Lester Ryan (18 April 1959 – 6 June 2020) was an Irish
hurler who played as a midfielder at club level with
Clara
Clara may refer to:
Organizations
* CLARA, Latin American academic computer network organization
* Clara.Net, a European ISP
* Consolidated Land and Rail Australia, a property development consortium
People
* Clara (given name), a feminine gi ...
and at inter-county level with the
Kilkenny senior hurling team. His brother,
Harry Ryan, and his nephew,
Lester Ryan, were
All-Ireland Championship-winners with Kilkenny.
Playing career
St. Kieran's College
As a student at
St. Kieran's College in
Kilkenny, Ryan played hurling at all levels before being added to the college's senior team. He was just 15-years-old when he claimed a
Leinster Colleges Championship title as a non-playing substitute in 1975, after a 6–12 to 4–03 victory over
Birr's Presentation College. Ryna later claimed an
All-Ireland Colleges Championship medal after coming on as a substitute in the 6–09 to 2–03 defeat of Coláiste Iognáid Rís 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
...
.
Clara
Ryan was still eligible for the minor grade when he was first selected to play at adult level with the
Clara
Clara may refer to:
Organizations
* CLARA, Latin American academic computer network organization
* Clara.Net, a European ISP
* Consolidated Land and Rail Australia, a property development consortium
People
* Clara (given name), a feminine gi ...
junior hurling team. He claimed his first silverware as a non-playing substitute in 1977 when Clara defeated
Tullogher
Tullogher (; ) is a small village in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is situated near the River Nore, approx southeast of Kilkenny city and near the village of Listerlin . Historically, the name has been spelt as Tullagher, Thulachair, and in ot ...
by 3–12 to 2–04 to win the
Kilkenny Junior Championship. After claiming an under-21 championship medal in 1979, Ryan lined out in his first adult county final in 1982 when Clara faced
Carrickshock in the
Kilkenny Intermediate Championship final. He ended the game with a
winners' medal after playing at midfield in the 0–13 to 0–09 victory.
After four years in the
Kilkenny Senior Championship, Clara qualified to meet
Ballyhale Shamrocks
Ballyhale Shamrocks is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the parish of Ballyhale in County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland. The club was founded in 1972 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling. Ballyhale Shamrocks are the ...
in the
1986 final. Ryan scored four points from frees and claimed a
winners' medal after the 3–10 to 4–05 victory. He lined out in a second senior decider when Clara faced
Glenmore in the
1990 final but ended the game on the losing side after a 3–15 to 2–06 defeat.
Kilkenny
Minor and under-21
Ryan first played for Kilkenny when he was drafted onto the minor team alongside his brother
Harry
Harry may refer to:
TV shows
* ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin
* ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons
* ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...
in advance of the
1975 Leinster Minor Championship. In his debut season, he claimed a
Leinster Minor Championship as a substitute after a 2–18 to 3–04 defeat of
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 ...
in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
* Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
before later winning an
All-Ireland Minor Championship medal after again lining out as a substitute in the 3–19 to 1–14 victory over
Cork. Ryan collected a second successive Leinster Minor Championship medal as a non-playing substitute in
1976
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 ...
, however, Kilkenny suffered a 2–20 to 1–07 defeat by
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 ...
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
...
. Eligible for the minor team for a third successive season, he broke onto the starting fifteen as first-choice goalkeeper for the
1977 Leinster Minor Championship. Ryan collected his third provincial winners' medal, his first on the field of play, before later winning a second All-Ireland medal after the 1–08 to 0-09
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
...
defeat of Cork in what was his last game in the minor grade.
Ryan was in his final year of being eligible for the Kilkenny under-21 team when he was appointed captain in advance of the
1980 Leinster Under-21 Championship. He won his only
Leinster Under-21 Championship title that year after a 2–14 to 2–09 defeat of Wexford in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
* Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
. Ryan later led the team to an
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
...
appearance against Tipperary, however, he ended his underage career with a 2–09 to 0–14 defeat.
Senior
After success at club level with
Clara
Clara may refer to:
Organizations
* CLARA, Latin American academic computer network organization
* Clara.Net, a European ISP
* Consolidated Land and Rail Australia, a property development consortium
People
* Clara (given name), a feminine gi ...
, Ryan was a late addition to the Kilkenny senior panel during the
1982-83 National League. He was an unused substitute when Kilkenny secured the league title after a 2–14 to 2–12 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
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
* Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
but was dropped from the panel for the subsequent
championship campaign. After being again omitted from the panel the following year, Ryan impressed in a series of tournament games and earned a recall prior to the start of the
1985 Leinster Championship. He made his championship debut on 26 May 1985 when he came on as a 52nd-minute substitute for
Richie Power in a 1–30 to 1–10 defeat of
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 ...
.
Ryan broke onto the starting fifteen during the
1985-86 National League and claimed a second winners' medal in that competition after Kilkenny's 2–10 to 2–06 victory over
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 ...
in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
* Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
. He later won his first
Leinster Championship medal after lining out at right corner-forward in the 4–10 to 1–11 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 ...
. Ryan was switched to midfield the following year and claimed a second successive Leinster Championship medal after a second successive victory over Offaly in the
1987 Leinster final. He was again at midfield when Kilkenny suffered a 1–12 to 0–09 defeat by Galway in the
1987 All-Ireland final.
Ryan claimed a third National League medal after Kilkenny clinched the
1989-90 title following wins over
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 ...
and
New York. By the start of the
1991 Leinster Championship, he had lost his place on the starting fifteen, however, he collected a third provincial winners' medal after coming on as a substitute for Richie Power in the 1–13 to 1-11
Leinster final victory over Dublin. Ryan was an unused substitute when Kilkenny suffered a 1–16 to 0–15 defeat by Tipperary in the
1991 ALl-Ireland final in what was his last appearance for the team.
Leinster
Ryan's performances at inter-county level saw him secure selection for the
Leinster
Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of ...
inter-provincial team. He claimed his sole
Railway Cup medal after lining out at midfield in Leinster's 2–14 to 1–12 victory over
Connacht
Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms ( Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Del ...
in the
1988 final.
Coaching career
Ryan, who previously worked as a car salesman, worked in an official capacity as a coaching officer with the
Leinster Council
The Leinster Council is a provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Leinster. The Leinster Council has been partnered with the European County ...
. In 2008 he served as manager of the
Ireland national hurling team
The Ireland national hurling team, consisting solely of hurlers, is a representative team for Ireland (both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland) in the sport of composite rules shinty–hurling.
The team is usually made up of a mixture ...
and guided them to a 1–10 to 1–09 victory over
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
in the annual
Shinty-Hurling International Series.
Death
On 6 June 2020, Ryan died in a traffic collision when his bicycle collided with a tractor in
Gowran,
County Kilkenny, aged 61.
Honours
Player
;St. Kieran's College
*
All-Ireland Colleges Senior Hurling Championship (1): 1977
*
Leinster Colleges Senior Hurling Championship
Leinster colleges senior hurling "A" championship, is the top level hurling championship for secondary schools in Leinster. The winners receive the Corn ui Dhuill and advance to the All-Ireland colleges "A" senior hurling championship, where they ...
(1): 1977
;Clara
*
Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship (1):
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 ...
*
Kilkenny Intermediate Hurling Championship
The Kilkenny Intermediate Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as Michael Lyng Motors Intermediate Hurling Championship and abbreviated to the Kilkenny IHC) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Kilkenny County Board ...
(1): 1982
*
Kilkenny Junior Hurling Championship
The J. J. Kavanagh & Sons Premier Junior Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1905 for the third-tier hurling teams in the county of Kilkenny in ...
(1): 1977
;Kilkenny
*
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
The Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Leinster Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurl ...
(3):
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 ...
,
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, ...
,
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 ...
*
National Hurling League (3):
1982-83,
1985-86,
1989-90
*
Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship
The Leinster GAA Hurling All-Ireland Under-20 Championship known simply as the Leinster Under-20 Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the hig ...
(1):
1980
*
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 ...
(2):
1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
,
1977
Events January
* January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group.
* January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democrat ...
*
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 ...
(3):
1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
,
1976
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 ...
,
1977
Events January
* January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group.
* January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democrat ...
;Leinster
*
Railway Cup (1):
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 ...
Manager
;Ireland
*
Shinty-Hurling International Series (1): 2008
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryan, Lester
1959 births
2020 deaths
Clara hurlers
Kilkenny inter-county hurlers
Leinster inter-provincial hurlers
Hurling goalkeepers
Hurling managers
Road incident deaths in the Republic of Ireland