Seán Silke (born 27 September 1950) is an Irish retired hurler who played as a centre-back for the

Galway Galway ( ; , ) is a City status in Ireland, city in (and the county town of) County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay. It is the most populous settlement in the province of Connacht, the List of settleme ...

senior team. Born in Meelick,

County Galway County Galway ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region, taking up the south of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht. The county population was 276,451 at the 20 ...

, Silke first played competitive hurling in his youth. He made his first impression on the inter-county scene when he made his senior debut during the 1971-72 National Hurling League. Silke went on to play a key role for Galway for over a decade, and won one

All-Ireland All-Ireland (sometimes All-Island) is a term used to describe organisations and events whose interests extend over the entire island of Ireland, as opposed to the separate jurisdictions of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. "All-Irelan ...

medal and one

National Hurling League The National Hurling League is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition featuring teams from Ireland and England. Founded in 1925 by the Gaelic Athletic Association, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation within the l ...

medal. He was an All-Ireland runner-up on three occasions. As a member of the

Connacht Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...

inter-provincial team at various times throughout his career, Silke won two

Railway Cup The GAA Interprovincial Championship () or Railway Cup (''Corn an Iarnróid'') is the name of two annual Gaelic football and hurling competitions held between the provinces of Ireland. The Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster GAA teams are co ...

medal. At club level he played with Meelick-Eyrecourt, winning junior and intermediate championship medals. With St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, Silke won two

Fitzgibbon Cup The Fitzgibbon Cup () 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 by Comhairle Ard Oideac ...

medals, the only time the college has been successful in the competition. Throughout his career Silke made 27 championship appearances for Galway. His retirement came following the conclusion of the 1984 championship. Silke is widely regarded as one of Galway's greatest-ever hurlers. He has often been voted onto teams made up of the sport's greats, including at centre-back on the Galway Hurling Team of the Millennium and on the Fitzgibbon Cup Team of the Century. In retirement from playing, Silke became involved in team management and coaching. He has served as a selector with the Galway senior team, as well as manager of the Galway junior team and the Ireland hurling-shinty team.

Honours

Player

;St Patrick's College, Maynooth *

(2): 1972-73, 1973–74 ;Galway *

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship, known simply as the All-Ireland Championship, is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest-tier competition for ...

(1):

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

(1): 1974-75 ;Connacht *

(2): 1980, 1982

Manager

;Galway *

(1):

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

Individual

;Awards *

All-Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...

(2): 1975, 1980

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Silke, Sean 1950 births Living people Alumni of St Patrick's College, Maynooth Meelick-Eyrecourt hurlers Galway inter-county hurlers Connacht inter-provincial hurlers All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship winners Hurling selectors 20th-century Irish sportsmen