Shane Dowling (born 21 February 1993) is an Irish hurler who plays as a goalkeeper for club side

Na Piarsaigh Na Piarsaigh Hurling and Football Club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in Fair Hill, Cork, Ireland. The club is affiliated to the Seandún Board and fields teams in both hurling and Gaelic football. History Located in the Fair Hill area ...

and previously as a half-forward at inter-county level with the Limerick senior hurling team.

Playing career

College

Dowling first came to prominence as a hurler with Ardscoil Rís in

Limerick Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...

. Having played in every grade as a hurler, he was centre-forward on the college's senior hurling team. On 11 March 2010, Dowling scored a point from play when Ardscoil Rís defeated Thurles CBS in the final of the Harty Cup. On 27 February 2011, Dowling was again at centre-forward when Ardscoil Rís retained the Harty Cup title after a 3-19 to 0-03 defeat of C.B.S. Charleville in the final.

Club

Dowling joined the

club at a young age and played in all grades at juvenile and underage levels, enjoying championship success in the under-16, minor and under-21 grades. On 2 October 2011, Dowling scored 1-10 from right corner-forward in Na Piarsaigh's 2-18 to 0-13 defeat of

Adare Adare (; ) is a village in County Limerick, Ireland, located southwest of the city of Limerick. Adare is designated as a heritage town by the Irish government. The village is in a townland and civil parish of the same name. History The River M ...

to win their first Limerick Championship. He later won a Munster Championship medal following a 1-13 to 0-09 defeat of

Crusheen Crusheen () is a small village in County Clare, Ireland, in the civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish of Crusheen (Inchicronan). Location The village is 10 kilometres northeast of Ennis on the R458 road (Ireland), R458 road to Gort. It is in ...

in the final. After surrendering their titles the following year, Dowling won a second Limerick Championship medal at midfield when Na Piarsaigh defeated

by 0-14 to 0-12 on 6 October 2013. He was switched to full-forward for the subsequent Munster Championship, which culminated with him winning a second provincial medal after a 4-14 to 0-08 defeat of

Sixmilebridge Sixmilebridge () is a large village in County Clare, Ireland. Located midway between Ennis and Limerick city, the village is a short distance away from the main N18 road (Ireland), N18 roads in Ireland, road. Locally, it is commonly called 'the ...

in the final. Dowling won a third Limerick Championship medal on 11 October 2015 after a 1-22 to 4-12 defeat of

Patrickswell Patrickswell, historically known as Toberpatrick (), is a small town in County Limerick, Ireland. It is primarily a commuter village for people working in Limerick, including the nearby industrial suburb of Raheen. The population was 848 at th ...

in the final. Later that season he won a third Munster medal after scoring 1-04 in a 2-18 to 2-11 defeat of

Ballygunner Ballygunner (), is a civil parish in County Waterford, Ireland. It lies on the southern outskirts of Waterford city. The placename is derived, in part, from the Old Norse masculine personal name ''Gunnarr''. Ballygunner contains several townl ...

. On 17 March 2016, Dowling won an

All-Ireland All-Ireland (sometimes All-Island) is a term used to describe organisations and events whose interests extend over the entire island of Ireland, as opposed to the separate jurisdictions of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. "All-Irelan ...

medal when Na Piarsaigh defeated Ruairí Óg by 2-25 to 2-14 in the final. On 15 October 2017, Dowling won a fourth Limerick Championship medal when Na Piarsaigh defeated

Kilmallock Kilmallock () is a town in south County Limerick, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, near the border with County Cork, 30 km south of Limerick city. There is a Dominican Priory in the town and King John's Castle (Kilmallock), King's Castle (or K ...

by 1-22 to 2-14 in the final. He was substituted in the 43rd minute after picking up an injury. Scans initially showed cartilage damage, but during surgery a fracture was also discovered inside his knee which ended his participation in the Munster Championship. Dowling's participation in the All-Ireland series was also in doubt, however, he was introduced as a substitute in the All-Ireland semi-final against Slaughtneil and set up a goal for Kevin Downes before scoring his own goal. On 17 March 2018, he was at midfield when Na Piarsaigh were defeated by Cuala in the All-Ireland final. On 27 October 2018, Dowling won a fifth Limerick Championship medal after scoring 0-12 in Na Piarsaigh's 2-22 to 3-10 defeat of Doon. He coaches the under 14’ at his club and has brought them to win one county championships in under 13 and feile in under 14

Inter-county

Minor and under-21

Dowling first played for Limerick at minor level as a sixteen-year-old. He made his first appearance for the team on 29 April 2009, replacing John Fitzgibbon at half-time in a 1-21 to 0-11 defeat by Tipperary. He was eligible for the minor grade for the following two seasons, however, Limerick faced respective defeats by

Clare Clare may refer to: Places Antarctica * Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land Australia * Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley * Clare Valley, South Australia Canada * Clare (electoral district), an electoral district * Cl ...

and Waterford. In his final year on the minor team, Dowling was drafted onto the Limerick under-21 team. On 3 August 2011, he scored seven points, including six frees, when Limerick defeated

Cork "Cork" or "CORK" may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Stopper (plug), or "cork", a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container *** Wine cork an item to seal or reseal wine Places Ireland * ...

by 4-20 to 1-27 in the

final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...

of the Munster Championship. Dowling was appointed captain of the Limerick under-21 hurling team during his fourth and final season on the team in 2014.

Senior

Dowling made his senior debut for Limerick on 25 February 2012 in a 2-24 to 1-13

National Hurling League The National Hurling League is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition featuring teams from Ireland and England. Founded in 1925 by the Gaelic Athletic Association, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation within the l ...

defeat by Clare. Later that season he made his first Munster Championship appearance in a 2-20 to 1-19 defeat by Tipperary. On 30 June 2012, Dowling scored 3-09 in an All-Ireland Qualifier defeat of Antrim. It was the highest personal tally for any player in that year's championship. After playing a number of games for Limerick after returning from club duty during the 2013 National League, Dowling was surprisingly dropped from the starting fifteen by team manager John Allen for the team's opening championship game against Tipperary. Recalling being left on the bench, he later said: "I took that very hard at the time. Growing up I was never a sub on any team I had ever played for so, at the time, John Allen was the demon, the big bad wolf. I genuinely thought my inter-county career was over. I was devastated." Dowling was introduced as a 49th-minute substitute for

Séamus Hickey Séamus Hickey (born 2 October 1987) is an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Murroe-Boher from 2005 to 2019 and is now a member of the Croagh-Kilfinny club. Hickey was a member of the Limerick senior inter-county tea ...

and scored two points in a three-point victory. On 14 July 2013, he scored three points from play after being introduced as a substitute in Limerick's 0-24 to 0-15 defeat of

in the

Munster final Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...

. Dowling returned to the Limerick starting fifteen under new joint-managers Dónal O'Grady and T. J. Ryan in

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

. After scoring 2-09 in Limerick's Munster Championship defeat of Tipperary on 1 June 2014, he later revealed how he had been the subject of an abusive text message: "Last week, the chairman of the club showed me a text message from a journalist in Limerick. I’ve no problem with someone voicing their opinion. That particular person personally abused me in that text message. I don’t say that lightly. Thank God, that we answered that today." On 24 October 2014, Dowling was named on the All-Star Team. On 10 June 2018, Dowling's tally of 0-15 in a Munster Championship game allowed him to replace Gary Kirby as Limerick's all-time top championship scorer. On 19 August 2018, Dowling scored a goal after coming on as a substitute when Limerick won their first

title in 45 years after a 3-16 to 2-18 defeat of

Galway Galway ( ; , ) is a City status in Ireland, city in (and the county town of) County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay. It is the most populous settlement in the province of Connacht, the List of settleme ...

in the

. On 31 March 2019, Dowling started Limerick's National League final meeting with

Waterford Waterford ( ) is a City status in Ireland, city in County Waterford in the South-East Region, Ireland, south-east of Ireland. It is located within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster. The city is situated at the head of Waterford H ...

on the bench. He was introduced as a 64th-minute substitute for Tom Morrissey and collected a winners' medal following the 1-24 to 0-19 victory. On 30 June 2019, Dowling won his first Munster Championship medal in six years after coming on as a 66th-minute substitute for

Gearóid Hegarty Gearóid M. Hegarty (born 10 August 1994) is an Irish hurler and Gaelic footballer who plays as a right wing-forward for club side St Patrick's and at inter-county level with the Limerick senior hurling team. He is a former member of the Lim ...

in Limerick's 2-26 to 2-14 defeat of Tipperary in the

. On 2 July 2020, Dowling announced his retirement from inter-county hurling due to degenerative knee and cartilage issues. In November 2024, it was announced that Dowling would come out of retirement to be part of the Limerick senior hurling panel as a goalkeeper after playing the last two years in goal for his club.

Inter-provincial

Dowling was selected for the

Munster Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...

inter-provincial team for the first time on 17 February 2013. He later won a

Railway Cup The GAA Interprovincial Championship () or Railway Cup (''Corn an Iarnróid'') is the name of two annual Gaelic football and hurling competitions held between the provinces of Ireland. The Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster GAA teams are co ...

medal following a 1-22 to 0-15 defeat of

Connacht Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...

in the final. Dowling was also selected for the Munster team in 2016.

Career statistics

Club

Inter-county

Honours

;Ardscoil Rís *

Dr Harty Cup The Dr. Harty Cup is an annual inter-schools hurling competition organised by the Munster GAA, Munster PPS GAA division of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It has been contested every year, except on three occasions, since 1918. As the pin ...

(2): 2010, 2011 ;Na Piarsaigh *

All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Club Championship, known simply as the All-Ireland Club Championship, is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-coun ...

(1):

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship The Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the AIB Munster GAA Hurling Senior Club Championship) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster GAA, Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Associatio ...

(4):

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

Limerick Senior Hurling Championship The Limerick Senior Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Bon Secours Hospital County Senior Hurling Championship and abbreviated to the Limerick SHC) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Limerick County Board ...

(5):

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

;Limerick *

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship, known simply as the All-Ireland Championship, is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest-tier competition for ...

(1):

Munster Senior Hurling Championship The Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Munster Championship, is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition organised by the Munster GAA, Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the h ...

(1):

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

(1):

Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship The Munster GAA Hurling Under-20 Championship, known simply as the Munster Under-20 Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-c ...

(1):

;Munster *

(2):

;Individual *

GAA GPA All Stars Awards The Gaelic Athletic Association-Gaelic Players' Association All Stars Awards (often known simply as the All Stars) are awarded annually to the best player in each of the 15 playing positions in Gaelic football and hurling. Additionally, one play ...

(1): 2014

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dowling, Shane 1993 births Living people Na Piarsaigh (Limerick) hurlers Limerick inter-county hurlers Munster inter-provincial hurlers Sportspeople from Limerick (city) 21st-century Irish sportsmen