Dónal O'Grady

Daniel J. O'Grady (born 31 December 1953), known as Dónal O'Grady, is an Irish former hurler and manager.

At club level he was a dual player with St. Finbarr's, while he was also a member of the Cork senior hurling team.

O'Grady enjoyed a hugely successful club career with St. Finbarr's. A dual All-Ireland club medal-winner, he also won Munster club titles and a total of nine Cork county medals across both codes.

He was a member of the North Mon team, captained by his brother Des, that won Harty Cup and Croke Cup titles in 1970.

O'Grady's club career began at juvenile and underage levels as a dual player with the St. Finabrr's club.

He was on the St. Finbarr's minor football team that beat Macroom to win the Cork MFC title in 1971 before winning a Cork U21FC title in 1973.

By that stage O'Grady had joined the club's top adult teams in both codes.

O'Grady was somewhat overlooked at underage levels, but was called up to the Cork under-21 football team in 1973 and won a Munster U21FC medal that year as a non-playing substitute.

O'Grady had his first senior success in 1974 when he was a substitute on the St. Finbarr's team that beat Blackrock to claim the Cork SHC title.

After playing just one game during that campaign, a number of injuries to the more regular players allowed O'Grady establish himself on the starting fifteen as St. Finbarr's won the subsequent Munster Club SHC title.

He was at centre-back when St. Finbarr's beat Fenians in the 1975 All-Ireland club final.

A proposed transfer to the University College Cork club in 1975 never materialised, with O'Grady remaining with St. Finbarr's. He claimed a Cork SFC medal after a defeat of St. Michael's in the 1976 final.

O'Grady won a second Cork SHC medal in 1977 when Glen Rovers were beaten in front of a record final attendance.

He first appeared at senior level with Cork during the 1977-78 National Hurling League.

St. Finbarr's later reclaimed the Munster club title after a defeat of Sixmilebridge, before O'Grady won a second All-Ireland club winners' medal when Rathnure were beaten in the 1978 All-Ireland club final.

O'Grady was retained for the subsequent Munster SHC campaign and won his first provincial medal as a non-playing substitute when Cork beat Clare by two points in the 1978 Munster final.

He failed to make the matchday panel of 21 players when Cork beat Kilkenny in the 1978 All-Ireland final.

O'Grady added to his medal collection in 1979 when he won a second Cork SFC title after a defeat of Castlehaven in the final.

He later became a dual Munster Club medal-winner when St. Finbarr's beat Kilrush Shamrocks to win the provincial title.

O'Grady was at corner-back when St. Finbarr's won the All-Ireland Club SFC title after a ten-point defeat of St. Grellan's in 1980.

The 1980-81 season proved to be a hugely successful one for O'Grady.

St. Finbarr's won a Cork double of football and hurling titles, with O'Grady lining out in both finals with defeats of Glen Rovers and UCC.

He later won a second consecutive Munster club medal in football and a third Munster club medal in hurling as St. Finbarr's secured a provincial double.

As a result of St. Finbarr's winning the 1980 Cork SHC title, O'Grady was nominated as Cork team captain for the 1981 season.

It was a successful start to the season, with O'Grady claiming his first national title after Cork beat Offaly by 3-11 to 2-08 to win the 1980–81 National League title.

The club narrowly missed out on an All-Ireland double, with O'Grady claiming a second successive All-Ireland club football medal before losing the 1981 All-Ireland club hurling final to Ballyhale Shamrocks.

O'Grady was selected as captain of the St. Finbarr's senior hurling team for 1981.

That year he won his fourth Cork SHC medal as St. Finbarr's retained the title after beating Glen Rovers in the final.

O'Grady claimed a sixth winners' medal when St. Finbarr's made it three titles in-a-row with a five-point win over Blackrock in the 1982 final.

He found it difficult to retain a place on the starting fifteen but won a second Munster SHC medal, his first on the field of play, after coming on as a substitute when Cork beat Waterford by 31 points in the 1982 Munster final.

O'Grady was an unused substitute when Cork were beaten by Kilkenny in the 1982 All-Ireland final.

O'Grady took over from Martin O'Doherty as Cork's first choice full-back in 1982.

He won a third Munster SHC medal that year as Cork retained the provincial title after a second consecutive defeat of Waterford.

As an inter-county full-back, O'Grady captained Cork to a National League title and won four Munster SHC medals, before crowning his career with an All-Ireland SHC victory in centenary year in 1984.

As a coach, O'Grady has been involved at all levels with the St. Finbarr's club.

Four-in-a-row proved beyond St. Finbarr's, however, O'Grady brought his Cork SHC medal tally to six when he lined out at full-back in a 1-15 to 2-04 defeat of Ballyhea in the 1984 final.

A recurring back injury resulted in O'Grady retiring from club activity in 1985.

20 years after winning an All-Ireland title as a player, he managed Cork to All-Ireland glory in 2004.

O'Grady also took charge of Limerick as manager and joint-manager on two separate occasions.

Born and raised in Cork, O'Grady first played as a schoolboy in various juvenile competitions before later lining out as a student at the North Monastery.