Nickey Brennan

More recently, he served as the 35th president of the Gaelic Athletic Association.

Nicholas "Nickey" Brennan (born 3 December 1953) is an Irish former hurler, manager and Gaelic games administrator.

He played as a right wing-back at senior level for the Kilkenny county team.

In 1971 he was at corner-back as the team secured a place in the provincial decider.

A huge 7–18 to 3–5 trouncing of Wexford have Brennan a Leinster medal.

The subsequent All-Ireland decider saw reigning champions and three-in-a-row hopefuls Cork providing the opposition.

A narrow 2–11 to 1–11 defeat was Kilkenny's lot on that occasion.

Brennan joined the team during the 1974 championship and was a regular member of the starting fifteen until his retirement after the 1985 championship.

During that time he won two All-Ireland medals, three Leinster medals and two National Hurling League medals.

At club level Brennan had a lengthy career with Conahy Shamrocks.

In retirement from playing Brennan became involved in team management and coaching.

He was manager of the Kilkenny senior team, having served as a selector for the previous four years.

He also managed the county football team, and the county under-21 hurling team.

By 1974 Brennan had joined the Kilkenny under-21 team and was in his final year in the grade.

A 3–8 to 1–5 defeat of reigning champions Kilkenny secured a Leinster medal for Brennan.

The subsequent All-Ireland decider pitted Kilkenny against Waterford, who were making their first appearance in the final.

A narrow 3–8 to 3–7 victory gave Brennan an All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship medal.

That same year Brennan joined the Kilkenny senior team.

He came on as a substitute in the provincial decider as Kilkenny narrowly defeated Wexford by 6–13 to 2–24.

It was his first Leinster medal.

Brennan was an unused substitute for Kilkenny's subsequent All-Ireland defeat of Limerick.

In 1975 Brennan was an unused substitute once again as Kilkenny retained their Leinster and All-Ireland titles.

He was a key part of the team that won both junior and intermediate titles in 1976 and 1977.

Brennan first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Kilkenny minor hurling team.

Brennan was dropped from the panel for a number of seasons but returned to the starting fifteen in 1979.

A 2–21 to 2–17 defeat of Wexford gave him a second Leinster medal on the field of play.

Galway provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland decider and took a two-point lead twelve minuted into the second half, however, they failed to score again.

Two long-range goals from Liam "Chunky" O'Brien and Mick "Cloney" Brennan gave Kilkenny a 2–12 to 1–8 victory.

It was Brennan's first All-Ireland medal on the field of play.

Kilkenny took a back seat to Offaly over the next few years, however, the team bounced back in 1982.

A 2–14 to 1–11 defeat of Wexford in the decider gave Brennan a first National Hurling League medal.

The subsequent championship campaign saw Kilkenny reach the decider once again.

A 1–11 to 0–12 defeat of Offaly gave Brennan a third Leinster medal.

The subsequent All-Ireland final saw the Cats face their old rivals from Cork.

In spite of being regarded as underdogs, Christy Heffernan's two goals in a forty-second spell and a third by Ger Fennelly powered Kilkenny to a 3–18 to 1–15 victory, a game in which Brennan held Cork's famed captain Jimmy Barry-Murphy scoreless for 70 minutes.

It was Brennan's second All-Ireland medal on the field of play.

Kilkenny retained their National League title in 1982 following a 2–14 to 2–12 defeat of Limerick.

Brennan was also a Gaelic games administrator with the Kilkenny County Board and the Leinster Council before assuming the office of President of the Gaelic Athletic Association in 2006.

His brothers, Kieran and Canice, were also All-Ireland medalists with Kilkenny.

Brennan, along with his brother, Kieran, played club hurling and football with his local club Conahy Shamrocks.