Who is Declan Hannon? Declan Hannon Bio, Playing Career, Statistics, Honours
by J Nandhini | Updated Jul 18, 2023
Who is Declan Hannon?
Diarmaid Byrnes, born on 25 November 1992, is an accomplished Irish hurler affiliated with the Adare club, where he competes in the Limerick Senior Championship. At the inter-county level, he holds the prestigious role of captain for the Limerick senior hurling team. Under his exceptional leadership, Limerick secured the All Ireland hurling title in 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2022.
By achieving this feat, he became the first Limerick captain since Mick Mackey to lead the team to two victories and also holds the record for being the first hurling captain to lift the Liam MacCarthy Cup an astounding four times. His primary position on the field is at centre-back.
Sport
Hurling
Position
Centre-back
Born
25 November 1992 (age 30) Height
1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Occupation
Recruitment consultant
Club
Effin
Country
Limerick
Adare, County Limerick, Ireland
Declan Hannon's Early life
Hannon received his education at Scoil Naomh Iosaf, an all-boys school located in Adare village. The school had a strong focus on hurling in its education system, thanks to the efforts of two Tipperary natives, Brother Cathal Duane (Kilruane) and Principal Barry O'Riordan (Nenagh).
Born in Adare, County Limerick, Hannon has strong roots in the sport of hurling. His granduncle, Pat Stakelum, had the honor of captaining Tipperary to the All-Ireland title in 1949.
Declan Hannon Career
Ardscoil Rís
Hannon rose to prominence as a talented hurler while representing Ardscoil Rís in Limerick. Throughout his time at the school, he played in various grades and held the position of centre-back in the college's senior hurling team. On 11 March 2010, he demonstrated his scoring prowess by contributing three points from play, leading Ardscoil Rís to victory against Thurles CBS in the Harty Cup final.
Continuing his success, on 27 February 2011, Hannon played as centre-back again, guiding Ardscoil Rís to retain the Harty Cup title with an impressive 3-19 to 0-03 victory against C.B.S. Charleville in the final.
Mary Immaculate College
While pursuing his studies at Mary Immaculate College, Hannon had the privilege of being selected for the college's senior hurling team. On 27 February 2016, he achieved a remarkable milestone as Mary I secured their first-ever Fitzgibbon Cup title with a hard-fought 1-30 to 3-22 victory against the University of Limerick, following two periods of extra-time. Despite being substituted in the 79th minute, Hannon emerged as the game's top scorer. Reflecting on the intense match, he expressed, "That was one of the most unbelievable games I have played in. We had it won and lost so many times throughout the game, but we’d have stayed until midnight to win."
Adare
From a young age, Hannon became a member of the Adare club, actively participating and progressing through all levels of play, including juvenile and underage competitions. He experienced championship triumphs during his time in the under-14 and under-16 grades before making his debut in the club's senior team at the age of sixteen.
On 18 October 2009, Hannon showcased his skills from the right wing-forward position, contributing three points to help Adare secure a resounding 1-17 to 0-03 victory against Na Piarsaigh in the final of the Limerick Senior Championship.
Limerick
Minor and under-21
Hannon's journey with Limerick began at the minor level. His debut appearance took place on 25 June 2010 in the Munster Championship, where Limerick faced a close 1-17 to 2-12 defeat against Clare.
Continuing his progress, Hannon later joined the Limerick under-21 hurling team. On 3 August 2011, he demonstrated his scoring prowess by contributing an impressive 1-04 from play, helping Limerick secure a thrilling 4-20 to 1-27 victory against Cork in the final of the Munster Championship.
Senior
On 17 April 2010, Hannon marked his senior debut for Limerick as right wing-forward in a National League match against Antrim at Loughguile, resulting in a victory. Later, he contributed significantly to Limerick's success, securing a National League Division 2 medal with a 4-12 to 2-13 triumph against Clare in the final.
On 14 July 2013, Hannon played a crucial role as full-forward in Limerick's impressive 0-24 to 0-15 victory over Cork in the Munster final.
His outstanding performances during the 2011 and 2014 seasons earned Hannon well-deserved All-Star nominations.
In December 2017, Hannon was honored with the captaincy of the Limerick senior hurling team for the 2018 season. On 19 August 2018, he led the team from the front, scoring two points from play and guiding Limerick to their first All-Ireland title in 45 years with a thrilling 3-16 to 2-18 victory against Galway in the final. Following this impressive achievement, Hannon was named on The Sunday Game Team of the Year and received an All-Star Award at the end of the season.
On 31 March 2019, Hannon was selected as centre-back for Limerick's National League final against Waterford at Croke Park. He played a vital role in the team's victory, contributing a point in the 1-24 to 0-19 win, securing the National League title. On 30 June 2019, Hannon achieved another milestone, leading Limerick to a Munster Championship victory with a 2-26 to 2-14 defeat of Tipperary in the final.
Continuing his remarkable leadership, Hannon won a second successive National League medal on 25 October 2020, captaining Limerick to a 0-36 to 1-23 victory against Clare in the delayed 2020 league final. On 15 November 2020, he secured a third Munster Championship medal, captaining Limerick to a 0-25 to 0-21 win over Waterford in the final. Hannon's captaincy made him the first Limerick player since Mick Mackey to lead the team to two provincial title successes.
In 2022, Hannon made history by becoming the first hurling captain to lift the Liam MacCarthy Cup on four occasions. His extraordinary achievements have firmly established him as a true legend of the sport.
Declan Hannon Career statistics
Team
Year
National League
Division
Apps
Score
Limerick
2011
Division 2
2
1-07
2012
Division 1B
0
0-00
2013
5
3-35
2014
1
0-00
2015
5
1-07
2016
5
3-23
2017
7
0-02
2018
5
0-00
2019
Division 1A
6
0-02
2020
5
0-02
2021
2
0-01
2022
5
0-01
2023
3
0-03
Munster
Team
Year
Munster
Apps
Score
Limerick
2011
0
0-00
2012
1
0-01
2013
2
0-17
2014
2
0-02
2015
2
0-03
2016
1
0-02
2017
1
0-00
2018
4
0-00
2019
4
0-02
2020
3
0-01
2021
2
0-00
2022
5
0-03
2023
5
0-02
All-Ireland
Team
Year
All-Ireland
Apps
Score
Limerick
2011
3
0-28
2012
4
1-12
2013
1
0-02
2014
2
0-09
2015
2
0-05
2016
2
0-03
2017
1
0-00
2018
4
0-03
2019
1
0-00
2020
2
0-02
2021
2
0-02
2022
2
0-02
2023
0
0-00
Declan Hannon Honours
Ardscoil Rís:
Mary Immaculate College:
Adare:
Limerick:
Awards:
Who is Declan Hannon? - FAQs
Declan Hannon is an accomplished Irish hurler, widely recognized for his exceptional skills and contributions to the sport of hurling.
Declan Hannon has enjoyed success at the club level, securing the Limerick Senior Hurling Championship title in 2009 while representing the Adare club.
Declan Hannon primarily plays as a center-back for the Limerick senior hurling team and has exhibited exceptional skills in that position.
Declan Hannon is associated with various clubs and institutions, including Ardscoil Rís, Mary Immaculate College, and the Adare club.