| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish name | Cian Ó Loingsigh | ||
| Sport | Hurling | ||
| Position | Centre-forward | ||
| Born | (1996-01-03)3 January 1996 (age 29) Patrickswell,County Limerick,Ireland | ||
| Height | 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Club | |||
| Years | Club | ||
2013–present | Patrickswell | ||
| Club titles | |||
| Limerick titles | 2 | ||
| College(s) | |||
| Years | College | ||
| Mary Immaculate College NUI Galway | |||
| College titles | |||
| Fitzgibbon titles | 2 | ||
| Inter-county* | |||
| Years | County | Apps (scores) | |
2015–present | Limerick | 51 (1–60) | |
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Munster titles | 6 | ||
| All-Irelands | 5 | ||
| NHL | 3 | ||
| All Stars | 3 | ||
| *Inter County team apps and scores correct as of 19:15, 21 June 2025. | |||
Cian Lynch (born 3 January 1996) is an Irishhurler who plays as a centre forward forLimerick Championship clubPatrickswell, where he has held the role of captain, and theLimerick senior team. Recognised for his skill level and team play, he is widely considered one of the best players in the current game and has often been described as a "midfield magician". He is also one of only two players to win the 'hurler of the year' award more than once, with the only other player to do so being Henry Shefflin with three wins.[1][2][3]
Lynch began his inter-county career at minor level with Limerick in 2012, with whom he won back-to-backMunster Minor Championship titles in his last two years with the team. In 2014, he joined the Limerick under-21 team and was integral in the team'sAll-Ireland Under-21 Championship wins in2015 and2017. Lynch joined the Limerick senior team for the 2015 season. He has since won fourAll-Ireland Championship titles, threeMunster Championship titles and twoNational Hurling League titles with the team. In 2020, he had a significant role in Limerick becoming the first team sinceTipperary in 1961 to have a 100% winning record in all competitions in a single season.
Lynch made his senior club championship debut with Patrickswell as a 17-year-old in2013 and has since established himself as one of the mainstays of the team. He was a member of the Patrickswell team that wonCounty Championship titles in2016 and2019.
Lynch has been named on theGAA–GPA All-Star Team andthe Sunday Game Team of the Year three times each and the Under-21 Team of the Year twice. He was also namedGAA–GPA Player of the Month in his first championship season and wasGAA–GPA All-Star Hurler of the Year in 2018 and 2021.
Lynch first came to prominence as a hurler withArdscoil Rís inLimerick. Having played in every grade, he was just 15-years-old when he earned selection for the college's senior hurling team. On 27 February 2011, Lynch was introduced as a substitute when Ardscoil Rís won theHarty Cup title after a 3–19 to 0–03 defeat ofC.B.S. Charleville in the final.[4] He was also introduced as a substitute in the subsequent 2–10 to 1–11 defeat bySt. Kieran's College in theAll-Ireland final.[5] On 22 February 2014, Lynch was captain of the Ardscoil Rís that defeated Scoil na Trionóide fromDoon by 2–13 to 0–04 in the final of the Harty Cup.[6]
During his studies atMary Immaculate College, Lynch was selected as a forward for the college's senior hurling team. On 27 February 2016, he won aFitzgibbon Cup medal as Mary I won their first ever title after a 1–30 to 3–22 defeat of theUniversity of Limerick.[7] Lynch was at full-forward when Mary I retained the title in 2017 following a 3–24 to 1–19 defeat ofCarlow Institute of Technology.[8]
Lynch joinedPatrickswell at a young age, a club with whom his family had a long tradition. His six uncles,Ciarán,Paul, Pa, Seán and Nigel Carey, were senior team mainstays during a golden era for the club in the 1980s and 1990s.[9][10] After an unremarkable juvenile and underage career, Lynch was 17-years-old when he joined the club's senior team, stating: "I was in fifth year at school and was with the county minors. It was my second last year minor so I was only coming and going so I didn't play that much that year. I was kind of concentrating on the minor and my own age group."[11]
An undefeated run through the2015 County Championship campaign saw Patrickswell qualify for thefinal, with Lynch's side ultimately facing a one-point defeat byNa Piarsaigh.[12] For the second successive season, Patrickswell remained undefeated on their way to the2016 County Championship final. Lynch scored three points from play and ended the game with his firstwinners' medal after a 1–26 to 1–07 win overBallybrown.[13]
After two unsuccessful seasons, Lynch was appointed team captain in advance of the2019 County Championship. After a third undefeated run through thegroup stage in five years, Patrickswell qualified for the2019 final. Lynch ended the game with a second winners' medal after scoring three points in the 1–17 to 0–15 defeat ofNa Piarsaigh.[14]
Lynch was just 16-years-old when he was added to the Limerick minor panel shortly before the start of the2012 Munster Minor Championship. On 2 May 2012, he made his first appearance for the team, scoring a point from left corner-forward in a 0–16 to 1–12quarter-final defeat ofCork.[15] Once again eligible for the minor grade in2013, Lynch was retained on the team by managerBrian Ryan. On 23 July 2013, he lined out at wing-forward when Limerick won their firstMunster Minor Championship title in 29 years after a 1–20 to 4–08 defeat ofWaterford in a replay of the final.[16] Lynch was appointed captain of the Limerick minor team in advance of the2014 Munster Minor Championship. On 22 July 2014, he won a second successive Munster Minor Championship title after a six-point win over Waterford in a final replay.[17] On 7 September 2014, Lynch captained Limerick to a 2–17 to 0–19 defeat byKilkenny in theAll-Ireland final.[18]
Lynch was in his final year with the minor team when he was drafted onto the Limerick under-21 team for the2014 Munster Under-21 Championship. On 4 June 2014, he made his first appearance for the team in a 2–20 to 1–14quarter-final defeat byClare.[19] Lynch was again called up to the under-21 panel for the2015 Munster Under-21 Championship, becoming the only senior panellist on the team.[20] On 30 July 2015, he lined out at left corner-forward when Limerick defeated four-in-a-row hopefuls Clare by 0–22 to 0–19 to win theMunster Under-21 Championship title.[19] On 12 September 2015, Lynch was switched to centre-forward when Limerick defeatedWexford by 0–26 to 1–07 to win theAll-Ireland Championship.[21] He ended the season by being named in the centre-forward position on the Team of the Year.[22]
After a defeat byTipperary in2016, Lynch lined out in a fourth successiveMunster Under-21 Championship campaign the following year. On 26 July 2017, he won a second Munster Under-21 Championship title in three years after a 0–16 to 1–11 defeat ofCork in theMunster final.[23] On 9 September 2017, Lynch was at left wing-forward for Limerick's 0–17 to 0–11 defeat ofKilkenny in theAll-Ireland final.[24] He was once again honoured at the end of the season by being included on the Team of the Year.[25]
Lynch was just 19-years-old when he was drafted onto the Limerick senior panel by team managerT. J. Ryan in advance of the2015 Waterford Crystal Cup.[26] He made his first appearance for the team on 17 January 2015, scoring three points from left wing-forward in a 2–15 to 1–15quarter-final win overWaterford.[27] Lynch was a regular during the pre-season competition and ended the campaign by claiming his first senior silverware after a 3–20 to 1–16 defeat ofCork in thefinal.[28] He was retained on the Limerick panel for the2015 National League and lined out in all six of Limerick's games after making his debut on 14 February 2015 in a 2–16 to 0–22 draw withWaterford.[29] On 24 May 2015, Lynch made his first appearance in theMunster Championship when he gave aman of the match performance in a one-pointquarter-final win overClare.[30][31] He was later named as theGAA/GPA Player of the Month.[32]
Lynch was again included on the Limerick panel for the 2016 season, but missed the team's two opening games in the newly created pre-seasonMunster League. On 23 January 2016, he scored two points from left wing-forward when Limerick were beaten byClare in thefinal.[33] Lynch was a regular starter in Limerick's2016 National League campaign and made six appearances in total, including at left wing-forward in the 3–23 to 1–18semi-final defeat byWaterford.[34]
Lynch combined hisMary Immaculate CollegeFitzgibbon Cup duties with Limerick'sMunster League campaign at the start of the 2017 season. On 29 January 2017, he came on as a 60th-minute substitute for team captainJames Ryan in a 1–21 to 1–20provincial league final defeat byCork.[35] Lynch made five appearances for Limerick during the2017 National League campaign, including at left corner-forward in the ten-point defeat byGalway in thesemi-final.[36]
Lynch was again named on the 38-man Limerick panel for the upcoming2018 season, however, he missed some part of the pre-seasonMunster League due toFitzgibbon Cup commitments withMary Immaculate College.[37] On 14 January 2018, he claimed his first senior silverware in three years when Limerick beatClare by 0–16 to 0–10 to claim thepre-season tournament title.[38] The subsequentNational League saw Lynch line out in all seven of Limerick's games. On 19 August 2018, he was named at right corner-forward when Limerick facedGalway in theAll-Ireland final.[39] Lynch scored a point from play as Limerick won their firstAll-Ireland Championship title in 45 years after a 3–16 to 2–18 win.[40] Later that day he was named onthe Sunday Game Team of the Year.[41] Lynch ended the season by being namedHurler of the Year, while he also selected as midfield partner toCork'sDarragh Fitzgibbon on theAll-Star Team.[42]
Lynch was again a regular for Limerick during the2019 National League, playing a role in seven of their eight games. He scored two points from play when Limerick claimed their firstDivision 1 title since1997 after a 1–24 to 0–19 win over Waterford in thefinal.[43] Lynch ended the2019 Munster Championship with his firstprovincial winners' medal after the 2–26 to 2–14 win overTipperary in theMunster final.[44] He ended the year by receiving his second successive All-Star nomination.[45]
Lynch wasn't included on the Limerick team for the twogroup stage games of the2020 Munster League. He was back on the team at midfield for thefinal againstCork on 11 January 2020, and scored a point from play in the 1–32 to 0–20 win.[46] The subsequentNational League campaign saw Lynch lining out in three of Limerick's fiveDivision 1A games. On 25 October 2020, he was again at midfield for the 0–36 to 1–23 defeat ofClare in thedelayed league final.[47] Lynch ended the2020 Munster Championship with a second successive winners' medal after lining out in the new position of centre-forward in theMunster final defeat of Waterford.[48] He was again selected at centre-forward for theAll-Ireland final against Waterford on 13 December 2020, ending the game with a second title in three years after the 0–30 to 0–19 win.[49][50]
Lynch was named on the bench for Limerick's openinggroup stage game of the2021 National League againstTipperary.[51] After coming on as a substitute in the 0–20 apiece draw, he was restored to the starting fifteen for Limerick's next three games againstGalway,Waterford andCork, before dropping to the subs' bench for Limerick's final group stage game againstWestmeath.[52] After the team came in for criticism for a poor league start, Lynch stated: "It’s just about staying focused really and working hard every week, every game that comes your way. Just doing your best as a group and team. It’s just about driving on and we’re looking forward to the summer now."[53] Lynch subsequently claimed a third successiveMunster Championship title as well as being namedman of the match for hisMunster final performance against Tipperary.[54] He was again named man of the match after claiming a third All-Ireland winners' medal in four seasons following theAll-Ireland final defeat ofCork.[55] Lynch was subsequently namedGAA/GPA Player of the Month for the second time in his career.[56]
| Team | Year | National League | Munster | All-Ireland | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | |||
| Limerick | 2015 | Division 1B | 6 | 0-07 | 2 | 0-03 | 2 | 0-00 | 10 | 0–10 | |
| 2016 | 6 | 0-02 | 1 | 0-01 | 1 | 0-01 | 8 | 0-04 | |||
| 2017 | 5 | 1-05 | 1 | 0-02 | 1 | 0-00 | 7 | 1-07 | |||
| 2018 | 7 | 0-07 | 4 | 0-09 | 4 | 1-03 | 15 | 1–19 | |||
| 2019 | Division 1A | 6 | 0-04 | 5 | 0-04 | 1 | 0-00 | 12 | 0-08 | ||
| 2020 | 4 | 0-03 | 3 | 0-05 | 2 | 0-02 | 9 | 0–10 | |||
| 2021 | 4 | 0-05 | 2 | 0-04 | 2 | 0-09 | 8 | 0–18 | |||
| 2022 | 3 | 1-01 | 2 | 0-02 | 1 | 0-00 | 6 | 1-03 | |||
| 2023 | 5 | 0-06 | 4 | 0-01 | 2 | 0-03 | 11 | 0–10 | |||
| 2024 | 3 | 0-02 | 5 | 0-03 | 1 | 0-01 | 9 | 0-06 | |||
| 2025 | 6 | 0-06 | 4 | 0-05 | 1 | 0-02 | 11 | 0–13 | |||
| Career total | 55 | 2–48 | 33 | 0–39 | 18 | 1–21 | 106 | 3–107 | |||