Séamus Cleere (born 1940) is an Irish retired hurler. His career included three All-Ireland Championship victories with the

Kilkenny senior hurling team The Kilkenny county hurling team represents County Kilkenny, Kilkenny in hurling and is governed by Kilkenny GAA, the County board (Gaelic games), county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the three major annual inte ...

, including one as captain in

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cove ...

. After beginning his career at club level with

Bennettsbridge Bennettsbridge () is a village in County Kilkenny in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is situated on the River Nore south of Kilkenny city, in the centre of the county. Bennettsbridge is a census town, and had population of 745 as of the 2016 ...

, Cleere joined the Kilkenny minor team as a 17-year-old in 1958 and subsequently had a brief stint with the junior side. He was promoted to the Kilkenny senior team in

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Janu ...

. From his debut, Cleere was ever-present as a right wing-back and made 22 championship appearances in a career that ended with his last game in

1969 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1969th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 969th year of the 2nd millennium, the 69th year of the 20th century, and the ...

. During that time he was part of three All-Ireland Championship-winning teams – in

, when he captained the side,

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 6 – Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and Army of ...

and as a substitute in

. Cleere also secured five Leinster Championship medals and two

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 ...

medals. His club career yielded six Kilkenny County Championship titles during a golden age for Bennettsbridge.

Playing career

Bennettsbridge

Cleere began his hurling career at club level with

. After coming to prominence at juvenile and underage levels, he became a starting fifteen regular with the club's senior team during the 1959 Kilkenny County Championship. Cleere ended his first full season at senior level with a Kilkenny County Championship medal after a 4-06 to 1-04 win over Erin's Own in the

final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...

. He won a second successive championship title the following year after Bennettsbridge retained the title with a 4-05 to 3-04 win over Glenmore in the 1960 final. After failing to secure a third successive title in

1961 Events January * January 1 – Monetary reform in the Soviet Union, 1961, Monetary reform in the Soviet Union. * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and cons ...

, Cleere made his third

appearance the following year. He ended the game with a third winners' medal after the 5-07 to 2-08 victory over Lisdowney. Bennettsbridge again failed to retain the title, however, Cleere added a fourth winners' medal to his collection after a 4-09 to 1-04 defeat of Glenmore in the 1964 final.

Mooncoin Mooncoin () is an urban area (Ireland), urban area in County Kilkenny, in Ireland. The population was 1,175 in 2016. Historically part of the Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic kingdom of Osraige, today it is in the far south of the counties of Ireland, cou ...

beat Bennettsbridge by a goal in the 1965 final, however, the club qualified foe a third successive decider in

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

. Cleere collected a fifth championship title after the 4-08 to 2-04 win over champions Mooncoin. He made his eighth final appearance in ten seasons in

when Bennettsbridge faced Thoamstown. Cleere ended the game with a sixth winners' medal after the 3-10 to 1-04 win. His club career ended with a 3-09 to 3-07 defeat by Rower-Inistioge in the 1969 final.

Kilkenny

Minor and junior

Cleere first played for Kilkenny as a 17-year-old when he was drafted onto the minor team for the 1958 Leinster Championship. He won a Leinster Minor Championship medal as an unused substitute when Kilkenny beat

Laois County Laois ( ; ) 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 medieval kingdom. Hist ...

by 5-11 to 1-07 in the

. After being overage for the minor team the following year, Cleere was called up to the Kilkenny junior team. He lined out in the half-forwards during Kilkenny's unsuccessful campaign in the 1959 Leinster Junior Championship.

Senior

Cleere's performances at club level drew the attention of the senior selectors and he was added to the Kilkenny senior team midway during the 1959-60 National League. He made his debut at right wing-back, with his brother

Liam Liam is a short form of the Germanic name William, or its Irish variant Uilliam. Etymology The original name was a merging of two Old German elements: ''willa'' ("will" or "resolution"); and ''helma'' ("helmet"). The juxtaposition of these ...

lining out in goal, on 3 April 1960 in a 4-07 to 2-07 win over

Wexford Wexford ( ; archaic Yola dialect, Yola: ''Weiseforthe'') is the county town of County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the ...

. Cleere was retained on the starting fifteen for the 1960 Leinster Championship and was selected at centre-back when Kilkenny suffered a 3-10 to 2-11 defeat by Wexford in the 1960 Leinster final. On 6 May 1962, Cleere contested his first national final when Kilkenny faced

Cork "Cork" or "CORK" may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Stopper (plug), or "cork", a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container *** Wine cork an item to seal or reseal wine Places Ireland * ...

in the

of the 1961-62 National League. He ended the game with a winners' medal following the 1-16 to 1-08 victory. He was subsequently denied a first Leinster Championship medal as Kilkenny suffered a 3-09 to 2-10 defeat by Wexford in the 1962 Leinster final. Cleere was appointed

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

of the team for the second time in his career in advance of the 1963 Leinster Championship. He claimed his first provincial winners' medal after making his third final appearance in the 2-10 to 0-09 defeat of Dublin in the 1963 Leinster final. On 1 September 1963, Cleere captained the team against

Waterford Waterford ( ) is a City status in Ireland, city in County Waterford in the South-East Region, Ireland, south-east of Ireland. It is located within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster. The city is situated at the head of Waterford H ...

in an All-Ireland final. Described in the ''

Irish Independent The ''Irish Independent'' is an Irish daily newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray backgrou ...

'' as having a "superb game", he claimed his first All-Ireland medal and had the honour of lifting the

Liam MacCarthy Cup The Liam MacCarthy Cup () is a trophy awarded annually by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) to the team that wins the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. Based on the design of a medieval drinking vessel, the trophy was first awarded i ...

after the 4-17 to 6-08 victory. Cleere ended the season by being named in the right wing-back position on the 1963 Gaelic Weekly Team of the Year, while he also became the first Kilkenny player to be named Hurler of the Year. After collecting a second provincial title after the 4-11 to 1-08 defeat of Dublin in the 1964 Leinster final, Cleere lined out in a second consecutive All-Ireland final on 6 September 1964. In spite of being regarded as the favourites, Kilkenny ended the game as runners-up after a 5-13 to 2-08 defeat by Tipperary. Cleere ended the season by being named on the Gaelic Weekly Team of the Year for a second successive occasion. On 23 May 1965, Cleere was at centre-back when Kilkenny suffered a 3-14 to 2-08 defeat by Tipperary in the home final of the 1964-65 National League. Kilkenny subsequently failed in their bid to secure the Leinster Championship for a third successive year, with Cleere missing the 1965 Leinster final defeat by Wexford through illness. Cleere claimed the third provincial winners' medal after a 1-15 to 2-06 defeat of Wexford in the 1966 Leinster final. On 4 September 1966, he was again named at right wing-back when Kilkenny suffered a 3-09 to 1-10 defeat by Cork in the All-Ireland final. In spite of this defeat, Cleere ended the season with a second National League winners' medal after an aggregate victory of 10-15 to 2-15 over

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

in the

. He was also named on the Gaelic Weekly Team of the Year for the third time in four seasons. After failing to retain the National League title following a 3-10 to 1-09 defeat by Wexford in the 1966-67 final, Kilkenny later turned the tables on Wexford with Cleere claiming his fourth Leinster Championship winners' medal after a 4-10 to 1-12 victory in the 1967 Leinster final. On 3 September 1967, he claimed his second All-Ireland winners' medal after a 3-08 to 2-07 victory and a first All-Ireland final win over Tipperary in 45 years. Cleere ended the season by once again being named on the Gaelic Weekly Team of the Year. On 12 May 1968, Cleere was in his customary position of right wing-back when Kilkenny were beaten 3-09 to 1-13 by Tipperary in the

of the 1967-68 National League. He also ended on the losing side in the 1968 Leinster final after a 3-13 to 4-09 defeat by Wexford. Cleere retired from inter-county hurling after the Leinster final defeat in 1968, however, he was persuaded to rejoin the panel prior to the start of the 1969 Leinster Championship. He subsequently claimed his eighth provincial winners' medal as a non-playing substitute after the 3-09 to 0-16 defeat of

Offaly County Offaly (; ) 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 honour of Philip II of Spain ...

in the final. On 7 September 1969, Cleere was again selected amongst the substitutes for the All-Ireland final against Cork. He remained on the bench for the entire game, but collected a third winners' medal following the 2-15 to 2-09 victory. Cleere retired fully from inter-county hurling at the end of the season.

Leinster

Cleere's performances for the Kilkenny senior team led to his inclusion on the

Leinster Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...

team for the 1963 Railway Cup. His debut year with the provincial team ended in a 2-08 to 2-07 defeat in a final replay. Cleere quickly became an automatic selection on the Leinster team and won back-to-back winners' medals in

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 – In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patria ...

and

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...

after back-to-back defeats of Munster. Three in-a-row proved beyond Leinster, however, he claimed his third and final winners' medal in

after a 2-14 to 3-05 victory over Munster once again.

Honours

;Bennettsbridge *

Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship The Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the St Canice's Credit Union Senior Hurling Championship and abbreviated to the Kilkenny SHC) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Kilkenny County Board of ...

(6):

1959 Events January * January 1 – Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 – Soviet lunar probe Luna 1 is the first human-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reaches the ...

1962 The year saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is often considered the closest the world came to a Nuclear warfare, nuclear confrontation during the Cold War. Events January * January 1 – Samoa, Western Samoa becomes independent from Ne ...

;Kilkenny *

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 ...

(3):

(c),

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 hur ...

(5):

(c),

(2): 1961-62, 1965-66 ;Leinster *

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 ...

(3):

;Awards *

Texaco Hurler of the Year The Texaco Hurler of the Year was a hurling award, created in 1958, that honoured the achievements of a hurler of outstanding excellence. The award was part of the Texaco Sportstars Awards, in which Irish sportspeople from all fields were honou ...

(1): 1963 * Gaelic Weekly All-Stars (4):

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cleere, Seamus 1940 births Living people Bennettsbridge hurlers Kilkenny inter-county hurlers Leinster inter-provincial hurlers All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship winners 20th-century Irish sportsmen