Nicholas "Nickey" Brennan (born 3 December 1953) is an Irish former
hurler,
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 ...
and
Gaelic games administrator. He played as a right wing-back at senior level for the
Kilkenny county team. More recently, he served as the
35th president of the
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sports, amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include t ...
.
Brennan joined the team during the
1974 championship and was a regular member of the starting fifteen until his retirement after the
1985 championship. During that time he won two
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 ...
medals, three
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 ...
medals and two
National Hurling League medals.
At club level Brennan had a lengthy career with
Conahy Shamrocks.
In retirement from playing Brennan became involved in team management and coaching. He was manager of the Kilkenny senior team, having served as a selector for the previous four years. He also managed the county football team, and the county under-21 hurling team.
Brennan was also a Gaelic games administrator with the
Kilkenny County Board and 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 ...
before assuming the office of
President of the Gaelic Athletic Association
The president of the Gaelic Athletic Association ( ga, Uachtarán Cumann Lúthchleas Gael) is the head of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).
The president holds office for three years. The role of president has existed since the foundation of ...
in 2006.
His brothers,
Kieran and
Canice, were also All-Ireland medalists with Kilkenny.
Playing career
Club
Brennan, along with his brother,
Kieran, played club
hurling and
football with his local club
Conahy Shamrocks. He was a key part of the team that won both junior and intermediate titles in 1976 and 1977.
Inter-county
Brennan first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Kilkenny minor hurling team. In 1971 he was at corner-back as the team secured a place in the provincial decider. A huge 7–18 to 3–5 trouncing of
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 ...
have Brennan a
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 ...
medal. The subsequent All-Ireland decider saw reigning champions and three-in-a-row hopefuls
Cork
Cork or CORK may refer to:
Materials
* Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product
** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container
***Wine cork
Places Ireland
* Cork (city)
** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
providing the opposition. A narrow 2–11 to 1–11 defeat was Kilkenny's lot on that occasion.
By 1974 Brennan had joined the Kilkenny under-21 team and was in his final year in the grade. A 3–8 to 1–5 defeat of reigning champions Kilkenny secured a
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 ...
medal for Brennan. The subsequent All-Ireland decider pitted Kilkenny against
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 ...
, who were making their first appearance in the final. A narrow 3–8 to 3–7 victory gave Brennan an
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 ...
medal.
That same year Brennan joined the Kilkenny senior team. He came on as a substitute in the provincial decider as Kilkenny narrowly defeated Wexford by 6–13 to 2–24. It was his first
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 ...
medal. Brennan was an unused substitute for Kilkenny's subsequent All-Ireland 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 1975 Brennan was an unused substitute once again as Kilkenny retained their Leinster and All-Ireland titles.
Brennan was dropped from the panel for a number of seasons but returned to the starting fifteen in 1979. A 2–21 to 2–17 defeat of Wexford gave him a second Leinster medal on the field of play.
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 ...
provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland decider and took a two-point lead twelve minuted into the second half, however, they failed to score again. Two long-range goals from
Liam "Chunky" O'Brien and
Mick "Cloney" Brennan gave Kilkenny a 2–12 to 1–8 victory. It was Brennan's first
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 on the field of play.
Kilkenny took a back seat to
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 ...
over the next few years, however, the team bounced back in 1982. A 2–14 to 1–11 defeat of Wexford in the decider gave Brennan a first
National Hurling League medal. The subsequent championship campaign saw Kilkenny reach the decider once again. A 1–11 to 0–12 defeat of Offaly gave Brennan a third Leinster medal. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw the Cats face their old rivals from
Cork
Cork or CORK may refer to:
Materials
* Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product
** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container
***Wine cork
Places Ireland
* Cork (city)
** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
. In spite of being regarded as underdogs,
Christy Heffernan
Christy Heffernan (born 26 December 1957) is an Irish retired hurler who played as a full-forward for the Kilkenny senior team.
Born in Glenmore, County Kilkenny, Heffernan first arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of twenty-two wh ...
's two goals in a forty-second spell and a third by
Ger Fennelly
Ger Fennelly (born 22 January 1954) is an Irish retired hurler who played as a centre-forward and as a midfielder for the Kilkenny senior team.
Born in Piltown, County Kilkenny, Fennelly first arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of ...
powered Kilkenny to a 3–18 to 1–15 victory, a game in which Brennan held Cork's famed captain
Jimmy Barry-Murphy
James Barry-Murphy (born 22 August 1954) is an Irish hurling manager and former hurler, Gaelic footballer and association football player. He was the manager of the senior Cork county hurling team from 2011 to 2015, returning a decade after h ...
scoreless for 70 minutes. It was Brennan's second All-Ireland medal on the field of play.
Kilkenny retained their National League title in 1982 following a 2–14 to 2–12 defeat of Limerick. It was Brennan's second winners' medal in the secondary competition. In spite of this he was later dropped from the starting fifteen and was an unused substitute as Kilkenny retained their Leinster and All-Ireland crowns. Brennan retired from inter-county hurling shortly after.
Post-playing career
In retirement from hurling Brennan became involved in the administration of the
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sports, amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include t ...
. In 1990 Brennan managed the Kilkenny under-21 hurling team to All-Ireland success over Tipperary. In 1991 he commenced a four-year term as chairman of the Kilkenny County Board. In 1995 he succeeded
Ollie Walsh
Patrick Oliver Walsh (13 July 1937 – 9 March 1996) was an Irish hurler and hurling manager. His career included All-Ireland Championship victories as a player and later as a manager with the Kilkenny senior hurling team.
After beginning ...
as manager of the Kilkenny senior hurling team. Brennan had mixed success in this position. He guided his native-county to a Leinster final in 1997; however, his team was defeated by
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 ...
. His term as manager came to end when Kilkenny were defeated by the eventual All-Ireland champions,
Clare, in the All-Ireland semi-final. Brennan also served as manager of the
Kilkenny senior football team
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (Kilkenny GAA) ( ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Coiste Cill Chainnigh) is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kilkenny. The ...
during the eighties.
Brennan continued an involvement in the administration side of the GAA during the nineties and was elected to the position of chairman of 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 ...
. It was during this incumbency in this post that Brennan launched his bid to become president of the GAA. In April 2005 he defeated his
Munster Council counterpart,
Christy Cooney
Christy Cooney ( Irish: Críostóir Ó Cuana, born 1952 in Youghal, County Cork, Ireland) is a Gaelic games administrator, who served as the 36th president of the Gaelic Athletic Association. He was elected president at the annual GAA Congress o ...
, and was duly elected president. He took up this position in 2006.
Brennan travelled 160,000 miles in Ireland alone during his three years as president, and visited Great Britain, Europe, North America, Asia, Australia and the Middle East on several occasions, meeting dignitaries such as New York City mayor
Michael Bloomberg along the way.
His term of office ended in 2009, when he was succeeded by
Christy Cooney
Christy Cooney ( Irish: Críostóir Ó Cuana, born 1952 in Youghal, County Cork, Ireland) is a Gaelic games administrator, who served as the 36th president of the Gaelic Athletic Association. He was elected president at the annual GAA Congress o ...
, who had won the subsequent election.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brennan, Nickey
1953 births
Living people
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship winners
Chairmen of Gaelic games governing bodies
Conahy Shamrocks hurlers
Gaelic football managers
Hurling backs
Hurling managers
Kilkenny County Board administrators
Kilkenny hurling managers
Kilkenny inter-county hurlers
Leinster Provincial Council administrators
Presidents of the Gaelic Athletic Association