Cork GAA mourns St Finbarr's legend Christy Ryan who played in 20 county finals
Christy Ryan and Frank Broderick of Galway in the 1987 All-Ireland semi-final. Picture: INPHO/Billy Stickland
St Finbarr’s club president John Cremin paid a glowing tribute to the late Christy Ryan today, describing him as “an inspirational player” who was synonymous with the club’s greatest era.
Ryan wore the blue jersey of the Barrs in twenty county senior finals, winning eleven - six hurling and five football - along with a long career as a Cork senior footballer. He also won an NHL medal with Cork in 1980.
“He was one of our most decorated players and a tremendous leader for the Barrs,” said Cremin.
“He captained the club in 1980 when we won the county in football and then went on to win the Munster and All-Ireland club. He was a huge player for us in the Barrs and is synonymous with our successes because he played a key role in all those successes.
“He rarely played a bad game for the club. He had a spirit that propelled the club to a lot of victories, and he was a big reason that that era was our most successful one.
“I soldiered with him in a lot of those games and when he was on the field, he was an inspirational figure. If he hit a fella a shoulder square on it lifted us all - if the game was in the balance and you needed a ball won, Christy was a man who’d win the ball.
“In his heyday I’d have put him in the top ten footballers in the country, he was unfortunate to be playing against an all-conquering Kerry team. He was never found wanting in those clashes and he battled to the end in all those games.”
Cremin pointed out that Ryan had won his county medals at a time when the Cork championships in both hurling and football were hugely competitive.
“In the Cork club scene in both hurling and football at that time you had very good teams - Blackrock and Glen Rovers and other clubs were contesting for senior titles in hurling, and Nemo Rangers were winning football titles - and All-Ireland club titles - so winning a senior title in Cork was a big achievement.
“In football terms, for instance, if the Barrs were going down to west Cork to take on one of the clubs there in the county championship that could be a game and a half - and those were the kinds of challenges that Christy always rose his game for.
“That was when he came into his own and his example would ignite the team he was with. He was that inspirational. What Ian Maguire is to our footballers now, that’s what Christy was to us. And he was doing that in both codes.”
Ryan’s five county senior hurling titles were augmented by that National Hurling League medal.
“Christy was a magnificent hurler as well as footballer,” said Cremin.
“He was captain of the Cork footballers when they won the league in 1980 - and he was a sub on the Cork hurling team, which won the league the same year. Jimmy (Barry-Murphy) played on both teams that year as well.
“We’ve had many great players over the years, and Christy is certainly up there with them.”
St Finbarrs have released a detailed breakdown of the Christy Ryan's incredible playing career (see below), listing the 20 senior county finals he starred in.
“We felt he deserved to be feted,” said Cremin, who was among those who compiled the list.
“For those of us who knew Christy, he was a smashing fella. You'd be proud to know him and it was a privilege to be his friend.
“In the current environment, with restrictions and so on, there isn’t a lot that we can do show our support, but we’d like his achievements to be recognised and his prowess to be acknowledged.”
Cork County Champions in Minor Hurling (Captain) and Minor Football Cork Minor Footballer
Cork County Senior Football Champions
Defeated in the semi-final of the Cork County Senior Hurling Championship
Cork County Senior Hurling Champions (scored the Barrs goal in front of 34,151 spectators)
Munster Club Senior Hurling Champions
Defeated in quarter-final of the Cork County Senior Football Championship
Cork County Under 21 Football Champions (Captain)
Cork U21 Footballer and Cork Senior Footballer - National League and Munster Championship
All-Ireland Club Senior Hurling ChampionsÂ
Cork County Under 21 Football Champions (Captain)
Defeated semi-finalists in the Cork County Senior Hurling and Football Championships
Cork U21 Footballer and Cork Senior Footballer - National League and Munster Championship
Cork U21 Hurler
Cork County Senior Football Champions (Man of the Match)
Munster Club Senior Football Champions
Defeated in the final of the Cork County Senior Hurling Championship
Cork Senior Footballer - National League (defeated finalists) and Munster Championship
– Barrs best in Hurling and Football
All-Ireland Club Senior Football Champions
Cork County Senior Hurling Champions
Munster Club Senior Hurling Champions
Cork County Senior Football Champions (Captain)
Munster Club Senior Football Champions (Captain)
Cork Senior Footballer - National League (Champions and Captain) and Munster Championship
Cork Senior Hurler - National Hurling League Champions
Christy Ryan and Jimmy Barry Murphy won National League medals in Hurling & Football in 1980
– Barrs in All-Ireland Club Hurling & Football Finals
All Ireland Club Senior Football Champions (Captain)
Cork County Senior Hurling Champions (Top scorer in the Championship with 6-05)
Defeated in the semi-final of the Cork County Senior Football Championship
Cork Senior Footballer – National League and Munster Championship
Cork Senior Hurler - Munster Championship
– Barrs best in Hurling and Football
Cork County Senior Hurling Champions
Cork County Senior Football Champions
Munster Club Senior Football Champions
Cork Senior Footballer – National League and Munster Championship
Defeated in the final of the Cork County Senior Hurling Championship
Defeated in the semi-final of the Cork County Senior Football Championship
Cork Senior Footballer – National League and Munster Championship (Champions and Captain)
Cork County Senior Hurling Champions (scored 3-1 against Blackrock in the semi-final)
Defeated in the final in the Cork County Senior Football Championship
Cork Senior Footballer – National League and Munster Championship
Cork County Senior Football Champions
Defeated in the first round of the Cork County Senior Hurling Championship
Cork Senior Footballer – National League and Munster Championship
Defeated in the final of the Cork County Senior Football Championship
Munster Club Senior Football Champions
Defeated in the quarter-final of the Cork County Senior Hurling Championship
Cork Senior Footballer – National League and Munster Championship
All-Ireland Club Senior Football Champions
Defeated in the second round of the Cork County Senior Football Championship
Defeated in the semi-final of the Cork County Senior Hurling Championship
Cork Senior Footballer – National League, Munster Championship (Champions) and defeated in the All-Ireland Senior Football Final
- Barrs win their fifth Senior Hurling Championship in the 80's
Cork County Senior Hurling Champions (starred in the County Final)
Defeated in the quarter-final of the Cork County Senior Football Championship
Defeated in the semi-final of the Cork County Senior Hurling Championship
Defeated in the final of the Cork County Senior Football Championship
Defeated in the final of the Cork County Senior Hurling Championship (after a replay)
Defeated in the final of the Cork County Senior Football Championship (Captain)
Defeated in the quarter-final of the Cork County Senior Hurling Championship
Defeated in the final of the Cork County Senior Football Championship
Defeated in the quarter-final of the Cork County Senior Hurling Championship (after a replay)
Defeated in the second round of the Cork County Senior Football Championship (after a replay)
Following his retirement in 1992, he acted in various capacities (selector/manager/mentor) on a number of Barrs hurling and football teams over the next 3 decades.
• Played at senior level for the Barrs for 17 consecutive seasonsÂ
•11 Cork County Senior Championships (6 Hurling and 5 Football – Captain in 1980; played in 20 County Finals)Â
• 6 Munster Senior Club Championships (2 Hurling and 4 Football – Captain in 1980)Â
• 4 All-Ireland Club Championship (1 Hurling and 3 Football – Captain in 1981)Â
• 2 U21 County Championships (2 Football – Captain of both teams)Â
• 2 Minor County Championships (1 Hurling - Captain, 1 Football as player)
• Cork Senior Championship Footballer from 1977 to 1987 (11 consecutive seasons and played some outstanding games against the greatest Kerry teams of all times)
• Cork Senior Championship Hurler in 1981 (National League in 1980)Â
• 2 Munster Senior Football Championships (Captain in 1983)Â
• All-Ireland Senior Football Runners up in 1987
• 2 National League Medals (1 Football - Captain and 1 Hurling)
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
