Paul Curran (hurler)

Paul Curran (born 11 November 1981) is an Irish hurler who currently plays as a full-back for the Tipperary senior team. He joined the team during the 2001 National League and eventually became a regular member of the starting fifteen.

Curran is currently the captain of the team.^[1] He has won one All-Ireland winners' medal, four Munster winners' medals and one National League winners' medal. He has ended up as an All-Ireland runner-up on two occasions.

Curran has a number of personal achievements. He was recognised as the outstanding full-back of recent times by collecting back-to-back All-Star awards.

At club level Curran is a one-time county club championship medalist with Mullinahone.

Early life

Paul Curran was born in Mullinahone, County Tipperary in 1981. He was educated locally and from an early age he showed a great interest in the game of hurling. Curran later attended the Waterford Institute of Technology where he played on the college’s senior hurling team. He captained the side to a Fitzgibbon Cup victory in 2003. Curran has also played underage soccer with Moyglass United.

Playing career

Club

Curran plays with his club hurling with his native Mullinahone and has enjoyed some success. In 2002 he lined out in his first county senior championship final with county kingpins Thurles Sarsfield's providing the opposition. Curran's side led by six points coming into the last quarter, however, Sarsfield's battled back to secure a 0-14 apiece draw. The replay a week later was a much more conclusive affair. Curran's clubmate Eoin Kelly scored a remarkable 2-7 to give Mullinahone a merited 2-10 to 1-11 victory and a very first county title.^[2]

Inter-county

Curran first made a name for himself on the inter-county scene as a member of the Tipperary minor hurling team in the late nineties. He collected a Munster winners' medal in 1999 following a 1-13 to 2-7 defeat of Clare.^[3] Tipp subsequently progressed to the All-Ireland final where Galway defeated the team by 0-13 to 0-10.

Curran subsequently joined the Tipperary under-21 team, however, Limerick dominated the under-21 series at provincial and All-Ireland level between 2000 and 2002.

By this stage Curran had also joined the Tipperary senior team. He made his senior debut in a National Hurling League game against Cork in 2001, however, he remained on the fringes of the team for the entire season. He did, however, win a set of National League, Munster and All-Ireland medals as a non-playing substitute that year.

In 2002 Curran still found it hard to break onto the Tipp team. He made his championship debut against Offaly in an All-Ireland qualifier, however, Tipperary's season came to an end with a defeat by eventual champions Kilkenny in the penultimate stage of the championship.

The next few seasons were frustrating for Curran and for Tipperary. Back-to-back Munster final defeats in 2005 and 2006 were followed by an even more disappointing season in 2007.

In 2008 Tipperary announced their return to the big time by winning the pre-season Waterford Crystal Cup. The men from the Premier County later remained undefeated in the National League before meeting Galway in the final. In an exciting game Tipp emerged victorious by 3-18 to 3-16 and Curran collected his first senior winners' medal on the field of play.^[4] Tipperary later qualified for the Munster final where they defeated a resurgent Clare team by 2-21 to 0-19.^[5] Curran collected his first Munster title on the field of play. Tipperary were subsequently defeated in a tense All-Ireland semi-final by Waterford on a scoreline of 1-20 to 1-18.^[6]

At the start of 2009 Tipperary were regarded as the main challengers to Kilkenny’s assault on the four-in-a-row of All-Ireland championship titles. Both sides lined out against each other in the final of the National League and, in spite of a 2-26 to 4-17 defeat after extra-time, Curran's side were widely lauded for their performance.^[7] The subsequent championship campaign saw Tipp reach the Munster final for a second consecutive year. Curran's side raced into a decisive lead at the interval, however, the Decies fought back to narrow the deficit and maybe cause an upset. In the end Tipp won the game by 4-14 to 2-16.^[8] It was Curran's second consecutive Munster winners’ medal. After a six-week lay-off and a facile semi-final win over Limerick, Tipp qualified for an All-Ireland final meeting with Kilkenny. For much of the match it looked as if Curran's side would pull off a shock and deny 'the Cats' a record-equaling four-in-a-row. Two quick goals in the space of a minute, one from a penalty by Henry Shefflin, sealed a 2-22 to 0-23 victory and defeat for Tipperary.^[9]

In 2010 Tipperary were regarded as being the second best team in the country once again. Their first championship assignment was a clash with Cork in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. While Tipp were the favourites going into the game Cork ambushed Curran's side with a 3-15 to 0-14 defeat. The qualifiers beckoned and, after victories over Wexford, Offaly, Galway and Waterford, Tipperary reached a second consecutive All-Ireland final. Kilkenny, a team chasing an unprecedented fifth successive championship, provided the opposition and a great game was expected. Tipperary got off to a great start as Kilkenny's star forward Henry Shefflin had to leave the field with an injury. A hat-trick of goals by Lar Corbett and a fourth by Noel McGrath denied Kilkenny's "drive-for-five" and secured a remarkable 4-17 to 1-18 victory.^[10] It was Curran's first All-Ireland winners' medal on the field of play. He was later honoured with a first All-Star award.

2011 saw Tipperary installed as the favourites to retain the All-Ireland title. A 7-19 to 0-19 defeat of Waterford gave Curran a third Munster winners' medal inside four seasons. A third consecutive All-Ireland final showdown with Kilkenny followed, however, the underdogs started quickly and never surrendered the lead in the 2-17 to 1-16 defeat of Tipp.^[11] In spite of surrendering their All-Ireland crown, Curran picked up a second consecutive All-Star award.

Curran was appointed captain of the team in 2012, as Tipperary were regarded as potential All-Ireland champions once again. A 2-17 to 0-16 defeat of Waterford in the provincial decider gave Curran a fourth Munster medal in five seasons.^[12] Tipperary later faced a humiliating 4-24 to 1-15 defeat by eventual champions Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-final.^[13]

Inter-provincial

Curran also had the honour of lining out for Munster in the Inter-provincial Championship on a number of occasions. He secured a winners' medal in this competition in 2005 following a 1-21 to 2-14 defeat of Leinster.

Honours

Team

Mullinahone

• Tipperary Senior Club Hurling Championship (1): 2002

Tipperary

• All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (1): 2010
• Munster Senior Hurling Championship (4): 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 (c)
• National Hurling League (1): 2008
• Munster Minor Hurling Championship (1): 1999

Munster

• Railway Cup (1): 2005

Individual

• All-Stars (2): 2010, 2011

References