Séamus Callanan

Séamus Callanan

Séamus Callanan in action for Tipperary against Galway in the 2014 National Hurling League
Personal information
Irish nameSéamus Ó Callanáin
SportHurling
PositionFull-forward
Born15 September 1988
Thurles, Ireland
Height1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Club(s)
YearsClub
2005-presentDrom-Inch
Club titles
Tipperary titles1
Inter-county(ies)*
YearsCountyApps (scores)
2008-presentTipperary31 (19-95)
Inter-county titles
Munster titles4
All-Irelands1
NHL1
All Stars1
*Inter County team apps and scores correct as of 20:27, 29 September 2014.

Séamus Callanan (born 15 September 1988) is an Irish hurler who currently plays as a centre-forward for the Tipperary senior team.[1]

Callanan made his first appearance for the team during the 2008 National League and immediately became a regular member of the starting fifteen. Since then he has won one All-Ireland winners' medals, four Munster winners' medals and one National Hurling League winners' medal. He was also on the Tipperary championship panel that were All-Ireland runners-up on two occasions.

At club level Callanan is a one-time county club championship medalist with Drom-Inch.

Playing career

Club

Callanan plays his club hurling with Drom-Inch and has enjoyed some success.

In 2011 Callanan was captain of the club senior team as Drom-Inch reached the championship decider. Clonoulty-Rossmore provided th opposition on that occasion, however, Drom-Inch claimed their first county club championship following a 1-19 to 2-14 victory.[2]

Minor and under-21

Callanan first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Tipperary minor hurling team. He enjoyed much success in this grade as Tipperary reached the All-Ireland decider via the "back-door" in 2006. Three-in-a-row hopefuls Galway provided the opposition, however, Tipp powered to 2–18 to 2–7 victory.[3] It was Callanan's sole All-Ireland medal in that grade.

Callanan subsequently joined the Tipperary under-21 team. He won a Munster medal in this grade in 2008 following a controversial one-point defeat of Clare. Tipp later reached the All-Ireland, however, Callanan's side were defeated by Kilkenny.[4]

Senior

Callanan made his senior competitive debut for Tipperary in a National League game against Offaly in 2008. It was a successful campaign as Tipp 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 Callanan collected his first National League winners' medal.[5] Tipperary later reached the Munster final where they defeated a resurgent Clare team by 2-21 to 0-19.[6] It was Callanan's first Munster winners' medal. Tipperary were subsequently defeated in a tense All-Ireland semi-final by Waterford on a scoreline of 1-20 to 1-18.[7]

Callanan won his second Munster medal in 2009 as Tipp defeated Waterford by 4-14 to 2-16.[8] 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 Tipp 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]

After surrendering their Munster title to Cork at the first hurdle in 2010, Tipperary regrouped in the qualifiers and reached a second successive All-Ireland decider. 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 which was bolstered by an early Lar Corbett goal. He subsequently completed a hat-trick of goals and Tipperary had a fourth by Noel McGrath to deny Kilkenny's drive-for-five and secure a remarkable and convincing 4-17 to 1-18 victory.[10] It was Callanan's first All-Ireland medal.

Tipperary returned as provincial kingpins once again in 2011. A 7-19 to 0-19 trouncing of Waterford in the southern decider gave Callanan a third Munster medal.[11] For the third successive year, Tipperary faced off against Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final, however, on this occasion Kilkenny were slight underdogs going up against the new champions. Kilkenny started quickly and never surrendered the lead in the 2-17 to 1-16 victory.[12]

In spite of an indifferent National League campaign, Tipperary were regarded as potential All-Ireland champions once again. A 2-17 to 0-16 defeat of Waterford in the provincial decider gave Callanan a fourth Munster medal in five seasons.[13] Tipperary later faced a humiliating 4-24 to 1-15 defeat by eventual champions Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-final.[14]

On 23 February 2014, Callanan scored 3-6 against Kilkenny in round 2 of the 2014 National Hurling League and was man of the match in the semi-final win against Clare where he scored 12 points.[15][16][17]

Callanan scored 2-5 in the replay of the 2014 All-Ireland Hurling Final against Kilkenny, which Tipperary lost by 2-17 to 2-14. In total he scored 9-50 during the 2014 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, with 9-16 coming from play to finish as the top scorer in the championship.[18] In October 2014, Callanan won his first All Stars Award after a successful 2014 campaign.[19]

Inter-provincial

Callanan has also lined out with Munster in the Inter-provincial Championship.

Career statistics

Team Year Championship League Total
AppsScoreAppsScoreAppsScore
Tipperary 2008 32-8
2009 53-10
2010 61-4
2011 52-11
2012 20-2
2013 30-6 1-27 1-33
2014 79-5075-611414-111
Total 3117-91

Honours

Team

Drom-Inch
Tipperary

References

  1. ↑ "Senior Hurling Panel". Tipperary GAA website. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  2. ↑ "Fourth time lucky for Drom & Inch". Hogan Stand. 17 October 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  3. ↑ "Tipp break Galway hearts in MHC final". RTÉ Sport. 3 September 2006. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
  4. ↑ "RTÉ Sport: Kilkenny 2-13 Tipperary 0-15". RTÉ Sport. 15 September 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  5. ↑ "Tipp win Division One crown". Hogan Stand website. 20 April 2008. Retrieved 22 December 2008.
  6. ↑ "Munster SHC final: Tipp end seven-year wait". Hogan Stand website. 13 July 2008. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  7. ↑ "Waterford shock Tipp to book final spot". Hogan Stand website. 17 August 2008. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  8. ↑ "RTÉ Sport: Tipperary 4-14 Waterford 2-16". RTÉ Sport. 12 July 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2009.
  9. ↑ "RTÉ Sport: Kilkenny 2-22 Tipperary 0-23". RTÉ Sport. 6 September 2009. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  10. ↑ "RTÉ Sport: Tipperary 4-17 Kilkenny 1-18". RTÉ Sport. 5 September 2010. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
  11. ↑ "Tipp show appetite for destruction". Irish Times. 10 July 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  12. ↑ "RTÉ Sport: Kilkenny 2-17 Tipperary 1-16". RTÉ Sport. 4 September 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  13. ↑ Clerkin, Malachy (16 July 2012). "Clinical Tipperary complete first task". Irish Times. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  14. ↑ Moran, Seán (30 August 2012). "Kilkenny trample over Tipp tradition". Irish Times. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  15. ↑ "Fennelly hits heights as Cats hunt down Tipp". Irish Independent. 24 February 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
  16. ↑ "Tipperary hurlers lose out to Kilkenny in thriller". The Nationalist. 24 February 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
  17. ↑ "Summer comes early in Kilkenny". Irish Examiner. 24 February 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
  18. ↑ "Hurling top scorers: Callanan takes the crown". Hogan Stand. 29 September 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  19. ↑ "Tipperary earn more hurling All Stars than the Cats as Richie Hogan and James O'Donoghue land top awards". Irish Independent. 24 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.