A County Tipperary born Christian Brother is looking forward to the challenge of training the Waterford senior hurling team against his native county next year.
Thurles born Br Philip Ryan was recently appointed a selector and trainer to the Waterford senior hurling team alongside new Waterford manager, Michael Ryan.
Speaking about his love for coaching, he said, “I always knew from a young age that I would end up coaching. I was a very average club player with Durlas Óg and Thurles CBS, but coaching was always something I had a flair for and wanted to do.”
Br Philip, who had a peripheral involvement with last year's Waterford team, will combine his new role with his current role where he is in charge of the Brother Edmund Rice Heritage and Conference Centre which also incorporates the CBS primary and secondary schools in Mount Sion in Waterford City.
Prior to his Waterford appointment, Br Philip had been involved with teams in Laois, Kildare and Limerick, and recently gave a coaching session to the Clonoulty Rossmore team prior to this year's Tipperary senior hurling final.
According to Br Philip, “This is my most high profile challenge and I suppose I am maintaining continuity between the squads of last year and this. I am moving up as selector and coach now and there is a lot of work to be done in this area. It is my biggest role yet and I am really looking forward to working with the players. It is a great privilege for me to have reached this level after over 25 years of coaching.”
Br Philip is not the first ‘man of the cloth’ from Munster to take on such a huge profile GAA coaching roll.
In 1990, Canon Michael O'Brien led Cork to an All-Ireland hurling title, while the current President of Saint Patrick's College in Thurles, Fr Tom Fogarty has managed both Tipperary and Offaly at senior hurling level.