Kieran McGuckin

Kieran McGuckin (born 12 September 1967) is an Irish retired hurler who played as a left wing-back for the Cork senior team.
Born in Ballyvolane, Cork, McGuckin first excelled at hurling during his schooling at the North Monastery. He arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of seventeen when he first linked up with the Cork minor team before later joining the under-21 side. He made his senior hurling debut during the 1990 championship. McGuckin immediately became a regular member of the starting fifteen and won one All-Ireland medal and twoMunster medals 1990 and 1992. He also Captained that 1990 team to win the Munster championship.
At club level McGuckin is a one-time championship medallist with Glen Rovers.
Throughout his career McGuckin made 8 championship appearances. His retirement came following the conclusion of the 1996 championship.

Playing career

College

During his schooling at the North Monastery, McGuckin established himself as a key member of the senior hurling team. In 1985 he won a Harty Cup medal following a 5-6 to 1-7 defeat of St. Flannan's College. On 19 May 1985 the North Mon faced St. Brendan's Community School in the All-Ireland decider, having drawn a week earlier. A 4-11 to 1-5 victory gave McGuckin a coveted All-Ireland medal.

Club

McGuckin has won county medals at all grades with glen rovers.He made his senior debut at 16 yrs of age in 1983 . After losing the 1988 championship decider to St. Finbarr's, the Glen qualified for the final again in 1989. A high-scoring 4-15 to 3-13 defeat of Sarsfields gave McGuckin a coveted championship medal.

Inter-county

McGuckin first played for Cork as a member of the minor team on 15 May 1985. He scored a point from left wing-back in Cork's 1-12 to 1-8 Munster semi-final defeat of Limerick. A subsequent 1-13 to 1-8 defeat of Tipperary secured a Munster medal for McGuckin. Wexford provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland decider on 1 September 1985. A 3-10 to 0-12 victory gave McGuckin a coveted All-Ireland medal.

By 1988 McGuckin was a key member of the Cork under-21 team. He won a Munster medal that year following a 4-12 to 1-7 defeat of Limerick. He also won an All Ireland u-21 medal in 1988.

McGuckin made his senior championship debut as captain of the team on 20 May 1990 in a 3-17 to 3-7 Munster quarter-final defeat of Kerry. He later won a Munster medal following a 4-16 to 2-14 defeat of reigning champions Tipperary. The subsequent All-Ireland final on 2 September 1990 pitted Cork against Galway for the second time in four years. Galway were once again the red-hot favourites and justified this tag by going seven points ahead in the opening thirty-five minutes thanks to a masterful display by Joe Cooney. Cork fought back with an equally expert display by newly restored captain Tomás Mulcahy. The game was effectively decided on an incident which occurred midway through the second half when Cork goalkeeper Ger Cunningham blocked a point-blank shot from Martin Naughton with his nose. The umpires gave no 65-metre free, even though he clearly deflected it out wide. Cork went on to win a high-scoring and open game of hurling by 5–15 to 2–21. The victory gave McGuckin a coveted All-Ireland medal.

Honours

Player

North Monastery

• Croke Cup (1): 1985
• Harty Cup (1): 1985

Glen Rovers

• Cork Senior Hurling Championship (1): 1989

Cork

• All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (1): 1986, 1990
• Munster Senior Hurling Championship (2): 1990-1992
• Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship (1):
• All Ireland Under 21 Hurling Championship (1)
• All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship (1): 1985
• Munster Minor Hurling Championship (1): 1985