Colm Bonnar
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Colm Bonnar (born 12 June 1964) is an Irish hurling manager and former
player Player may refer to: Role or adjective * Player (game), a participant in a game or sport ** Gamer, a player in video and tabletop games ** Athlete, a player in sports ** Player character, a character in a video game or role playing game who ...
. He is the former manager of the
Tipperary Tipperary is the name of: Places *County Tipperary, a county in Ireland **North Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Nenagh **South Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Clonmel *Tipperary (town), County Tipperary's na ...
senior hurling team having served as manager from September 2021 to July 2022. He is also the former
manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities ...
of the
Carlow senior hurling team The Carlow county hurling team represents County Carlow, Carlow in hurling and is governed by Carlow GAA, the County board (Gaelic games), county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the Joe McDonagh Cup and the Nationa ...
. Bonnar played for club sides Cashel King Cormacs and Dunhill and was a member of the
Tipperary senior hurling team The Tipperary county hurling team represents Tipperary in hurling and is governed by Tipperary GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the three major annual inter-county competitions; the All-Ireland S ...
for 13 seasons, during which time he usually lined out at midfield. Bonnar began his hurling career at club level with Cashel King Cormacs. He broke onto the club's top adult team after championship success in the minor and under-21 grades. Bonnar enjoyed his greatest success when he captained the club to the 1991 Munster Club Championship. He later transferred to the Dunhill club in
Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...
. At inter-county level, Bonnar was part of the successful Tipperary minor team that won the All-Ireland Championship in 1982 before later winning back-to-back Munster Championships with the under-21 team in
1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning ...
and
1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
. He joined the Tipperary senior team in
1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
. From his debut, Bonnar was ever-present as a midfielder and made numerous National League and Championship appearances in a career that ended with his last game in
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...
. During that time he was part of two All-Ireland Championship-winning-winning teams – in
1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs ...
,
1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phi ...
. Bonnar also secured five
Munster Championship The Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Munster Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurlin ...
medals and a National Hurling League medal. Bonnar won an All-Star in
1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...
. At inter-provincial level, Bonnar was selected to play in five championship campaigns with Munster and won Railway Cup medals in
1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake str ...
, 1996 and
1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...
. After retiring as a player, Bonnar served as a selector and team trainer with the Waterford senior hurling team, with whom he won a Munster Championship in 2002. After an unsuccessful tenure as a selector with the Tipperary senior team, he later guided the
Waterford Institute of Technology The Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT; ga, Institiúid Teicneolaíochta Phort Láirge) was an institute of technology, located in Waterford, Ireland. The institute had six constituent schools and offered programmes in business, engineerin ...
to four
Fitzgibbon Cup The Fitzgibbon Cup ( ga, Corn Mhic Giobúin) is the trophy for the premier hurling championship among higher education institutions (universities, colleges and institutes of technology) in Ireland. The Fitzgibbon Cup competition is administered ...
titles in six years. Bonnar served as manager of the Wexford senior hurling team for three seasons and, after a period away from inter-county management, took charge of the Carlow senior team, with whom he has won Christy Ring Cup and Joe McDonagh Cup titles.


Biography

Colm Bonnar was born in Cashel, County Tipperary, in 1964. The eighth of thirteen children born to a couple who had strong links to Donegal, he was educated at the local national school and later attended Cashel
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. There Bonnar's skills at both hurling and Gaelic football came to the fore. He won Croke, Fitzgerald and McGabhann Cup winners' medals in both codes. In 1980 and 1982 Bonnar captured two All-Ireland 'B' Colleges' hurling medals with the school.


Playing career


Cashel King Cormacs

Bonnar joined the Cashel King Cormacs club at a young age and played in all grades at juvenile and underage levels. On 28 September 1980, he won a Tipperary Minor Championship medal after lining out at midfield in a 2-11 to 0-07 defeat of
Thurles Sarsfields Thurles Sarsfields is a Tipperary GAA club which is located in County Tipperary, Ireland. Both hurling and Gaelic football are played in the "Mid-Tipperary" divisional competitions. The club is centred in the town of Thurles at Semple Stadium ...
in the final. Bonnar subsequently joined the Cashel King Cormacs, senior team. He enjoyed his first success at senior level on 24 July 1988 when he won a West Tipperary Senior Championship medal from centre-back after a 1-12 to 1-04 defeat of Kickhams. On 12 August 1990, Bonnar was at midfield when Cashel faced Clonoulty-Rossmore in the West Tipperary Senior Championship final. He ended the game with a second winners' medal following a 2-11 to 0-15 victory. Cashel later qualified for the Tipperary Senior Championship final on 14 October. Bonnar was again at midfield for the 0-13 to 0-10 defeat by Holycross-Ballycahill. Bonnar took over the captaincy of the Cashel senior team from his brother
Cormac Cormac is a masculine given name in the Irish and English languages. The name is ancient in the Irish language and is also seen in the rendered Old Norse as ''Kormákr''. Mac is Irish for "son", and can be used as either a prefix or a suffix. ...
in 1991. He won a third West Tipperary Senior Championship medal on 22 September after Cashel retained the title with a 0-12 to 0-08 defeat of Cappawhite in the final. On 10 November, Bonnar captained the team from midfield when they faced Holycross-Ballycahill in the Tipperary Senior Championship final. A 2-08 to 1-05 victory secured the title for Cashel. On 8 December, Bonnar captained Cashel to the
Munster Championship The Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Munster Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurlin ...
title following a 0-09 to 0-06 defeat of
Midleton Midleton (; , meaning "monastery at the weir") is a town in south-eastern County Cork, Ireland. It lies approximately 16 km east of Cork City on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare. A satellit ...
in the final. On 29 July 1993, Bonnar was at midfield when Cashel King Cormacs faced Kickhams in the West Tipperary Senior Championship final. He ended the game with a fourth winners' medal and the
man of the match In team sport, a player of the match or man of the match or woman of the match award is often given to the most outstanding player in a particular match. This can be a player from either team, although the player is generally chosen from the winn ...
award following a 2-15 to 2-12 victory. On 2 October 1994, Bonnar captained Cashel from midfield in the Tipperary Senior Championship final. He ended the game on the losing side following a 2-11 to 1-09 victory for
Toomevara Toomevara, officially Toomyvara (), is a village in County Tipperary, Ireland. The village is at the junction on the R445 where it meets the R499 regional road. The village was bypassed in December 2010 by the M7 Dublin - Limerick motorway. It ...
. Despite this defeat, Cashel retained the West Tipperary Championship on 16 October 1994. Bonnar collected a fifth winners' medal following the 2-08 to 1-09 defeat of Clonoulty-Rossmore in the delayed final replay. Bonnar won a sixth West Tipperary Senior Championship medal on 27 August 1995. He lined out at midfield in the 2-11 to 0-10 defeat of Kickhams. It remains Cashel's last divisional championship triumph.


Dunhill

In October 1996, Bonnar announced that he was transferring from Cashel King Cormacs to the Dunhill club in
Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...
. He made his first appearance for his new club on 20 July 1997 in a 0-12 to 0-09 defeat by
Tallow Tallow is a rendered form of beef or mutton fat, primarily made up of triglycerides. In industry, tallow is not strictly defined as beef or mutton fat. In this context, tallow is animal fat that conforms to certain technical criteria, includ ...
.


Tipperary


Minor and under-21

Bonnar first lined out for
Tipperary Tipperary is the name of: Places *County Tipperary, a county in Ireland **North Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Nenagh **South Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Clonmel *Tipperary (town), County Tipperary's na ...
as a member of the minor team during the 1982 Munster Championship. He made his first appearance on 12 May when he lined out at right corner-back in a 2-05 to 0-10 defeat of Cork. On 18 July, Bonnar won a
Munster Championship The Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Munster Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurlin ...
medal following a 1-10 to 1-07 defeat of
Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
in the final. This victory secured a place in the
All-Ireland final The All-Ireland Final may refer to: * All-Ireland Hurling Final, the last match to be played in the All-Ireland Hurling Championship (Senior, Minor and Under-21 levels) * The last match to be played in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship ...
on 5 September. Bonnar lined out at left corner-back and collected a winners' medal following the 2-07 to 0-04 defeat of
Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a city in the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay, and is the sixth most populous city on ...
. Bonnar was drafted onto the Tipperary under-21 team for the 1983 Munster Championship. On 27 July 1983, he was at left corner-back when Tipperary defeated Clare by 2-17 to 3-08 to win the
Munster Championship The Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Munster Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurlin ...
. Bonnar was switched to right corner-back for the
All-Ireland final The All-Ireland Final may refer to: * All-Ireland Hurling Final, the last match to be played in the All-Ireland Hurling Championship (Senior, Minor and Under-21 levels) * The last match to be played in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship ...
on 11 September, however, Tipperary suffered a 0-12 to 0-06 defeat by Galway. On 25 July 1984, Bonnar won a second successive Munster Championship medal following a 0-12 to 1-08 defeat of
Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
in the final. He was selected at left corner-back for the
All-Ireland final The All-Ireland Final may refer to: * All-Ireland Hurling Final, the last match to be played in the All-Ireland Hurling Championship (Senior, Minor and Under-21 levels) * The last match to be played in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship ...
against Kilkenny on 22 August. For the second year in succession Bonnar ended on the losing side following a 1-12 to 0-11 defeat. Bonnar won a third consecutive Munster Championship medal at left corner-back on 12 July 1985 following a 1-16 to 4-05 defeat of Clare. He was named in the same position for the
All-Ireland final The All-Ireland Final may refer to: * All-Ireland Hurling Final, the last match to be played in the All-Ireland Hurling Championship (Senior, Minor and Under-21 levels) * The last match to be played in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship ...
against Kilkenny on 25 August. Bonnar ended the game with an All-Ireland medal following a 1-10 to 2-06 victory.


Junior

Bonnar was in his final season with the under-21 team when he was drafted onto the Tipperary junior panel. On 5 July 1985, he won a
Munster Championship The Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Munster Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurlin ...
medal after coming on as a substitute in Tipperary's 3-06 to 1-10 defeat of Limerick. On 18 August, Bonnar was selected at midfield for the
All-Ireland final The All-Ireland Final may refer to: * All-Ireland Hurling Final, the last match to be played in the All-Ireland Hurling Championship (Senior, Minor and Under-21 levels) * The last match to be played in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship ...
against
Wexford Wexford () is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the island of Ireland. The town is linked to Dublin by the M11/N11 ...
. He ended the game on the losing side following a 3-09 to 1-13 defeat.


Senior

In
1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 **Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal enter ...
Bonnar made his debut with the Tipperary senior hurling team. It was an unsuccessful year as Tipp were eliminated from the provincial championship at the first hurdle.
1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...
saw Bonnar retain his place on the team. It was a successful year for Tipp as the county won its first Munster title in sixteen years following a dramatic draw and a replay with Cork in
FitzGerald Stadium Fitzgerald Stadium ( ga, Staid a' Ghearaltaigh) is the principal GAA stadium in Killarney, Ireland, and is the home championship venue for the Kerry senior football team. Named in honour of one of the first great players of the Gaelic Athleti ...
,
Killarney Killarney ( ; ga, Cill Airne , meaning 'church of sloes') is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is on the northeastern shore of Lough Leane, part of Killarney National Park, and is home to St Mary's Cathedral, Ross Cast ...
. In the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final
Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a city in the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay, and is the sixth most populous city on ...
put an end to Tipp's dream season with a 3–20 to 2–17 defeat.
1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...
began well for Bonnar as he added a National Hurling League medal to his collection. He later captured his second Munster medal following another victory over Cork. A subsequent defeat of Antrim allowed Tipp to advance to the All-Ireland final where Galway provided the opposition. With an extra year's experience, it was expected that Tipp might shade the victory. Galway, however, used this to motivate themselves. Noel Lane scored the crucial goal for Galway while
Nicky English Nicholas J. "Nicky" English (born 20 October 1962) is an Irish former hurler who played as a full-forward at senior level for the Tipperary county team. Born in Cullen, County Tipperary, English first played competitive Gaelic games during h ...
sent a late penalty over the bar for a point. A 1–15 to 0–14 score line resulted in victory for Galway and defeat for Bonnar. In
1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs ...
Tipperary was still the best team in Munster and Bonnar won his third provincial title in a row after a 0–26 to 2–8 trouncing of
Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...
. For the third time in as many years, Tipp faced Galway in the All-Ireland series, however, on this occasion the men from the West were without their star player Tony Keady. The game turned out to be a tense and unsavory affair as Tipp finally triumphed over Galway. Antrim, the surprise winners of the other semi-final, provided the opposition in the subsequent
All-Ireland final The All-Ireland Final may refer to: * All-Ireland Hurling Final, the last match to be played in the All-Ireland Hurling Championship (Senior, Minor and Under-21 levels) * The last match to be played in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship ...
. It was an historic occasion as it was only the second appearance of an
Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...
team in the championship decider. Antrim's relative inexperience robbed the final of any real element of contest and Tipp romped home to a 4–24 to 3–9 win.''The GAA Book of Lists'' p. 363 Because of this Tipp preserved their record of being the only team to win an All-Ireland title in every decade in GAA history. It was Bonnar's first senior
All-Ireland All-Ireland (sometimes All-Island) refers to all of Ireland, as opposed to the separate jurisdictions of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. "All-Ireland" is most frequently used to refer to sporting teams or events for the entire islan ...
medal. In
1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of humanity on Earth, astrophysicist ...
Tipperary surrendered their Munster crown to Cork for the first time in four years. This defeat followed
Babs Keating Michael "Babs" Keating (born 17 April 1944) is an Irish former hurler and Gaelic footballer who played as a forward for the Tipperary senior teams. Born in Ardfinnan, County Tipperary, Keating first played competitive Gaelic games during his ...
's infamous remark about Cork that 'donkeys don't win derbies'. Tipp returned in
1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phi ...
and defeated Cork in a thrilling Munster final replay giving Bonnar his fourth provincial medal. The subsequent
All-Ireland final The All-Ireland Final may refer to: * All-Ireland Hurling Final, the last match to be played in the All-Ireland Hurling Championship (Senior, Minor and Under-21 levels) * The last match to be played in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship ...
saw Tipp take on Kilkenny for the first time in twenty years. A freak goal by Michael Cleary in the first half gave Tipp a lead which they never surrendered. A 1–16 to 0–15 victory allowed Bonnar to capture his second All-Ireland medal in three years. 1992 saw Tipp exit the championship at an early stage, however, the team bounced back for one last hurrah in
1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peacefu ...
. That year Bonnar added a fifth Munster medal to his collection as Tipp trounced Clare by 3–27 to 2–12. The subsequent All-Ireland semi-final saw Tipp renew their rivalry with Galway; however, on this occasion, Galway took the spoils. This defeat brought the curtain down on Tipp's great revival. After defeat after a draw and a replay in the Munster final of 1996, Bonnar lined out in a second consecutive provincial decider in
1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...
. Clare provided the opposition on that occasion, however, it was an occasion to forget for Bonnar as Tipp lost a close and exciting game by 1–18 to 0–18. The introduction of the new 'back-door system resulted in both Clare and Tipperary meeting for the second time in the first all-Munster All-Ireland final. The game itself was one of the best of the decade. Clare was well on top for much of the game, however,
Liam Cahill Liam Cahill (born 13 October 1977) is an Irish hurling Manager (Gaelic games), manager, former selector and Hurling, player. He has been manager of the Tipperary county hurling team, Tipperary county team since 18 July 2022. Playing career Coll ...
and
Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in Nobel Prize in Literature, literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama tech ...
scored twice for Tipp in the last ten minutes. John Leahy missed a goal chance in the last minute while another Tipp point was controversially ruled wide. At the full-time whistle Clare won by a single point – 0–20 to 2–13. Following defeat in the
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...
provincial championship, Bonnar decided to retire from inter-county hurling.


Managerial career


Waterford

On 13 September 1999, Bonnar joined the Waterford senior hurling team's five-man selection committee under Gerald McCarthy. His first season as a selector and assistant coach saw Waterford finish in second place in Division 1B after the group stage of the
National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...
. Waterford exited the league on 30 April 2000 following a 2-15 to 1-15 defeat by Galway at the semi-final stage. On 28 May, Waterford's season came to an end following a 0-17 to 0-14 defeat by Tipperary in the
Munster Championship The Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Munster Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurlin ...
. Bonnar's second season as a selector saw Waterford enjoy an indifferent
National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...
campaign. His side failed to make it to the knock-out stage after losing three games and finishing in fifth position in the group table. Waterford's championship campaign ended on 10 June following a 4-11 to 2-14 defeat by Limerick. Gerald McCarthy stepped down as manager following this defeat and was replaced by Justin McCarthy. Bonnar was retained as part of the new management team. Waterford had a mid-table finish in Division 1A of the 2002 National League and failed to make the knock-out stages for the second year in succession. On 30 June, Waterford defeated Tipperary by 2-23 to 3-12 to win the
Munster Championship The Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Munster Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurlin ...
for the first time in 39 years. Bonnar had mixed emotions following the defeat of his native county: "I was over the moon for Waterford but I wasn't as caught up in it. I knew what the Tipp lads were going through. I could not race onto the field or jump around...I was proud to be part of that team but those 15 minutes after the match, it was a strange place to be." Bonnar's fourth and final season with Waterford saw the team fail to make the knock-out stage of the
National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...
for the third year in succession. On 29 June 2003, Waterford reached a second successive Munster final, however, Cork were the eventual winners by 3-16 to 3-12. Bonnar stepped down from the management team following Waterford's exit from the championship.


Wexford

Bonnar was confirmed as manager of the Wexford senior hurling team, in succession to
John Meyler John Meyler (born 1956) is an Irish List of hurling managers, hurling manager and former selector, association footballer, Gaelic footballer and Hurling, hurler who is currently the manager of the Kilmoyley GAA, Kilmoyley senior hurling team. He ...
, on 11 November 2008. His team was knocked out of the 2009 Leinster Championship at the semi-final stage by
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
, and lost to
Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
in the qualifiers, leaving them in a situation where they had to play a relegation play-off against Antrim. Bonnar was unhappy about the possibility that his team could potentially play in Christy Ring Cup rather than the All Ireland Series in 2010. He and the managers of the other teams involved in the play-offs appealed to the GAA's Disputes Resolution Authority, who took the decision to postpone the relegation final until a future date. The Director General of the GAA suggested that the relegation final would be played, but that no team would end up being relegated and that a decision would be made on the issue in early October 2009. In July 2011 he resigned as manager of Wexford after the defeat to Limerick in the 2011 qualifiers.


Carlow


2017 season

On 30 August 2016, Bonnar was ratified as manager of the
Carlow senior hurling team The Carlow county hurling team represents County Carlow, Carlow in hurling and is governed by Carlow GAA, the County board (Gaelic games), county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the Joe McDonagh Cup and the Nationa ...
. In the early stages of his first season in charge, he admitted to being impressed with the attitude of the players: "Without the players, we don't have anything. They have created the right values and standards about what we are trying to achieve. They have a big part to play in it, they have all bought into it, we are delighted with that, and I'm really enjoying it.” Bonnar's side enjoyed some good form in the
National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...
and remained undefeated in Division 2A. On 31 March 2017, Carlow suffered a 2-12 to 0-15 defeat by Antrim in the Division 2A final. On 22 April 2017, Bonnar's side suffered a 3-20 to 2-22 defeat by Antrim in their opening game of the Christy Ring Cup. Despite this, Carlow qualified for the final on 10 June. For the fourth time in as many months, Antrim provided the opposition, however, Bonnar's side claimed the title with a 5-23 to 4-15 victory.


2018 season

Bonnar's side opened their 2018 National League campaign with a 0-19 to 0-15 defeat by
Westmeath "Noble above nobility" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Westmeath.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = , subdivis ...
on 28 January 2018. Carlow won their remaining group stage games and qualified for the final on 24 March. Bonnar's side defeated Westmeath by 2-19 to 2-12 and secured promotion. A restructuring of the various hurling tiers saw Carlow added to the new Joe McDonagh Cup for the 2018 season. Bonnar's side topped the group after suffering just one defeat in their five games. On 1 July, Carlow won the title and promotion to the Leinster Championship following a 2-26 to 1-24 defeat of Westmeath in the final.


2019 season

Bonnar's side failed to secure a win in Division 1B, however, Carlow managed draws with
Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a city in the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay, and is the sixth most populous city on ...
and
Laois County Laois ( ; gle, Contae Laoise) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 to 1922. The modern county takes its name from Loígis, a medi ...
. On 10 March, Carlow retained their Division 1B status for
2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
after a 2-14 to 1-16 play-off victory over
Offaly County Offaly (; ga, Contae Uíbh Fhailí) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe. It was formerly known as King's County, in h ...
. Carlow lost all four games in the
2019 Leinster Senior Hurling Championship The 2019 Leinster Senior Hurling Championship is the 2019 installment of the annual Leinster Senior Hurling Championship organised by Leinster GAA. Galway were the defending champions, but were eliminated in controversial circumstances in Roun ...
and was relegated to the 2020 Joe McDonagh Cup.


2020 season

Carlow finished fourth in the round-robin stages of the 2020 Joe McDonagh Cup. Bonnar left the Carlow job in November 2020, having served for four years.


Tipperary


2022 season

On 8 September 2021, Bonnar was announced as the new
Tipperary Tipperary is the name of: Places *County Tipperary, a county in Ireland **North Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Nenagh **South Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Clonmel *Tipperary (town), County Tipperary's na ...
senior hurling manager on a three-year term. On 8 January
2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
, in his first game in charge, Tipperary lost to
Kerry Kerry or Kerri may refer to: * Kerry (name), a given name and surname of Gaelic origin (including a list of people with the name) Places * Kerry, Queensland, Australia * County Kerry, Ireland ** Kerry Airport, an international airport in Count ...
by 0-14 to 0-17 in
Tralee Tralee ( ; ga, Trá Lí, ; formerly , meaning 'strand of the Lee River') is the county town of County Kerry in the south-west of Ireland. The town is on the northern side of the neck of the Dingle Peninsula, and is the largest town in Count ...
in the quarter-final of the 2022 Munster Senior Cup. His first championship game in charge was on 17 April 2022, a 2-24 to 2-20 defeat to
Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...
in the opening round of the 2022 Munster Hurling Championship. Tipperary went on to lose all four games in the 2022 Munster Championship and finished bottom of the table and failed to qualify for the All-Ireland Championship. On 13 July 2022, the Tipperary management committee at a meeting voted for change and decided to relieve Bonnar from his duties as Tipperary senior hurling manager after one year. Bonnar speaking after the decision said “I am extremely disappointed with the decision of the executive committee of Tipperary GAA regarding my position as Tipperary senior hurling manager".


Honours


Player

;Waterford Institute of Technology *
Fitzgibbon Cup The Fitzgibbon Cup ( ga, Corn Mhic Giobúin) is the trophy for the premier hurling championship among higher education institutions (universities, colleges and institutes of technology) in Ireland. The Fitzgibbon Cup competition is administered ...
: 1995 (c) ;Cashel King Cormacs *
Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship The Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the AIB Munster GAA Hurling Senior Club Championship) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 f ...
:
1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phi ...
*
Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship The Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the FBD Insurance Tipperary County Senior Hurling Championship) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Associati ...
:
1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phi ...
;Tipperary * All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship:
1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs ...
,
1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phi ...
* Munster Senior Hurling Championship:
1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...
,
1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...
,
1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs ...
,
1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phi ...
,
1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peacefu ...
* National Hurling League: 1987-88 *
Munster Junior Hurling Championship The Munster Junior Hurling Championship is a junior "knockout" competition in the game of Hurling played in the province of Munster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Munster Council. The winners of the Munster Junior Hurling Ch ...
: 1985 *
All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship The GAA Hurling Under-20 All-Ireland Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Bord Gáis Energy GAA Hurling Under-20 All-Ireland Championship) is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (G ...
:
1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
*
Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship The Munster GAA Hurling Under-20 Championship, known simply as the Munster Under-20 Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-c ...
:
1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning ...
,
1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
,
1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
*
All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Electric Ireland GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship) is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). I ...
: 1982 *
Munster Minor Hurling Championship The Munster GAA Hurling Minor Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Electric Ireland Munster GAA Hurling Minor Championship) is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Assoc ...
: 1982 ;Munster * Railway Cup:
1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake str ...
, 1996,
1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...


Individual

;Awards *
GAA GPA All Stars Awards The Gaelic Athletic Association-Gaelic Players' Association All Stars Awards (often known simply as the All Stars) are awarded annually to the best player in each of the 15 playing positions in Gaelic football and hurling. Additionally, one playe ...
:
1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...


Management

;Waterford Institute of Technology *
Fitzgibbon Cup The Fitzgibbon Cup ( ga, Corn Mhic Giobúin) is the trophy for the premier hurling championship among higher education institutions (universities, colleges and institutes of technology) in Ireland. The Fitzgibbon Cup competition is administered ...
: 1992, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2014 ;Ballyhale Shamrocks *
All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Club Championship, known simply as the All-Ireland Club Championship, is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-coun ...
: 2015 *
Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship The Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the AIB Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Club Championship) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association The ...
:
2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
* Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship:
2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
;Waterford (Selector) * Munster Senior Hurling Championship: 2002 ;Carlow * Christy Ring Cup:
2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...
* National Hurling League Division 2A:
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
* Joe McDonagh Cup:
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonnar, Colm 1964 births Living people All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship winners Cashel King Cormac's hurlers Dunhill hurlers Hurling managers Munster inter-provincial hurlers People from Cashel, County Tipperary Tipperary inter-county hurlers