‘It’s gas looking back’ – Ten years of Cian Lynch, from skinny teen to Limerick's spiritual leader

A decade on and now elevated to the captaincy, the Patrickswell man remains hungry for more — but the rat's tail hairstyle is a thing of the past 

WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE: Limerick captain Cian Lynch poses for a portrait at the launch of the Munster GAA Senior Hurling and Football Championship 2025 at Muckross House in Killarney, Kerry. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

They knew he was a gem even then. Ten years ago, a teenage Cian Lynch made his championship debut for Limerick. A skinny, sharpshooter in search of some silverware. Look how much has changed.

The Patrickswell man hit three points against Clare in the 2015 Munster quarter-final. He was fearless and dazzling and driven. Lynch laughs at the memory of it all, particularly his hairstyle. “The rat’s tail. Will we bring that back?” 

Post-match Limerick manager TJ Ryan was relishing the victory and hailed the system that had produced a ready-made player like him. “I am not surprised. He is a real gem.” Over the next decade, Limerick would develop to become an awesome side with Lynch at the heart of it. John Kiely’s recent call to make him captain felt like an easy one. Since that debut, he has amassed five All-Ireland titles and three All-Stars.

“Obviously I was honoured and delighted," Lynch says. "I think I was only about 76kg. I’d say I was about eight percent body fat. There was nothing on me, only skin and bone.” He is one of many who have physically transformed in the senior set-up.

“Jaysus, I’m a lot more than that. I’d say I’m up around 90kg (now), I suppose. But it’s just gas looking back on it. Even talking here now, you get the memories of that day. Obviously going in, even how the game has changed since then. It’s amazing.”

That is how it goes. Nothing stops. Lynch studied a teaching Master’s in Galway but works for a recruitment agency alongside former Limerick captain Declan Hannon - his childhood hero, whether it be with Adare or Ardscoil Ris or Limerick. It’s been an honour to soldier with him. Now he has a chance to follow in his footsteps. How did Kiely ask him about becoming skipper?

“A chat. I was honoured and delighted. To be honest with you, you’d never… they’re not the things that any player is aspiring to be, you’re not basing your year on being captain," he says.

“I suppose as a group you want to lead as much as you can and we have so many leaders in the group that everyone is pushing it and everyone is doing as much as they can for the group and I just want to be able to do as much as I can for the group as well.” 

Lynch and his partner Dayna had two boys last July. That has altered how he thinks about sport too.

“Totally different perspective on life in general. As a young fella, hurling is all that mattered and I suppose a lot of us are guilty of that. You put all your eggs in one basket and having kids and having a family I suppose you see the importance of family time.

“The importance of giving time to the kids and Dayna, my partner, as well and I suppose it makes you enjoy your sport a bit more, that you realise this doesn’t last forever. Embrace every bit of it and cherish every moment you have on the field and training. Cherish every moment you have with your family and obviously your friends outside of it as well.” 

Amidst all of this, the end goal is still the same. That debut was on May 24, 2015. Limerick face Clare again on May 25. They are still chasing that sensation that comes with succeeding alongside your team-mates.

“I suppose everyone has dreams and as a young fella or a young girl you have massive dreams that you want to aspire to and you see other… I suppose being that age, 18, 19, we came off two minor teams that had won Munster Championships, lost an All-Ireland semi-final, lost an All-Ireland final. You were so close but yet so far," Lynch reflects.

“Obviously getting to a U21 All-Ireland final in 2015. So you start getting this bit of hope and, you know yourself if you push things and see the lads around you are pushing you and pushing each other and getting over that 2015 All-Ireland probably pushed us on and spiralled us on to knowing that we have the capabilities, we have the togetherness to do it and we’re blessed we were able to.”