From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Brian Cody |
| Personal information |
| Sport |
Hurling |
| Irish Name |
Brian Mac Óda |
| Full name |
Brian Cody |
| Place of birth |
Sheestown , County Kilkenny |
| Club information |
| Club |
James Stephens |
| Position |
Full-back |
| Inter-County |
| County |
Kilkenny |
| Position |
Full-back |
| Inter-County(ies)** |
| County |
Years |
Apps (scores) |
| Kilkenny |
1975-1986 |
|
| Senior Inter-County Titles |
| Leinster Titles |
7 (2 as sub) |
| All-Ireland |
5 (2 as sub) |
| All Stars |
2 |
|
* club appearances and scores
correct as of .
**Inter County team apps and scores correct
as of .
|
Brian Cody (born 1954) is an Irish hurling manager and former player, currently embarking on his tenth season as manager of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team. He played hurling with his local club James Stephens and with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team in the 1970s and 1980s. Cody is currently the longest serving manager of any team in the senior championship and is considered one of the best managers in the modern game.
As a player Cody was involved with the famous Kilkenny team of the 1970s, a team often described as the greatest of all-time. In a senior inter-county career that lasted from 1973 until 1986, he won three All-Ireland titles, five Leinster titles, two National Hurling League titles and one Railway Cup title.
As a manager Cody has had remarkable success. Since 1999 he has guided Kilkenny to five All-Ireland titles, eight Leinster titles and four National Hurling League titles. The team's dominance of the Leinster Championship is unparalleled in the modern era, to such an extent that under Cody Kilkenny have only lost one provincial game since 1999.
Like Sir Alex Ferguson's management of Manchester United Cody has the view that no player is bigger than the team. He has consistently taken a "my way or the highway" approach in his dealings with players and he has been accused of having a ruthless streak in his selection of players. This was evident in 2006 when he dropped his own son from the Kilkenny starting fifteen, however, Cody has also had a long-running feud with former player Charlie Carter.
[edit] Early and Private Life
Brian Cody was born in Sheestown, just outside Kilkenny in 1954. He was born into a family that was very involved in the local Gaelic Athletic Association, as his father served as chairman of the James Stephens club for 17 years. Cody was educated at his local national school where his interest in the game of hurling developed. He later attended St. Kieran's College in Kilkenny, a secondary school which is well known as a major hurling nursery. It was at St. Kieran's where Cody first tasted major hurling success, winning an All-Ireland Colleges medal as captain of the team in 1971. He won a second Leinster Colleges title in 1972. It was from this success that his inter-county career with Kilkenny evolved.
Cody later played hurling with St. Patrick's College in Dublin, where he trained as a primary school teacher. It is interesting to note that one of his classmates at St. Patrick's was Ger Loughnane, a future hurling star with Clare and the current manager of the Galway hurling team. Cody currently works as a teacher in St. Patrick's De La Salle School in Kilkenny. He is married to Elsie Walsh, a native of County Wexford. She played camogie with the famous Buffer's Alley club and at inter-county level with Wexford. Brian and Elsie's son, Donnacha Cody, followed in his father's footsteps as a player with the Kilkenny senior hurlers. He made his debut in the 2006 championship. Brian is a Technical Director with SPORTTRACKERJOBS (http:www.//sporttrackerjobs.com).
[edit] Playing career
Cody played club hurling with the famous James Stephens club in Kilkenny. He enjoyed much success at underage levels before winning his first senior county title in 1975. Later that year Cody won his first Leinster club title. He finished off that year’s club success by winning an All-Ireland club title following a victory over Blackrock. In 1976 Cody won his second county medal before adding a third title in 1981. Later that year he won his second set of Leinster and All-Ireland club titles.
[edit] Inter-county
Cody first came to prominence on the inter-county scene in the early 1970s as a member of the Kilkenny minor hurling team. He won a Leinster title at this level in 1971, however, Kilkenny were later beaten by Cork in the All-Ireland final. In 1972 Cody was appointed captain of the county minor team. That year he captured a second consecutive Leinster medal before leading his team out in Croke Park for the championship decider. ‘The Cats’ triumphed on a huge score line of 8-7 to 3-9 and Cody collected a coveted All-Ireland minor medal. Cody subsequently joined the county under-21 team with whom he won back-to-back Leinster and All-Ireland medals in 1974 and 1975.
By this stage Cody had already made his debut on the Kilkenny senior team. He won his first senior Leinster medal in 1973 before later lining out in his first senior All-Ireland final with Limerick providing the opposition. Both sides were neck and neck for much of the game, however, Limerick went on to win on a score line of 1-21 to 1-14. This defeat lead to a reshuffle of the Kilkenny team and Cody found it hard to retain his place on the team the following year. In spite of this he collected a set of Leinster and All-Ireland medals as a substitute. Cody was back on the team in 1975 and he collected his second Leinster title following a victory over Wexford in the provincial decider. He later lined out in his second All-Ireland final appearance with Galway providing the opposition on this occasion. The men from the West got off to a good start and lead at half-time before scoring a quick goal at the start of the second-half. Kilkenny fought back with Eddie Keher scoring 2-7 and Liam O'Brien chipping in with five points to give ‘the Cats’ a twelve point victory and to give Cody his first senior All-Ireland medal on the field of play. He was one of the team’s star players throughout the championship and was subsequently presented with his first All-Star award.
Kilkenny surrendered their provincial crown to Wexford in 1976 and 1977, however, Cody did collect a National Hurling League medal in 1976. Two years later in 1978 Cody won his third Leinster medal. Following a subsequent victory over Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final ‘the Cats’ faced arch-rivals Cork in the championship decider. Much was at stake as Cork were aiming to capture a third All-Ireland victory in-a-row and nothing would give Kilkenny greater pleasure than stopping them. Both sides remained neck and neck for much of the game, however, Cork’s Jimmy Barry-Murphy scored the winning goal for Cork with thirteen minutes left in the game. For the second time Cody ended up on the losing side on All-Ireland final day. This defeat saw a reshuffle of the team with Cody losing out once again. Kilkenny went on to win both Leinster and All-Ireland titles in 1979, however, Cody collected his winners’ medals as a non-playing substitute.
In 1982 Cody was appointed captain of the Kilkenny senior team. That year he collected a second National League title before winning a fourth Leinster medal following a win over Offaly. Cody later lead his men out in Croke Park in the championship decider against Cork. Christy Heffernan was the hero of the day as he scored two goals in a forty second spell just before half-time. Ger Fennelly captured a third goal in the second-half and Cody had the honour of receiving the Liam McCarthy Cup and a second All-Ireland medal. He was also presented with a second All-Star award. In 1983 Cody won his fifth and final Leinster title following a second consecutive victory over Offaly. For the second year in-a-row ‘the Cats’ squared up to Cork in the championship decider. Once again Kilkenny dominated the game, assisted by a strong wind in the first-half, and hung on in the end to beat ‘the Rebels’ by two points giving Cody his third All-Ireland medal.
Kilkenny’s fortunes took a downturn following this victory and Cody retired from inter-county hurling in 1986 following a game against Westmeath.
[edit] Managerial career
In retirement from playing Cody has remained strongly involved at club and county level. He was appointed manager of the Kilkenny senior hurling team in November 1998. While often making controversial and ruthless decisions regarding the team selection, Cody still remains one of the most successful managers in the game.
[edit] 1999: First season
In his first year in charge in 1999 Cody brough 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 a new addition in the forward line. With a blend of youth and experience Cody guided his team to a second consecutive Leinster title. The 5-14 to 1-16 defeat of reigning All-Ireland champions Offaly was flattering to say the least. A four point victory over Clare in the All-Ireland semi-final set up a championship decider against Cork. Kilkenny, as the defeated finalists of the previous year, were installed as the red-hot favourites over a Cork team with an everage age of 21. In one of the least memorable All-Ireland finals of the decade ‘the Rebels’ saw off the challenge of Cody’s team by just a single point.
[edit] 2000: First All-Ireland
In 2000 Cody’s side captured a third successive Leinster title, his second as manager, following another flattering victory over Offaly. It would not be the last time that these two sides would meet in the 2000 championship. Another esounding victory, this time over Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final, allowed Cody’s side advance to the All-Ireland final once again. It was the team’s third consecutive apperanace in the championship decider and the possibility of losing a third final in-a-row was a huge motivating factor for Kilkenny. Offaly, the defeated Leinster finalists, provided the opposition, however, in one of the most one-sided finals in decades Kilkenny won on a score line of 5-15 to 1-14. Cody had finally captured his first All-Ireland title as a manager.
[edit] 2001: A shock defeat
Kilkenny were the favourites to retain the All-Ireland title in 2001. Things got off to a good start as Cody’s side retained their Leinster crown following a trouncing of Wexford in the provincial final. Things looked as if they were going to plan, however, Kilkenny played Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final with one eye on the All-Ireland final. Galway capitalised on this over-confidence and dumped the reigning champions out of the championship on a score line of 2-15 to 1-13.
[edit] 2002: League and All-Ireland success
Following Kilkenny’s shock defeat by Galway in 2001 ‘the Cats’ had a point to prove in 2002. With this in mind Cody turned to the National Hurling League. Kilkenny hadn’t won the competition since 1995, however, Cody’s side set out at the start of the year to win every game possible. Arch-rivals Cork provided the opposition in the National League final, however, it was Kilkenny who emerged victorious by a single point. On the back of this success Kilkenny subsequently captured a fifth successive Leinster title, this time with a smaller margin of victory over near rivals Wexford. Tipperary fell in the All-Ireland semi-final and Kilkenny went on to face Clare in the championship decider. It was an historic occasion as Clare, who were defeate din the first-round of the Munster championship, became the first team to reach the final via the newly introduced qualifier system. Goals by D.J. Carey and Henry Shefflin sealed the victory for Kilkenny as Clare were defeated by 2-20 to 0-19. It was Cody’s second All-Ireland as a manager.
[edit] 2003: League and All-Ireland double
Cody’s Kilkenny continued their dominance in all competitions in 2003. A thrilling National League final saw ‘the Cats’ defeat Tipperary by 5-15 to 5-14 at Croke Park. Once again this league victory launched as a spring board for Kilkenny’s assault on the All-Ireland championship, however, all was not well in the Kilkenny camp. At the start of the championship Cody had a much publicised disagreement with team captain Charlie Carter. Carter was later dropped from the starting fifteen and was replaced as captain by D.J. Caret. In spite of internal troubles another facile eleven point victory over Wexford gave Cody’s team a fifth successive title under his management. Kilkenny later trounced Tipperary, the defeated league finalists, in a one-sided All-Ireland semi-final. An up-and-coming Cork team provided the opposition in Cody’s fourth All-Ireland final as manager. The result hung in the balance until the last five minutes when Martin Comerford scored the winning goal. A 1-14 to 1-11 score line gave Cody his third All-Ireland title as manager.
[edit] 2004: Trophyless season
In 2004 Cody had one of his lowest seasons as manager. Kilkenny surrendered their league title as the possibility of capturing a third All-Ireland title in-a-row. Cody’s team later stumbled through the Leinster championship. They failed to retain their provincial crown for a seventh successive season as Wexford defeated Kilkenny by a single point in a thrilling semi-final. This was Cody’s first, and since then his only defeat in the Leinster championship since he took over as manager. Kilkenny’s three-in-a-row hopes were not dashed completely as the qualifier route was open to them. They narrowly defeated Clare after a replay before having another close shave in the All-Ireland semi-final with Waterford. For the second year in-a-row Kilkenny faced Cork in the All-Ireland final. At half-time the sides were evenly matched, however, the final 23 minutes saw Cork score nine points without reply from Kilkenny. The 0-17 to 0-9 score line ended Cody’s hopes of a third successive All-Ireland and meant that he ended the season without any silverware.
[edit] 2005: Another mixed season
Cody’s Kilkenny fought back in 2005 by capturing a third National League title in four years. The side also regained their provincial crown after a narrow win over Wexford setting up an All-Ireland semi-final meeting with Galway. Once again Cody’s team seemed to have one eye on the All-Ireland final as all the pundits had predicted a third consecutive meeting of Cork and Kilkenny in the championship decider. Cody’s side got off to a great start in the game against Galway, however, a young Galway team fought back and exposed a poor defence. The final score of 5-18 to 4-18 in favour of Galway saw Kilkenny leave the championship following one of the games of the decade. This game also brought the curtain down on the careers of Peter Barry and D.J. Carey, two of the stalwart of Cody’s team over the years.
[edit] 2006: Cody’s greatest success
In 2006 Cody introduced some fresh blood and described his team as ‘being in transition’. Criticism of his team selection and tactics hurt him personally and he answered his critics with success on the hurling field. Kilkenny stormed to a fourth National League title before capturing another Leinster title following a victory over Wexford. Cody’s side later trounced Galway and Clare in the All-Ireland series of games before lining out against Cork in the championship decider. ‘The Rebels’ were aiming for a third successive All-Ireland title. Stopping Cork, although denied by Cody, proved to be a huge motivating factor. Kilkenny suffocated Cork’s style of play in the game and sealed the victory by three points. After the game a delighted Cody danced on the sideline and desribed the win as his greatest victory.
[edit] 2007: A fifth All-Ireland title
In 2007 Cody’s side were back on top of the hurling world and were installed as early favourites to retain the All-Ireland title. Kilkenny’s National League campaign got off to a shaky start, however, they still reached the final. Waterford were the opponents on that occasion and went on to capture their first national title since 1963. Even at this early stage pundits predicted that these two sides were likely to meet again in the All-Ireland final. A 2-24 to 1-12 victory over Wexford saw Cody’s side capture a ninth Leinster title in ten seasons. Victories over Galway and Wexford again saw Kilkenny cruise to yeat another All-Ireland final appearanace. Surprisingly, Limerick, a team written off at the start of the year, provided the opposition in the game. Cody’s side got off to the best possible start and lead by 2-3 to no score after just ten minutes. It was a lead that the team would never surrender and Cody captured his fifth All-Ireland title as a manager.
[edit] 2008: A three-in-a-row?
Cody’s team have been installed as early favourites to retain the All-Ireland title for a third consecutive year in 2008. A restructuring of the championship format will see the Leinster champions, more than likely to be Kilkenny, advance directly to the All-Ireland semi-final.
[edit] Honours
[edit] Player
| Competition |
No. |
Years |
| All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championships |
3 |
1974, 1982, 1983 |
| Leinster Senior Hurling Championships |
5 |
1974, 1975, 1978, 1982, 1983 |
| All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championships |
2 |
1976, 1982 |
| Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championships |
2 |
1976, 1982 |
| All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championships |
2 |
1974, 1975 |
| Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championships |
2 |
1974, 1975 |
| All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championships |
1 |
1972 |
| Leinster Minor Hurling Championships |
1 |
1971, 1972 |
| All-Ireland Colleges Championship |
1 |
1971 |
| National Hurling Leagues |
3 |
1976, 1982, 1983 |
| Railway Cups |
1 |
1977 |
| Kilkenny Senior Club Hurling Championships |
3 |
1975, 1976, 1981 |
| All-Star Awards |
2 |
1975, 1982 |
[edit] Manager
| Competition |
No. |
Years |
| All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championships |
5 |
2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007 |
| Leinster Senior Hurling Championships |
8 |
1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007 |
| National Hurling Leagues |
4 |
2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 |
|
Kilkenny - All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Runners-up 1973 |
|
|
|
|
|
Kilkenny - All-Ireland Senior Hurling Champions 1975 (20th title) |
|
|
|
|
|
Kilkenny - All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Runners-up 1978 |
|
|
|
|
|
Kilkenny - All-Ireland Senior Hurling Champions 1982 (22nd title) |
|
|
|
|
|
Kilkenny - All-Ireland Senior Hurling Champions 1983 (23rd title) |
|
|
|
|
|
Kilkenny - All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Runners-up 1999 |
|
|
|
|
|
Kilkenny - All-Ireland Senior Hurling Champions 2000 (26th title) |
|
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|
|
Kilkenny - All-Ireland Senior Hurling Champions 2002 (27th title) |
|
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Kilkenny - All-Ireland Senior Hurling Champions 2003 (28th title) |
|
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|
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Kilkenny - All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Runners-up 2004 |
|
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|
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Kilkenny - All-Ireland Senior Hurling Champions 2006 (29th title) |
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Kilkenny - All-Ireland Senior Hurling Champions 2007 (30th title) |
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[edit] References
- Captains of the Ash', Brendan Fullam (Wolfhound Press, Dublin, 2004)
