Niall McInerney (8 May 1949 â 22 November 2004) was an Irish hurler who played as a right corner-back for the Clare and Galway senior teams.
Born in Sixmilebridge, County Clare, McInerney first played competitive hurling in his youth. He made his first impression on the inter-county scene when he joined the Clare minor team, before later linking up with the under-21 team. He made his senior debut during the 1972 championship. McInerney later played a key role with Galway for almost a decade, and won one All-Ireland medal and one National Hurling League medal. He was an All-Ireland runner-up on three occasions.
As a member of the Connacht inter-provincial team at various times, McInerney won three Railway Cup medal. At club level he was a one-time intermediate championship medallist with Sixmilebridge. McInerney also lined out with Liam Mellows.
Throughout his career McInerney made a combined total of 26 championship appearances for Clare and Galway. His retirement came following the conclusion of the 1983 championship.
McInerney 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 full-back on the Fitzgibbon Cup Hurling Team of the Century.
In retirement from playing, McInerney became involved in team management and coaching. At schools level he was involved in coaching the Galway vocational schools' hurlers to a remarkable sixteen All-Ireland titles, including a record eight-in-a-row. He also helped Moneenageisha Vocational School to two All-Ireland titles. McInerney later served as a selector with the Galway senior team.
McInerney began his club career at juvenile level with Sixmilebridge. His first success was an under-16 B championship medal in 1963.
In 1971 Sixmilebridge reached the final of the intermediate championship. McInerney was at left corner-back, however, he had a disappointing game. In the end, Sixmilebridge crushed Tubber by 4âÂÂ14 to 4âÂÂ4, and McInerney won a championship medal.
After moving to Galway McInerney joined the Liam Mellows club.
In the mid sixties McInerney first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Clare minor hurling team. He later joined the under-21 side, before making a number of appearances for the Clare seniors.
McInerney made his senior championship debut with Galway on 7 July 1974 in a 3âÂÂ19 to 4âÂÂ10 All-Ireland quarter-final defeat of Kildare.
In 1975 Galway made a long-awaited breakthrough. A 4âÂÂ9 to 4âÂÂ6 defeat of Tipperary gave McInerney a National Hurling League medal. Galway later qualified for an All-Ireland final meeting with reigning champions Kilkenny, their first appearance in the championship decider in seventeen years and the very first seventy-minute final. Playing with the wind in the first half, Galway found themselves 0âÂÂ9 to 1âÂÂ3 down at the interval having played poorly. Early in the second half Kilkenny scored an early 1âÂÂ3 to put this game to bed, and although Galway did reply with 1âÂÂ1 and were only four points behind with twenty-five minutes left on the clock, there was never any doubt in this match. Galway were eventually defeated by 2âÂÂ22 to 2âÂÂ10. In spite of this defeat McInerney later won his first All-Star award.
Four years later Galway shocked four-in-a-row hopefuls Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final and qualified for an All-Ireland final showdown with Kilkenny. In one of the worst All-Ireland finals of the decade, Galway goalkeeper Séamus Shinnors had an absolute nightmare of a game. A 70-yards free by Liam "Chunky" O'Brien after just four minutes dipped, hit off Shinnors and ended up in the Galway net. Galway fought back and went two points up twelve minutes into the second half, however, they failed to score for the rest of the game. Four minutes before the end of the game another long-range free for Kilkenny ended up in the net behind Shinnors. It was a score which summed up the day for McInerney's side as Kilkenny went on to win by 2âÂÂ12 to 1âÂÂ8.
In 1980 Galway defeated Kildare and Offaly to reach a second consecutive All-Ireland final. Munster champions Limerick provided the opposition on this occasion and an exciting championship decider followed. Bernie Forde and P. J. Molloy goals for Galway meant that the men from the west led by 2âÂÂ7 to 1âÂÂ5 at half-time. ÃÂamonn Cregan single-handedly launched the Limerick counter-attack in the second-half. Over the course of the game he scored 2âÂÂ7, including an overhead goal and a point in which he showed the ball to full-back Conor Hayes and nonchalantly drove the ball over the bar. It was not enough to stem the tide and Galway went on to win the game by 2âÂÂ15 to 3âÂÂ9. It was Galway's first All-Ireland title since 1923, with McInerney picking up a winners' medal and the celebrations surpassed anything ever seen in Croke Park. McInerney later collected a second All-Star award.
McInerney played his last championship game on 7 August 1983, when Galway were defeated by Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final.
McInerney also lined out with Connacht in the inter-provincial series of games and enjoyed much success.
In 1979 McInerney was at full-back as Connacht reached the inter-provincial decider. A 1âÂÂ13 to 1âÂÂ9 defeat by Leinster was the result on that occasion. McInerney was moved to corner-back in 1980 as Connacht faced Railway Cup specialists Munster in the decider. A low-scoring game followed, however, a 1âÂÂ5 to 0âÂÂ7 victory gave Connacht their first Railway Cup title since 1947. It was McInerney's first winners' medal in the competition.
After surrendering their title the following year, Connacht reached the Railway Cup decider once again in 1982. A 3âÂÂ8 t 2âÂÂ9 defeat of Leinster gave McInerney a second Railway Cup medal.
Connacht reached the Railway Cup final again in 1983. A 0âÂÂ10 to 1âÂÂ5 victory gave McInerney his third Railway Cup medal, while the province retained the title for the first time in their history.
Born in Sixmilebridge, County Clare, McInerney moved to Galway during his studies at University College Galway. He settled in the city and found employment as a teacher of science and maths at Moneenageisha Vocational School. McInerney later married Mary Gilmore, a medical doctor from Moylough and the couple had three sons: Shane, Daragh and Niall. His grandchildren are Laida McInerney, Ainara McInerney, Saioa McInerney, Garce McInerney and Shane McInerney
McInerney died on 22 November 2004 following a short illness.