Brian Cody: Difference between revisions

Brian Cody

Personal information
Irish name	Briain Mac Óda
Sport	Hurling
Position	Full-back
Born	(1954-07-12) 12 July 1954 Sheestown, County Kilkenny, Ireland
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Occupation	Retired primary school principal
Club(s)
Years	Club
	James Stephens
Club titles
Kilkenny titles	3
Leinster titles	2
All-Ireland Titles	2
Inter-county(ies)*
Years	County	Apps (scores)
1973–1985	Kilkenny	24 (4–9)
Inter-county titles
Leinster titles	4
All-Irelands	3
NHL	2
All Stars	2
*Inter County team apps and scores correct as of 13:55, 12 January 2013.

Brian Cody (born on 12 July 1954) is an Irish hurling manager and former player. He has been the manager of the Kilkenny senior team since 1998, where he has since become the county's longest-serving manager and most successful in terms of major titles won. Cody is regarded as the greatest manager in the history of the game.

Born in Sheestown, County Kilkenny, Cody was introduced to hurling by his father, the long-serving chairman of the local club team. He enjoyed All-Ireland success at colleges level as a boarder with St. Kieran's College while simultaneously enjoying championship successes at underage levels with the James Stephens club. A two-time All-Ireland medallist with the James Stephens senior team, Cody also won two Leinster medals and three championship medals.

Cody made his debut on the inter-county scene at the age of sixteen when he first linked up with the Kilkenny minor. An All-Ireland-winning captain in this grade, he later won two All-Ireland medals in the under-21 grade. Cody made his senior debut during the 1973 championship. He went on to play a key role for Kilkenny in attack and later defence during a hugely successful era, and won three All-Ireland medals, four Leinster medals and two National Hurling League medals. An All-Ireland runner-up on two occasions, Cody captained the team to All-Ireland victory in 1982.

As a member of the Leinster inter-provincial team, Cody won one Railway Cup medal as a non-playing substitute in 1977. Throughout his inter-county career he made 24 championship appearances. Cody retired from inter-county hurling during the 1985 championship.

After being involved in team management and coaching in all grades at club level with James Stephens, Cody was appointed manager of the Kilkenny senior team on 16 November 1998. He has since gone on to lead Kilkenny through a period of unprecedented provincial and national dominance, winning thirty eight major honours. These include ten All-Ireland Championships, including a record-equaling four-in-a-row between 2006 and 2009, fourteen Leinster Championships in seventeen seasons, eight National Leagues, including five league-championship doubles, and six Walsh Cups.

Early life

Brian Cody was born in Sheestown, four miles outside Kilkenny city in 1954. The son of Thomastown natives Bill Cody and the former Annie Hoyne, he was born into a family that was heavily involved in the Gaelic Athletic Association. Hurling in particular was hugely important for Cody's father. He was a selector with both the Kilkenny minor and senior teams before later serving as chairman of the James Stephens club for seventeen years. His tenure coincided with the club's most successful period ever. In her youth Cody's mother played camogie with her local team.

Cody was educated at his local national school where his interest in the game of hurling was first developed. He later boarded at St. Kieran's College in Kilkenny, a virtual nursery for young, talented players. It was at St. Kieran's where Cody first tasted major hurling success. He was a key member of the college team in 1971 when St. Kieran's captured the Leinster colleges' title. Cody later helped his school to the All-Ireland title following a win over St. Finbarr's College from Cork. He won a second consecutive Leinster colleges' medal in 1972, however, St. Finbarr's gained their revenge and were victorious on this occasion. It was from these successes with St. Kieran's that Cody's inter-county career with Kilkenny evolved.

Cody later attended St. Patrick's College in Dublin where he studied to be a primary school teacher. Here he played on the college hurling team where one of his contemporaries was Ger Loughnane, a future hurling star and inter-county manager of Clare. Cody currently works at St. Patrick's De La Salle national school in Kilkenny, where he has been principal since 2009.

Playing career

Club

Cody played his club hurling with James Stephens and enjoyed much success during a golden age for the club.

After enjoying much success in the juvenile and underage grades, Cody subsequently became a key member of the club's senior team. After losing the championship decider in 1973, James Stephens were back in the final again two years later. A comprehensive 1–14 to 1–5 defeat of first-time finalists Galmoy gave Cody his first championship medal. He later added a Leinster medal to his collection following a 1–14 to 2–4 defeat of Offaly champions St. Rynagh's before lining out in the All-Ireland decider against Blackrock. Five points down at half-time, James Stephens came storming back to record a 2–10 to 2–4 victory. It was Cody's first All-Ireland medal and the first time that a Kilkenny club had captured the All-Ireland title.

James Stephens retained their championship title the following year with Cody collecting a second winners' medal following a 2–14 to 0–13 defeat of Rower-Inistioge.

After a period of decline James Stephens reached another county final in 1981. A 2–10 to 0–8 defeat of Fenians gave Cody a third championship medal. A narrow 0–13 to 1–9 victory over Faythe Harriers in the provincial decider secured a second Leinster medal for Cody. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw James Stephens take on Mount Sion from Waterford. At half-time the Kilkenny side were behind by seven points, however, the team fought back with three-second-half goals by John McCormack to record a great 3–13 to 3–8 victory. It was Cody's second All-Ireland medal.

Minor and under-21

Cody first played for Kilkenny as a member of the minor team in 1971. He won his first Leinster medal that year following a huge 7-18 to 3-5 trouncing of reigning provincial champions Wexford. On 5 September 1971 Kilkenny faced three-in-a-row hopefuls Cork in the All-Ireland decider. A narrow 2-11 to 1-11 victory for Cork resulted in defeat for Cody's side.

After being appointed captain of the minor team in 1972, Cody won a second Leinster medal following another 7-10 to 0-4 trouncing of Wexford. On 3 September 1972 Kilkenny faced Galway in the subsequent All-Ireland decider. The game was a one-sided affair, and at the full-time whistle Kilkenny were the champions by 8-7 to 3-9. The victory gave Cody a coveted All-Ireland medal while he also had the honour of lifting the cup.

By 1974 Cody had joined the Kilkenny under-21 team. He won his first Leinster medal that year as Kilkenny accounted for Wexford by 3-8 to 1-5. The subsequent All-Ireland decider against first-time finalists Waterford was a close affair, however, at the final whistle Kilkenny were the champions by 3-8 to 3-7. It was a first All-Ireland medal in that grade for Cody.

Cody added a second Leinster medal to his collection in 1975 as Kilkenny once again defeated Wexford by 3-14 to 0-8. The subsequent All-Ireland final against Cork was rated the best hurling game of the year. Kilkenny ‘keeper Kevin Fennelly brought off two brilliant saves from Con Brassil and Finbarr Delaney in the closing stages to secure a 5-13 to 2-19 victory and a second consecutive All-Ireland medal for Cody.

Senior

Cody was just out of the minor grade when he was added to the senior panel in 1973. The team lost four key players to injury and emigration prior to the All-Ireland final meeting with Limerick on 2 September 1975. As a result of this Cody was added to the starting fifteen at left wing-back. In spite of Kilkenny fielding a depleted team, the game hung in the balance for the first half, however, eight minutes after the restart Mossie Dowling got a vital goal for Limerick. Shortly after this Richie Bennis spearheaded a rampant Limerick attack which resulted in a 1–21 to 1–14 victory for Limerick.

The All-Ireland final defeat led to a reshuffle of the Kilkenny team and Cody found it hard to retain his place on the starting fifteen the following year. He was still a member of the panel as Kilkenny went on to claim Leinster and All-Ireland titles that year.

Cody was back on the starting fifteen at left corner-back as Kilkenny made it five successive provincial titles in-a-row in 1975. The 2–20 to 2–14 defeat of Wexford gave Cody his first Leinster medal on the field of play. On 7 September 1975 Cody lined out in his second All-Ireland final, with surprise semi-final winners Galway providing the opposition. Playing with the wind in the first half, Galway found themselves ahead by 0–9 to 1–3 at the interval. Eddie Keher's huge tally of 2–7 kept Galway at bay giving Kilkenny a 2–22 to 2–10 victory. It was Cody's first All-Ireland medal on the field of play, while he later won a coveted All-Star.

In 1976 Cody won a National Hurling League medal following a 6–14 to 1–14 trouncing of Clare in a replay. Kilkenny's championship ambitions unravelled in spectacular fashion in the subsequent provincial campaign, when a 2–20 to 1–6 trouncing by Wexford dumped the team out of the championship.

After another unsuccessful season in 1977, Cody was surprisingly moved to the full-forward position the following year. He won a second Leinster medal that year following Kilkenny's 2–16 to 1–16 defeat of reigning provincial champions Wexford. On 3 September 1978 Kilkenny faced reigning champions Cork in the All-Ireland decider. Cork secured a first three-in-a-row of All-Ireland titles for the first time in over twenty years, as a Jimmy Barry-Murphy goal helped the team to a 1–15 to 2–8 victory. At the homecoming for the runners-up the following evening, reports circulated that Cody was booed as he was introduced.

A new Kilkenny team emerged in 1979, however, Cody lost his place on the starting fifteen.

Cody was appointed captain of the team in 1982 as Kilkenny bounced back after a fallow period. He won a second league medal that year following a 2-14 to 1-11 defeat of Wexford. He later won a third Leinster medal following a 1-11 to 0-12 defeat of three-in-a-row hopefuls and reigning All-Ireland champions Offaly. On 5 September 1982 Kilkenny and Cork renewed their rivalry in the All-Ireland decider. The Cats were rank outsiders on the day, however, a brilliant save by Noel Skehan was followed by two quick goals by Christy Heffernan just before the interval. Éamonn O'Donoghue pegged a goal back for Cork, however, Ger Fennelly added a third for Kilkenny who secured a 3-18 to 1-13 victory. It was a second All-Ireland medal for Cody while he also had the honour of lifting the Liam MacCarthy Cup. He was later presented with a second All-Star award.

After missing Kilkenny's league triumph in 1983, Cody was back for the championship. A 1-17 to 0-13 defeat of Offaly gave him a fourth Leinster medal. The All-Ireland final on 4 September 1983 was a replay of the previous year with Cork hoping to avenge that defeat. Billy Fitzpatrick was the star with ten points, giving Kilkenny a 2-14 to 1-9 lead with seventeen minutes left, however, they failed to score for the remainder of the game. A stunning comeback by Cork just fell short and Cody won a third All-Ireland medal following a 2-14 to 2-12 victory.

Kilkenny's fortunes took a downturn following this victory as Offaly dominated the championship. Cody played his last game for Kilkenny in 1985 in a 1-30 to 1-10 Leinster quarter-final defeat by Westmeath.

Provincial

Cody also lined out with Leinster in the inter-provincial hurling competition. He was a non-playing substitute when Leinster defeated arch-rivals Munster to win the Railway Cup in 1977.

Kilkenny manager

Unsuccessful beginning

Cody was appointed manager of the Kilkenny senior hurling team on 16 November 1998. He was the only candidate nominated for the position and was initially appointed for a two-year term. In the lead-up to the start of the championship Cody was very contemplative about his team's chances. He believed that 1999 was going to be one of the most open championships in years with any team capable of winning either the Munster or Leinster provincial deciders. In his first full season in charge Cody brought some new players onto the team. James McGarry, at the age of 27, made his senior debut as goalkeeper while a young Henry Shefflin was unearthed and was a new addition in the forward line. With a blend of youth and experience Cody guided his team to a the Leinster title following a 5-14 to 1-16 defeat of Offaly. The subsequent All-Ireland decider saw Kilkenny face Cork on 12 September 1999. In a dour contest played on a wet day, Cork trailed by 0-5 to 0-4 after a low-scoring first half. Kilkenny increased the pace after the interval, pulling into a four-point lead. Cork moved up a gear and through Joe Deane, Ben O'Connor and Seánie McGrath, they scored five unanswered points. Kilkenny could only manage one more score – a point from a Henry Shefflin free – and Cork held out to win by 0-13 to 0-12.

Early successes

In 2000 Cody's side won a second successive Leinster title following another comfortable 2–21 to 1–13 victory over Offaly. As a result of the so-called "back-door" system both sides later faced off against each other again in the All-Ireland final on 10 September 2000. D.J. Carey capitalised on an Offaly mistake after just six minutes to start a goal-fest for 'the Cats'. Carey scored 2–4 in all, sharing his second goal with Henry Shefflin who also scored a goal in the second-half. At the full-time whistle Kilkenny were the champions by 5–15 to 1–14. It was Cody's first All-Ireland title as manager.

Kilkenny's provincial dominance continued in 2001 and a powerful 2-19 to 0-12 defeat of Wexford gave Kavanagh a third successive Leinster title as manager. A shock 2-15 to 1-13 All-Ireland semi-final defeat ended Kilkenny's interest in the championship. Following this defeat there was some speculation that Cody would step down as manager, however, he decided to remain.

Kilkenny bounced back in 2002 with Cody guiding the team to a first league success since 1995. He later steered the team to a a fourth Leinster title as Kilkenny recorded a narrow 0-19 to 0-17 defeat of fourteen-man Wexford. On 8 September 2002 Kilkenny faced first-round losers Clare in the All-Ireland decider. Kilkenny forwards Henry Shefflin and D. J. Carey combined to score 2-13 between them, as Kilkenny secured a 2-20 to 0-19 victory. It was a second All-Ireland title for Cody as manager.

Kilkenny's early season efforts in 2003 were hampered by an apparent rift between team captain Charlie Carter and Cody. Carter was said to have withdrawn from the panel during the latter stages of the league due to his unhappiness at being omitted from the team. Carter remained on the panel as Cody guided Kilkenny to a second successive league title following a stunning 5-14 to 5-13 extra-time defeat of Tipperary. The ill-feeling between Carter and Cody resurfaced when the former was once again overlooked in a provincial championship defeat of Dublin, resulting in him leaving the panel for good along with Brian McEvoy. In spite of these setbacks Cody later guided Kilkenny to a fifth successive Leinster title as manager following a 2-23 to 2-12 defeat of Wexford. The subsequent All-Ireland final on 14 September 2003 saw Kilkenny face Cork for the first time in four years, however, on the day of the game the marital breakdown of Cody's replacement captain D. J. Carey was revealed in a national newspaper. In the game itself both teams remained level for much of the game, exchanging tit-for-tat scores. A Setanta Ó hAilpín goal gave Cork the advantage, however, a Martin Comerford goal five minutes from the end settled the game as Kilkenny went on to win by 1-14 to 1-11. It was Cody's third All-Ireland triumph as manager.

Transition period

In 2004 Cody suffered his first provincial championship defeat when a last-minute goal secured a 2-15 to 1-16 Leinster semi-final victory for Wexford. Kilkenny worked their way through the qualifiers and lined out against Cork in the All-Ireland decider on 12 September 2004. The game was expected to be a classic, however, a rain-soaked day made conditions difficult as Kilkenny aimed to secure a third successive championship. The first half was a low-scoring affair and provided little excitement for fans, however, the second half saw Cork completely take over. For the last twenty-three minutes Cork scored nine unanswered points and went on to win the game by 0-17 to 0-9. It was Cody's first All-Ireland defeat as manager.

Kilkenny were back in form in 2005, with Cody steering he team to a third league triumph in four years following a 3–20 to 0–15 victory over Clare. "The Cats" later struggled against a wasteful Wexford side, however, a 0-22 to 1-16 victory gave Cody a sixth Leinster title as manager. While a third successive All-Ireland showdown with Cork seemed likely, Galway defeated Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-final in one of the game's of the decade. Once again there was speculation that Cody would step down, however, he decided to remain for an eighth season.

Four-in-a-row

The retirements of D. J. Carey, Peter Barry and John Hoyne led to Cody refer to his 2006 panel as being "in transition". In spite if this his charges secured a fourth league title in five years following a 3–11 to 0–14 victory over Limerick. Cody's side later won a seventh Leinster title following another facile 1–23 to 1–12 victory over Wexford. On 3 September 2006 Kilkenny faced a Cork team who were presented with the opportunity to become the first side in nearly thirty years to secure three successive All-Ireland championships. Like previous encounters neither side took a considerable lead, however, Kilkenny had a vital goal from Aidan Fogarty. Cork were in arrears coming into the final few minutes, however, Ben O'Connor scored a late goal for Cork. It was too little too late as the Cats denied Cork on a score line of 1–16 to 1–13. It was a fourth All-Ireland title for Cody as manager, a victory he described as his greatest.

Cody guided Kilkenny to an eighth Leinster title under his stewardship in 2007, as the Cats asserted their provincial dominance and defeated Wexford by 2-24 to 1-12. On 2 September 2007 Kilkenny faced defeated Munster finalists and surprise All-Ireland semi-final winners Limerick in the championship decider. Kilkenny got off to a flying start with Eddie Brennan and Henry Shefflin scoring two goals within the first ten minutes to set the tone. Limerick launched a second-half comeback, however, "the Cats" were too powerful and cruised to a 2-19 to 1-15 victory. It was Cody's fifth All-Ireland victory as manager.

For the second time under Cody's management, Kilkenny were presented with the chance of claiming a much sought-after three-in-a-row of All-Ireland titles. After retaining the Leinster crown following a 5–21 to 0–17 drubbing of Wexford, Kilkenny subsequently faced Waterford in the All-Ireland decider on 8 September 2008. In a disappointingly one-sided final, Kilkenny produced a near perfect seventy minutes as Waterford endured a nightmare afternoon. A 23-point winning margin, 3–24 from play, only two wides in the entire match and eight scorers in all with Eddie Brennan and Henry Shefflin leading the way in a 3–30 to 1–13 victory. Cody's sixth All-Ireland title as manager secured a rare three-in-a-row for Kilkenny, while it also allowed Kilkenny to top the all-time roll of honour. After the game Cody was surprisingly chosen as the RTÉ Man of the Match.

In 2009 Cody set his sights on equaling Cork's seemingly unbeatable record of four successive All-Ireland titles. He began the year by guiding Kilkenny to a fifth league title during his tenure, as Kilkenny beat Tipperary by 2–26 to 4–17 with a thrilling extra-time victory. Cody's Kilkenny later claimed a tenth Leinster title as new challengers Dublin were bested by 2–18 to 0–18. On 6 September Kilkenny were poised to become the second team ever in the history of hurling to claim a fourth successive All-Ireland championship when they faced Tipperary in the decider. For long periods Tipperary looked the likely winners, however, late goals from Henry Shefflin and substitute Martin Comerford finally killed off their efforts to secure a 2–22 to 0–23 victory. It was a seventh All-Ireland title for Cody as manager.

Continued dominnace

Cody's reappointment for a 12th successive season took just 30 seconds after Kilkenny chairman Paul Kinsella put his name forward for ratification. The so-called "drive for five" of All-Ireland titles gathered momentum as Cody tried to play down expectations. The Cats extended their unbeaten run by claiming an eleventh Leinster title after a 1–19 to 1–12 defeat of Galway. For the second year in succession Kilkenny faced Tipperary in the All-Ireland decider on 5 September 2010. The Cats lost talisman Henry Shefflin due to injury, while Tipperary's Lar Corbett ran riot and scored a hat-trick of goals as Cody's side fell to a 4–17 to 1–18 defeat.

Cody's reappointment as manager was never in doubt and he was ratified for a 13th season in spite of the All-Ireland defeat. Kilkenny's stranglehold in Leinster continued in 2011. A 4–17 to 1–15 defeat of Dublin gave Cody's side a record-equaling seventh successive championship. Kilkenny subsequently faced Tipperary in the All-Ireland decider on 4 September 2011. Goals by Michael Fennelly and Richie Hogan in either half gave Kilkenny, who many viewed as the underdogs going into the game, a 2–17 to 1–16 victory. It was Cody's eighth All-Ireland title as manager.

There was speculation once again that Cody would step down as manager following the reclaiming of the All-Ireland, however, he returned for the 2012 season. His side asserted their dominance once again as Kilkenny secured a sixth league title under Cody's stewardship following a 3–21 to 0–16 demolition of old rivals Cork. Kilkenny were later shocked by Cody's old nemesis Galway in the Leinster decider, losing by 2–21 to 2–11, however, both sides subsequently met in the All-Ireland decider on 9 September 2012. Kilkenny had led going into the final stretch, however, Joe Canning struck a stoppage time equaliser to level the game at 2–13 to 0–19 and send the final to a replay for the first time since 1959. The replay took place three weeks later on 30 September 2012. Galway stunned the reigning champions with two first-half goals, however, Kilkenny's championship debutant Walter Walsh gave a man of the match performance, claiming a 1–3 haul. The 3–22 to 3–11 score line gave Cody a ninth All-Ireland victory as manager. In capturing a ninth championship title Cody bested Mick O'Dwyer's long-standing record after guiding the Kerry Gaelic football team to eight All-Ireland titles between 1975 and 1986.

Kilkenny's dominance showed no sign of abating in 2013, with Cody guiding the team to a seventh league title following a 2–17 to 0–20 defeat of Tipperary in the decider. An early exit from the championship led to some speculation that Cody would step down as manager, however, on 11 September 2013 it was confirmed that Cody would continue as Kilkenny manager for a 16th season but without selector Martin Fogarty who stood down.

La Décima: a tenth All-Ireland success

In 2014 Cody guided Kilkenny to their first ever three-in-a-row of league titles following a narrow one-point 2–25 to 1–27 extra-time victory over old rivals Tipperary. Cody's side subsequently secured a thirteenth Leinster title, as a dominant Kilkenny display gave the Cats a 0–24 to 1–9 defeat of Dublin. On 7 September 2014 Kilkenny faced Tipperary in the All-Ireland decider. In what some consider to be the greatest game of all-time, the sides were level when Tipperary were awarded a controversial free. John O'Dwyer had the chance to win the game, however, his late free drifted wide resulting in a draw. The replay on 27 September 2014 was also a close affair. Goals from brothers Richie and John Power inspired Kilkenny to a 2–17 to 2–14 victory. It was Cody's tenth All-Ireland title as manager.

It was confirmed in November 2014 that Cody would remain as Kilkenny manager for 2015. After narrowly avoiding relegation in the league, Cody guided Kilkenny to a fourteenth Leinster title during his managerial reign following a 1-25 to 2-15 defeat of Galway in the decider.

Personal life

Cody has been married to Elsie Walsh, a native of Wexford, since the 1980s. She was a camogie star in her own right and enjoyed much success with the famous Buffers Alley club and at inter-county level with Wexford. Together they have two sons: Donnacha (born 1985) and Diarmuid (born 1994). Donnacha has followed in his father's footsteps as a player with James Stephens and as a member of the Kilkenny senior hurlers between 2006 and 2008. Diarmuid featured on the county's minor side in 2011.

Cody's auto-biography Cody, co-written with GAA journalist Martin Breheny, was published on 28 September 2009.

Managerial statistics

As of match played 27 September 2014.

Team	From	To	Championship					League
			M	W	D	L	Win %	M	W	D	L	Win %
Kilkenny	16 November 1998	Present	75	61	5	9	81%	118	88	5	25	75%

Honours

Player honours

James Stephens

• All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship (2): 1976, 1982
• Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship (2): 1975, 1981
• Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship (3): 1975, 1976, 1981

Kilkenny

• All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship: 1975, 1982, 1983
• Leinster Senior Hurling Championship (4): 1975, 1978, 1982, 1983
• National Hurling League (2): 1976, 1982
• All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship (2): 1974, 1975
• Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship (2): 1974, 1975
• All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship (1): 1972
• Leinster Minor Hurling Championship (2): 1971, 1972

Managerial honours

Kilkenny

• All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (10): 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014,
• Leinster Senior Hurling Championship (13): 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014
• National Hurling League (8): 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014
• Walsh Cup (6): 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2014
• Oireachtas Tournament: (1) 1999

• Philips Sports Manager of the Year (1): 2003
• Philips Manager of the Month (9): Sept 2000,Sept 2002,Sept 2003,Sept 2006,Sept 2007,Sept 2008,Sept 2009,Sept 2011,Sept 2012
• Canon Hayes National Sport Award 2003
• Freedom of Kilkenny City 2008
• Rehab/Kilkenny People Person of the Year Community Service Award 2009
• Overall Rehab/Kilkenny People Person of the Year Award 2009
• Hotel Kilkenny and Kilkenny People Sports Star Supreme Award 2009
• Honorary Doctorate UCC 2012
• Honoured by ActionCOACH in Ireland as an Honoury Business Coach
• President's Award Glanbia Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce Business Awards 2014

Sources

• Corry, Eoghan, The GAA Book of Lists (Hodder Headline Ireland, 2005).
• Donegan, Des, The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games (DBA Publications Limited, 2005).
• Fullam, Brendan, Captains of the Ash (Wolfhound Press, Dublin, 2004)