View source for Tony Considine

{{EngvarB|date=September 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{BLP sources|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox GAA manager | 
|image=
|name =Tony Considine
|irish =
|birth_place =[[Cratloe]], [[County Clare]], Ireland
|nickname=
|feet=
|inches=
|occupation=
|sport=Hurling
|clyears= 
|club=Garryspillane
|winningclubs=Garryspillane
|clallireland=0
|clprovince=0
|clcounty=1
|county=Clare
|icyears=2006–2007
|winningcounties=
|icprovince=
|icallireland=
|league=
|}}
'''Tony Considine''' served as [[Manager (Gaelic Games)|manager]] of the [[Clare county hurling team|Clare senior hurling team]] from November 2006<ref name="rte">{{cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/2006/1011/clare.html|title=Considine gets the Banner job|website=[[RTÉ.ie]] |date=11 October 2006 |accessdate=5 March 2009}}</ref> until August 2007.<ref name="sacked">{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/funny_old_game/6954951.stm|title=Quotes of the Week |accessdate=5 March 2009 | work=BBC News | date=21 August 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tribune.ie/archive/article/2007/aug/19/chaos-in-clare-as-oneill-calls-for-heads-to-roll/|title=Chaos in Clare as O'Neill calls for heads to roll|accessdate=5 March 2009}}{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }}</ref> Prior to his role with Clare, Considine had guided the [[County Limerick]] club [[Garryspillane GAA|Garryspillane]] to a county senior title in 2005.<ref name="rte"/>

== Clare manager ==
===Appointment===
Considine was ratified as the Clare hurling manager, to succeed [[Anthony Daly (hurler)|Anthony Daly]], at a county board meeting in Ennis in November 2006.  He had previously served as a selector on the Clare All-Ireland junior winning team of 1993 under [[Mike McNamara]]. At senior level, he was also part of [[Ger Loughnane]]'s senior Clare hurling backroom team (along with McNamara) in the mid-1990s.<ref name="rte"/> Considine had also spent a number of years as a "controversial and very earnest" pundit with the [[Irish Examiner]] newspaper where his critical viewpoint did not always draw the appreciation of players.{{who|date=June 2023}}

In October 2006, on a local radio programme, Considine had expressed his dismay that his friend Ger Loughnane had accepted a management role with [[Galway GAA]] and urged Clare [[Gaelic Athletic Association]] leaders to "stop talented GAA people leaving Clare".{{fact|date=June 2023}} Considine was subsequently approached to take over the role of Clare hurling manager.{{fact|date=May 2024}}

Upon his ratification as the manager in November 2006, Considine announced a backroom team which included Tim Crowe, Ciaran O'Neill, former Clare hurler Pat O'Connor and Ger Ward.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} Ger Ward, however, stood down from his role as Clare selector in February 2007.<ref name="nofavours">{{cite web|url = https://www.hoganstand.com/article/index/87222 | website = hoganstand.com | title = Controversies do no favours | date = 29 December 2007 | accessdate = 8 May 2024 }}</ref>

In May 2007, the Clare manager had to survive an attempted vote of no confidence at a county board meeting.<ref name="noconfi">{{cite web|url = https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-30309177.html | website = Irish Examiner | title = Considine remains in charge in Clare | date = 4 May 2007 | accessdate = 8 May 2024 }}</ref> According to the ''Irish Examiner'', the vote arose following a "row with goalkeeper Davy Fitzgerald".<ref name="noconfi"/>

=== Player departures ===
A few months into Considine's tenure, it was reported that the veteran Clare goalkeeper [[Davy Fitzgerald]] was unhappy with aspects of Considine's approach.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hoganstand.com/Clare/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=71930|title=Fitzgerald to quit?|work=Hogan Stand website|date=28 January 2007|access-date=21 October 2012}}</ref> And, despite a meeting between the two, Fitzgerald was omitted from Clare's National League panel.<ref name="IT2007">{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/no-place-for-fitzgerald-in-panel-1.1299157 |title=No place for Fitzgerald in panel|work=Irish Times|date=15 February 2007|access-date=21 October 2012}}</ref> Fitzgerald's departure was linked to a disagreement between the pair about "training regimes".<ref name="IT2007"/><ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/bridge-call-on-officials-in-clare-row/26274677.html | website = Irish Independent | title = 'Bridge call on officials in Clare row | date = 8 February 2007 | accessdate = 8 May 2024 }}</ref> [[Philip Brennan (Clare hurler)|Philip Brennan]] became Clare's goalkeeper for the 2007 season.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/fitzgerald-returns-to-clare-after-year-out/26421165.html | website = Irish Independent | title =Fitzgerald returns to Clare after year out | date = 5 February 2008 | accessdate = 8 May 2024 | quote = [Fitzgerald] sat out the entire 2007 season when agreement with Tony Considine after a dispute they had in January couldn't be resolved [..] In Fitzgerald's absence Philip Brennan managed to establish himself as a goalkeeper of rich quality }}</ref>

The forward [[Tony Carmody]] also left the Clare squad, early in Considine's tenure, during the [[2007 National Hurling League]] campaign.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-20109235.html | website = Irish Examiner | title = Carmody rejects Banner invitation | date = 8 January 2010 | accessdate = 8 May 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.hoganstand.com/article/index/75962 | website = hoganstand.com | title = Carmody's Clare future in doubt | date = 19 April 2007 | accessdate = 8 May 2024 }}</ref> Another Clare forward, [[Tony Griffin (hurler)|Tony Griffen]], an all-star winner in 2006, decided to undertake a cycle across both Ireland and Canada to raise funds for cancer research in the wake of the death of his father from the disease between February and June 2007. This meant Clare was without the service of another experienced attacking player.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

Prior to the start of the Munster championship clash with Cork at Semple Stadium on 27 May 2007, a number of players from both the Clare and Cork teams engaged in a pre-match scuffle.<ref name="bust">{{cite web|url = https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/three-infamous-big-match-bustups/26626492.html | work = Irish Independent | title = Three infamous big-match bustups | date = 26 January 2010 | accessdate = 8 May 2024 }}</ref> Several Cork and Clare players were subsequently handed four-week suspensions.<ref name="bust"/>

=== On field performances ===
The Clare senior hurling team endured a poor 2007 failing to qualify for the quarter-finals of the [[Allianz]] [[National Hurling League]]. The division 1A campaign saw defeats to [[Wexford GAA|Wexford]] and [[Cork GAA|Cork]] with the home win over Waterford the subsequent League and Munster champions the only highlights.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

On 27 May 2007, Clare lost to Cork in the Munster championship opening round game on a scoreline of 1–18 to 1–11.<ref name="bust"/> A pre-match scuffle between these sides resulted in one-month bans to [[Colin Lynch]], [[Alan Markham]], [[Andrew Quinn (hurler)|Andrew Quinn]] and [[Barry Nugent]].<ref name="bust"/>

Considine subsequently saw his side draw [[Laois GAA|Laois]], [[Antrim GAA|Antrim]] and [[Galway GAA|Galway]] in the [[2007 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship]] back-door qualifiers.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} During the qualifiers, Clare narrowly defeated Galway by 2–10 to 0–14.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2007/0708/gavinkenny.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070917202831/http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2007/0708/gavinkenny.html | archive-date=17 September 2007 | title=RTÉ Sport: Clare 2-10 Galway 0-14, by Gavin Kenny | website=[[RTÉ.ie]] }}</ref> With other wins against Antrim and Laois, Clare emerged top of group A to qualify for the quarter-final of the All-Ireland.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} Considine's side were defeated, at the [[2007_All-Ireland_Senior_Hurling_Championship#Quarter-finals|2007 quarter-finals stage]], by Limerick.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.hoganstand.com/county/limerick/article/index/81189 | website = hoganstand.com | title = SHC quarter-final: Limerick accelerate past Clare | date = 29 July 2007 | accessdate = 8 May 2024 }}</ref> This game, on 29 July 2007, was Tony Considine's final game in charge of Clare.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

== Role with Clare ends ==
Following a season, described in the ''Irish Independent'' as a "troubled season" and in the ''[[Irish Examiner]]'' newspaper as being "shrouded in controversy" and causing members of the Clare county board "much annoyance", Considine was dismissed from his role as Clare hurling manager in August 2007.<ref name="indo2009"/><ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-30323659.html | website = Irish Examiner | title = Considine voted out as manager of Clare hurlers | date = 15 August 2007 | accessdate = 8 May 2024 }}</ref> Club delegates at a Clare county board meeting voted 45 to 6 to remove the management from their roles.<ref name="indo2009">{{cite web|url = https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/managerial-mayhem/26577209.html | work = Irish Independent | title = Managerial mayhem | date = 29 October 2009 | accessdate = 8 May 2024 }}</ref> Following his departure, Considine expressed his disappointment at the manner of his dismissal and reportedly stated that "Even Saddam Hussein got a trial".<ref name="sacked"/> [[Mike McNamara]] succeeded Considine as manager of the [[Clare county hurling team|Clare senior hurling team]] ahead of the 2008 season.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.rte.ie/sport/hurling/2007/0919/222871-clare/ | website = rte.ie | title = McNamara confirmed as new Clare boss | date = 19 September 2007 | accessdate = 8 May 2024 }}</ref>

Considine subsequently returned to working as a hurling media pundit.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-sports}}
{{succession box
| before=[[Anthony Daly (hurler)|Anthony Daly]]
| title=[[Clare county hurling team|Clare Senior Hurling Manager]]
| years=2006–2007
| after=[[Mike McNamara]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Clare county hurling team managers}}
{{Clare Hurling Team 1995}}
{{Clare Hurling Team 1997}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Considine, Tony}}
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Hurling managers]]
[[Category:People from Cratloe]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from County Clare]]