John Gardiner

John Gardiner (born 8 February 1983) is an Irish retired hurler who played for Cork Senior Championship club Na Piarsaigh.

He played for the Cork senior hurling team for 11 seasons, during which time he usually lined out as a right wing-back.

A commanding and combative defender, Gardiner was part of a dominant half-back line that also included Seán Óg Ó hAilpín and Ronan Curran.

Gardiner began his hurling career at club level with Na Piarsaigh.

John Gardiner was born in Farranree on the north side of Cork City in 1983.

He was educated at Scoil Isogain before later attending St. Finbarr's College, a hurling nursery for local talent.

It was here that Gardiner first tasted success as he became a key member of many of the school's victorious hurling and Gaelic football teams.

Gardiner first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a dual player at minor level with Cork in 2000.

That year he lined out in his first Munster hurling final in the under-18 grade.

Limerick provided the opposition on that occasion, however, they were no match for 'the Rebels'.

A 2–19 to 1–10 trouncing gave Cork the victory and gave Gardiner a Munster medal.

At inter-county level, Gardiner was part of the successful Cork minor team that won the All-Ireland Championship in 2001 before later lining out with the under-21 team for three seasons.

In 2001 Gardiner was still a key member of the Cork minor hurling team.

They surrendered their Munster title to Tipperary following a conclusive 1–13 to 1–6 defeat.

Cork, however, still had a chance to claim the All-Ireland title via the 'back door'.

After coming through the All-Ireland series Gardiner's side reached the championship decider.

For the second year in succession Galway were the opponents.

Gardiner produced a fantastic exhibition of hurling in that game as Cork went on to win by 2–10 to 1–8, giving him an All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship medal.

Gardiner later joined the Cork under-21 hurling team, however, he enjoyed little success in this grade.

Gardiner's performances in the minor grade brought him to the attentions of the Cork senior selectors.

He joined the Cork senior team in 2002.

He made his debut in a National Hurling League game against Derry in 2002, and subsequently lined out in the final.

Kilkenny were the winners on that occasion on a score line of 2–15 to 2–14.

Gardiner later made his championship debut in a one-point defeat of Limerick.

While the Cork hurling team should have gone from strength to strength as a result of a solid foundation at minor and under-21 levels the opposite happened.

A series of embarrassing defeats saw the Cork hurling team reach rock bottom and call a players' strike just before Christmas in 2002.

Had the strike failed it could have meant the end of his and his teammates' careers, however, in the end the county board relented and met the demands.

Although still amateur sportsmen the Cork senior hurling team were treated as professional athletes.

In 2003 Cork's players were vindicated in taking a stand as the team reached the Munster final for the first time in three years.

He eventually broke onto the club's senior team and enjoyed his greatest success when Na Piarsaigh won the 2004 Cork Senior Championship.

From his debut, Gardiner was ever-present as a defender and made a combined total of 104 National League and Championship appearances in a career that ended with his last game in 2004 and 2005.

Gardiner also secured three Munster Championship medals.

In 2004 he lined out in the final of the county senior championship with Cloyne providing the opposition.

A 0–17 to 0–10 score line gave Na Piarsaigh the victory and gave Gardiner a county senior championship winners' medal.

Gardiner won his only All-Star in 2005 while he was also selected as Hurler of the Year by his peers in the Gaelic Players Association.

At inter-provincial level, he was selected to play in six championship campaigns with Munster and claimed Railway Cup medals as captain in 2005 and 2007.

He later studied at the Cork Institute of Technology and has worked as an official with the Ulster Bank since 2007.

Gardiner plays his club hurling and Gaelic football with his local club called Na Piarsaigh and has enjoyed much success.

After enjoying little success in the minor and under-21 grades, he subsequently joined the Na Piarsaigh senior hurling team and became a key fixture at left wing-back.

He retired from inter-county hurling after being released from the Cork panel in November 2012.