of the Year three times each, and the Under-21 Team of the Year twice. Additionally, he was named GAA-GPA Player of the Month during his first championship season and was honored as GAA-GPA All-Star Hurler of the Year in both 2018 and 2021. Notably, he is one of only two players to have won the ‘hurler of the year’ award more than once, with the other being Henry Shefflin, who has achieved the feat three times.
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Sport |
Hurling |
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Position |
Centre-forward |
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Born |
3 January 1996 (age 27)Patrickswell, County Limerick, Ireland |
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Height |
1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) |
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Nickname |
Cianoo |
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Occupation |
Student |
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Club |
Patrickswell |
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Country |
Limerick |
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Cian Lynch Early Career
Ardscoil Rís
Lynch’s journey to prominence as a hurler began at Ardscoil Rís in Limerick. Despite being just 15 years old, he showcased his talent and dedication, earning a spot on the college’s senior hurling team after playing in various grades. On 27 February 2011, Lynch made his debut as a substitute during Ardscoil Rís’ triumphant 3-19 to 0-03 victory over C.B.S. Charleville in the Harty Cup final. He also appeared as a substitute in the subsequent All-Ireland final, where they faced St. Kieran’s College, but narrowly lost with a score of 2-10 to 1-11. In 2014, Lynch had the honor of captaining Ardscoil Rís to victory in the Harty Cup final, where they defeated Scoil na Trionóide from Doon with a resounding score of 2-13 to 0-04.
Mary Immaculate College
During his time at Mary Immaculate College, Lynch continued to excel as a forward for the college’s senior hurling team. On 27 February 2016, he achieved a significant milestone by winning a Fitzgibbon Cup medal as Mary I secured their first-ever title with a thrilling 1-30 to 3-22 victory against the University of Limerick. The following year, Lynch’s leadership and skills were instrumental in helping Mary I retain the Fitzgibbon Cup, as they defeated Carlow Institute of Technology with a commanding scoreline of 3-24 to 1-19 in the final.
Inter-county career
Minor and under-21
Lynch became a member of Patrickswell at a young age, a club with a rich family tradition. Several of his uncles, including Ciarán, Paul, Pa, Seán, and Nigel Carey, were prominent players for the club during its golden era in the 1980s and 1990s. Despite having an unremarkable juvenile and underage career, Lynch joined the club’s senior team at the age of 17. During that time, he was also involved with the county minors, which limited his playing opportunities with the senior team.
In the 2015 County Championship campaign, Patrickswell displayed an impressive unbeaten performance, leading them to the final where they faced Na Piarsaigh and narrowly suffered a one-point defeat. The following season, they continued their unbeaten streak, culminating in the 2016 County Championship final, where Lynch contributed significantly with three points from play, leading his team to a resounding 1-26 to 1-07 victory over Ballybrown and securing his first winners’ medal.
In preparation for the 2019 County Championship, Lynch was entrusted with the captaincy of the team. Patrickswell once again demonstrated their dominance with a third undefeated run through the group stage in five years, advancing to the 2019 final. Lynch played a crucial role in the final, scoring three points, and led his team to a triumphant 1-17 to 0-15 victory against Na Piarsaigh, earning his second winners’ medal.
Senior
2015 season
Lynch, at the age of 19, earned a spot on the Limerick senior panel under the guidance of team manager T. J. Ryan, ahead of the 2015 Waterford Crystal Cup. Making his debut on 17 January 2015, he showcased his prowess as a left wing-forward by contributing three points in a thrilling 2-15 to 1-15 quarter-final victory against Waterford. Lynch’s consistent performances during the pre-season competition culminated in his first senior silverware as Limerick secured a convincing 3-20 to 1-16 win over Cork in the final.
His promising performance earned him a spot on the Limerick panel for the 2015 National League, where he appeared in all six of the team’s games after making his debut on 14 February 2015, in an exciting 2-16 to 0-22 draw with Waterford.
On 24 May 2015, Lynch made his much-anticipated appearance in the Munster Championship and delivered a standout performance, earning the title of “man of the match” in a nail-biting one-point quarter-final triumph over Clare. His remarkable contributions did not go unnoticed, and he was later honored with the GAA/GPA Player of the Month award for his outstanding efforts.
2016 season
Once again, Lynch was part of the Limerick panel for the 2016 season, but he was unable to participate in the team’s initial two matches of the newly-introduced pre-season Munster League. However, on 23 January 2016, he showcased his skills by scoring two points as left wing-forward during Limerick’s match against Clare in the final, despite their eventual defeat. Throughout the 2016 National League campaign, Lynch remained a consistent starter for Limerick, making a total of six appearances. Notably, he played at left wing-forward in the team’s semi-final match against Waterford, which concluded in a 3-23 to 1-18 loss.
2017 season
During the start of the 2017 season, Lynch skillfully managed his responsibilities for both Mary Immaculate College’s Fitzgibbon Cup and Limerick’s Munster League campaigns. On 29 January 2017, he entered the game as a substitute in the 60th minute, replacing team captain James Ryan, in a closely contested provincial league final against Cork, which unfortunately ended in a narrow 1-21 to 1-20 defeat for Limerick. Throughout the 2017 National League, Lynch contributed significantly by making five appearances for the Limerick team, showcasing his versatility by playing as left corner-forward in the team’s semi-final match against Galway, where they faced a ten-point defeat.
2018 season
Once again, Lynch found his name on the 38-man Limerick panel for the upcoming 2018 season, although he had to miss some of the pre-season Munster League due to commitments with the Fitzgibbon Cup while representing Mary Immaculate College. On 14 January 2018, he achieved his first senior silverware in three years when Limerick secured a convincing 0-16 to 0-10 victory over Clare, claiming the pre-season tournament title. Throughout the subsequent National League, Lynch was a consistent presence, participating in all seven of Limerick’s games.
On 19 August 2018, Lynch earned a place at right corner-forward for Limerick’s All-Ireland final clash against Galway. Demonstrating his talent, he scored a crucial point from play, contributing to Limerick’s remarkable 3-16 to 2-18 victory, which marked their first All-Ireland Championship title in 45 years. Later that day, he received further recognition when he was included in the prestigious Sunday Game Team of the Year. As the season concluded, Lynch’s outstanding performances earned him the esteemed title of Hurler of the Year, and he was also selected as the midfield partner to Cork’s Darragh Fitzgibbon on the All-Star Team.
2019 season
Once again, Lynch maintained his regular presence in the Limerick team during the 2019 National League, contributing significantly in seven out of their eight games. He showcased his skills by scoring two points from play during Limerick’s triumphant 1-24 to 0-19 victory over Waterford in the final, leading them to claim their first Division 1 title since 1997.
In the 2019 Munster Championship, Lynch’s outstanding performances culminated in his first provincial winners’ medal after Limerick secured an impressive 2-26 to 2-14 victory over Tipperary in the Munster final. As the year drew to a close, his exceptional efforts were recognized with his second consecutive All-Star nomination.
2020 season
Lynch was not initially part of the Limerick team for the two group stage matches in the 2020 Munster League. However, he made a strong comeback, taking his place at midfield for the final against Cork on 11 January 2020, and impressively scored a point from play in the team’s 1-32 to 0-20 victory.
During the subsequent National League campaign, Lynch participated in three of Limerick’s five Division 1A games. On 25 October 2020, he once again played at midfield in the delayed league final, contributing to Limerick’s impressive 0-36 to 1-23 defeat of Clare.
In the 2020 Munster Championship, Lynch displayed his versatility by taking on the role of centre-forward. This change proved to be successful as he contributed significantly to Limerick’s consecutive Munster Championship title victory against Waterford.
Selected as the centre-forward once more for the All-Ireland final against Waterford on 13 December 2020, Lynch played a crucial role in securing his second title in three years, as Limerick triumphed with a final score of 0-30 to 0-19.
2021 season
TRENDING
Cian Lynch Statistics
National League
| Team | Year | National League | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Score | ||
| Limerick | 2015 | Division 1B | 6 | 0-07 |
| 2016 | 6 | 0-02 | ||
| 2017 | 5 | 1-05 | ||
| 2018 | 7 | 0-07 | ||
| 2019 | Division 1A | 6 | 0-04 | |
| 2020 | 4 | 0-03 | ||
| 2021 | 4 | 0-05 | ||
| 2022 | 3 | 1-01 | ||
| 2023 | 5 | 0-06 | ||
Munster
| Team | Year | Munster | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Score | ||
| Limerick | 2015 | 2 | 0-03 |
| 2016 | 1 | 0-01 | |
| 2017 | 1 | 0-02 | |
| 2018 | 4 | 0-09 | |
| 2019 | 5 | 0-04 | |
| 2020 | 3 | 0-05 | |
| 2021 | 2 | 0-04 | |
| 2022 | 2 | 0-02 | |
| 2023 | 4 | 0-01 | |
All-Ireland
| Team | Year | All-Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Score | ||
| Limerick | 2015 | 2 | 0-00 |
| 2016 | 1 | 0-01 | |
| 2017 | 1 | 0-00 | |
| 2018 | 4 | 1-03 | |
| 2019 | 1 | 0-00 | |
| 2020 | 2 | 0-02 | |
| 2021 | 2 | 0-09 | |
| 2022 | 1 | 0-00 | |
| 2023 | 1 | 0-01 | |
Cian Lynch Honours
Patrickswell:
- Limerick Senior Hurling Championship (2): 2016, 2019 (captain)
Ardscoil Rís:
- Dr. Harty Cup (2): 2011, 2014 (captain)
Mary Immaculate College:
- Fitzgibbon Cup (2): 2016, 2017
Limerick:
- All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (4): 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022
- Munster Senior Hurling Championship (5): 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
- National Hurling League (3): 2019, 2020, 2023 (captain)
- Munster Senior Hurling League (2): 2018, 2020 (captain)
- All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship (2): 2015, 2017
- Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship (2): 2015, 2017
- Munster Minor Hurling Championship (2): 2013, 2014 (captain)
- Waterford Crystal Cup (1): 2015
Individual Awards:
- All Stars Hurler of the Year (2): 2018, 2021
- All-Star Award (3): 2018, 2020, 2021
- The Sunday Game Hurler of the Year: 2021
- The Sunday Game Team of the Year (3): 2018, 2020, 2021
- All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final Man of the Match: 2021
- GAA/GPA Player of the Month (1): May 2015
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