Joe Canning facts for kids
.jpg) |
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Hurling | ||
| Position | Centre forward | ||
| Born | 11 October 1988 Portumna, County Galway, Ireland |
||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Occupation | Publican and restaurateur | ||
| Club(s) | |||
| Years | Club | Apps (scores) | |
|
2004–present
|
Portumna | 113 (62-907) | |
| Club titles | |||
| Galway titles | 5 | ||
| Leinster titles | 2 | ||
| All-Ireland Titles | 4 | ||
| Colleges(s) | |||
| Years | College | ||
|
2007–2013
|
Limerick Institute of Technology | ||
| College titles | |||
| Fitzgibbon titles | 1 | ||
| Inter-county(ies)* | |||
| Years | County | Apps (scores) | |
|
2008–2021
|
Galway | 62 (27-486) | |
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Leinster titles | 3 | ||
| All-Irelands | 1 | ||
| NHL | 3 | ||
| All Stars | 5 | ||
| *Inter County team apps and scores correct as of 14:00, 28 July 2021. | |||
Joe Canning is a famous Irish hurler who played for his local club, Portumna, and for the Galway senior team. Many people think he is one of the best hurlers ever!
Joe played for 14 seasons with the Galway senior team. He won five All-Star awards, which are like the best player awards. In 2017, he was even named GAA-GPA Hurler of the Year.
During his time with Galway, Joe won seven big trophies. These included one All-Ireland Championship, three Leinster Championships, and three National Hurling Leagues.
Joe was amazing at scoring, both from open play and from special free shots. He holds the record for the most scores from sideline cuts (28 of them!). He also became the championship's all-time top scorer with 27 goals and 486 points. He played in 62 championship games for Galway, which is a record for the county.
Joe grew up in Portumna, County Galway. He started playing hurling for the Portumna club when he was very young. He joined the senior club team at just 15 years old in 2004 and quickly became a key player.
In his second year, Joe helped his club win their second ever County Championship. They then went on to win the All-Ireland Club Championship in 2006. This was the first of four county titles in five years for him. He also won All-Ireland club titles in 2008 and 2009. Joe won his fifth county championship in 2013, and then his fourth All-Ireland club medal.
Joe played for Galway at different age levels for 17 years. As a younger player, he won two All-Ireland Minor Championships and one All-Ireland Under-21 Championship.
He made his senior debut for Galway in 2008. That year, he won his first All-Star award and was named Young Hurler of the Year. In 2012, Joe won his third All-Star and was nominated for Hurler of the Year. This was after Galway won their first ever Leinster Championship.
The year 2017 was a huge one for Joe. He was named Hurler of the Year after helping Galway win the National League, the Leinster Championship, and their first All-Ireland Championship in 29 years! In 2018, he earned his fifth All-Star award and was nominated for Hurler of the Year again. This was after winning a third Leinster Championship and playing in his fourth All-Ireland final.
Contents
Joe Canning's Life Story
Joe Canning was born in Portumna in 1988. His family has a strong history in hurling. His uncle, Frankie Canning, played for Galway's minor team. Joe has several brothers and a sister, Deirdre. Many of his siblings, including his brother Ollie and sister Deirdre, also won All-Ireland medals in hurling or camogie.
Joe's family taught him to love hurling from a young age. He was a very talented player in both hurling and rugby when he was younger. He went to school locally and later studied Business and Marketing at the Limerick Institute of Technology.
Playing Hurling: Joe's Journey
Playing for Limerick Institute of Technology
In 2007, Joe Canning joined the hurling team at Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT). He won a Fitzgibbon Cup medal that year, which is a big college hurling competition. LIT beat National University of Ireland, Galway in the final.
In 2008, LIT tried to win the Fitzgibbon Cup again. They reached the final against the Waterford Institute of Technology. Even though Joe scored an amazing 1 goal and 16 points in that game, his team still lost.
Joe only won the Fitzgibbon Cup once, but he was so good that in 2012, he was named as a full-forward on the Fitzgibbon Cup centenary team, which celebrated 100 years of the competition.
Playing for Portumna Club
Joe started playing for the Portumna club when he was very young. He played at all levels as he grew up. He made his first appearance for the club's senior team when he was only 15 years old in 2004.
On 13 November 2005, Joe scored 1 goal and 11 points for Portumna. They beat Loughrea to win their second ever Galway Senior Championship title. He was also the top scorer when Portumna won the Connacht Senior Club Hurling Championship on 20 November.
Joe won his first All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship medal on 17 March 2006. Portumna beat Newtownshandrum in the final. Joe scored 1 goal and 6 points and was named the best player of the match.
On 21 October 2007, Joe played in his third straight Galway Championship final. He scored 3 goals and 4 points as Portumna easily beat Kinvara. In November, they won the last Connacht Championship title.
On 17 March 2008, Joe scored 10 points in the All-Ireland final. He even scored a free from over 100 metres away! Portumna beat Birr, and Joe was called a "phenomenon" for his amazing performance. He was the top scorer in that championship.
On 2 November 2008, Joe won his third Galway Senior Championship when Portumna won the title again. On 17 March 2009, he scored 9 points as Portumna won their All-Ireland Championship title for the second year in a row.
Joe won his third straight Galway Senior Championship medal on 15 November 2009. On 17 March 2010, he scored 10 points, but Portumna lost the All-Ireland final to Ballyhale Shamrocks.
On 28 October 2013, Joe scored 1 goal and 5 points to win his fifth Galway Senior Championship medal. On 17 March 2014, he won his fourth All-Ireland club medal, scoring 10 points in the final.
Playing for Galway: Minor and Under-21 Teams
Joe first played for Galway on the minor team (for younger players). He was only 15 when he played his first game on 15 August 2004. He scored 1 goal and 1 point in an All-Ireland semi-final win. In the All-Ireland final against Kilkenny, he scored 1 point in the drawn game. In the replay a week later, Joe scored 4 points, and Galway won the championship.
On 11 September 2005, Joe played in his second All-Ireland minor final. He was Galway's top scorer with 1 goal and 3 points as they beat Limerick.
Joe was made captain of the minor team in 2006. They were trying to win their third championship in a row. On 3 September 2006, Joe scored 5 points, but Galway lost the All-Ireland final to Tipperary. Joe later said he was frustrated because the team didn't play their best.
Joe also played for the Galway under-21 team. On 8 September 2007, he played in the All-Ireland final against Dublin. He scored 3 points in the win and earned his only All-Ireland medal at this level.
Playing for Galway: Senior Team
Joe Canning made his debut for the Galway senior team on 13 April 2008. He scored 4 points, including one of his famous sideline cuts. A week later, he scored 1 goal and 6 points in the National League final, but Galway lost.
On 28 June 2008, Joe played his first game in the All-Ireland Championship. He scored 2 goals and 6 points! At the end of that year, he won his first All-Star award and was named Young Hurler of the Year.
In 2009, Joe was the top scorer in the All-Ireland Championship with 3 goals and 46 points. He won his second All-Star award that year.
On 2 May 2010, Joe scored 1 goal and 5 points in the National League final, but Galway lost to Cork. On 4 July, he played in his first Leinster Championship final. He scored 2 points, but Galway lost to Kilkenny. Joe was Galway's top scorer in the championship and was nominated for his third All-Star.
The 2011 season was tough for Joe and Galway. Even so, he was nominated for his fourth All-Star award.
On 8 July 2012, Joe scored 1 goal and 10 points as Galway beat Kilkenny to win the Leinster Championship final for the first time ever! He was also named the best player of the match. On 9 September, Joe scored a last-minute free kick to get a draw with Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final. In the replay, Joe scored 9 points, but Kilkenny won. He was nominated for Hurler of the Year and won his third All-Star.
In December 2013, Joe was chosen as the captain of the Galway senior hurling team for 2014.
On 5 July 2015, Joe played in the Leinster Championship final against Kilkenny. He scored an amazing goal that was called one of the "classiest" ever seen in Croke Park. Galway lost the game, but Joe was the top scorer in the championship with 5 goals and 55 points. He was nominated for his sixth All-Star.
On 3 July 2016, Joe scored 6 points in Galway's loss to Kilkenny in the Leinster Championship final. After the championship, he had surgery on his hamstring.
Joe returned from injury on 19 February 2017. On 22 April, he scored 9 points as Galway won the National League title. Galway then reached the Leinster Championship final against Wexford. Joe was the top scorer with 10 points as Galway won.
On 6 August, Galway beat the All-Ireland Champions Tipperary in the semi-final. Joe scored 11 points, including 5 in the last 15 minutes. He scored the winning point for Galway with a "Miracle shot" from the sideline!
On 3 September 2017, Joe played in the All-Ireland final against Waterford. He was the top scorer for Galway as they won their first All-Ireland Championship in 29 years! Joe was named Hurler of the Year and won his fourth All-Star.
In 2018, Joe scored 6 points in a draw with Kilkenny in the Leinster Championship final. In the replay, he scored 10 points as Galway won. On 19 August, Joe played in the All-Ireland final against Limerick. He scored 1 goal and 10 points, but Limerick won the title. Joe was named on the All-Star team again and was nominated for Hurler of the Year.
In March 2019, Joe had a groin injury that needed surgery. This meant he couldn't play for a few months. He returned on 15 June 2019, but Galway were knocked out of the championship.
On 29 November 2020, in the All-Ireland semi-final against Limerick, Joe scored 4 points from sideline balls. This was a new championship record!
On 24 July 2021, Joe scored 9 points in a game against Waterford. This meant he passed Henry Shefflin to become the top scorer in the history of the hurling championship! He finished with 27 goals and 485 points.
Retirement from Inter-County Hurling
On 28 July 2021, Joe Canning announced that he was retiring from playing for the Galway inter-county team.
Joe's Media Work
Since 2022, Joe Canning has worked as a sports expert on RTÉ Sport's TV coverage of hurling championships. In January 2023, he was featured in an episode of the TV show Laochra Gael, which tells the stories of famous Gaelic games players.
Joe's Personal Life
In September 2010, Joe Canning became an Ambassador for UNICEF Ireland, which helps children around the world. He is also a brand ambassador for Audi cars.
He married Megan Hoare in November 2022. Joe also runs a restaurant in Galway and a bar in Athlone.
Career Statistics
Club
| Team | Year | Galway | Connacht | All-Ireland | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | ||
| Portumna | 2004–05 | 7 | 0-12 | — | — | 7 | 0-12 | ||
| 2005–06 | 7 | 10-52 | 1 | 1-09 | 2 | 2-13 | 10 | 13-74 | |
| 2006–07 | 5 | 3-46 | — | — | 5 | 3-46 | |||
| 2007–08 | 7 | 6-53 | 1 | 0-05 | 2 | 1-19 | 10 | 7-77 | |
| 2008–09 | 8 | 4-63 | — | 2 | 2-14 | 10 | 6-77 | ||
| 2009–10 | 8 | 8-67 | — | 2 | 1-20 | 10 | 9-87 | ||
| 2010–11 | 7 | 5-56 | — | — | 7 | 5-56 | |||
| 2011–12 | 4 | 2-29 | — | — | 4 | 2-29 | |||
| 2012–13 | 5 | 2-37 | — | — | 5 | 2-37 | |||
| 2013–14 | 8 | 3-77 | — | 2 | 0-19 | 10 | 3-96 | ||
| 2014–15 | 7 | 4-55 | — | — | 7 | 4-55 | |||
| 2015–16 | 5 | 3-55 | — | — | 5 | 3-55 | |||
| 2016–17 | 4 | 0-33 | — | — | 4 | 0-33 | |||
| 2017–18 | 6 | 2-58 | — | — | 6 | 2-58 | |||
| 2018–19 | 6 | 2-61 | — | — | 6 | 2-61 | |||
| 2019–20 | 4 | 0-23 | — | — | 4 | 0-23 | |||
| 2020–21 | 3 | 1-31 | — | — | 3 | 1-31 | |||
| Career total | 101 | 55-808 | 2 | 1-14 | 10 | 6-85 | 113 | 62-907 | |
Inter-county
| Team | Year | National League | Leinster | All-Ireland | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | ||
| Galway | 2008 | Division 1A | 2 | 1-10 | 0 | 0-00 | 3 | 4-27 | 5 | 5-37 |
| 2009 | Division 1 | 2 | 0-15 | 2 | 3-19 | 3 | 0-27 | 7 | 3-61 | |
| 2010 | 2 | 1-07 | 4 | 3-13 | 1 | 1-05 | 7 | 5-25 | ||
| 2011 | 1 | 1-06 | 2 | 1-06 | 3 | 2-25 | 6 | 4-37 | ||
| 2012 | Division 1A | 2 | 2-19 | 2 | 1-21 | 3 | 1-29 | 7 | 4-69 | |
| 2013 | 6 | 2-48 | 2 | 1-18 | 1 | 0-07 | 9 | 3-73 | ||
| 2014 | 1 | 0-01 | 3 | 2-06 | 1 | 0-05 | 5 | 2-12 | ||
| 2015 | 4 | 1-23 | 4 | 4-32 | 3 | 1-23 | 11 | 6-78 | ||
| 2016 | 6 | 1-52 | 3 | 0-22 | 2 | 1-13 | 11 | 2-87 | ||
| 2017 | Division 1B | 7 | 3-47 | 3 | 0-26 | 2 | 0-20 | 12 | 3-93 | |
| 2018 | 2 | 0-11 | 5 | 1-48 | 3 | 1-30 | 10 | 2-89 | ||
| 2019 | 6 | 0-57 | 1 | 0-02 | — | 7 | 0-59 | |||
| 2020 | 2 | 0-19 | 2 | 0-23 | 2 | 0-26 | 6 | 0-68 | ||
| 2021 | Division 1A | 3 | 1-18 | 1 | 0-06 | 1 | 0-09 | 5 | 1-32 | |
| Career total | 46 | 13-333 | 34 | 16-242 | 28 | 11-246 | 108 | 40-821 | ||
Honours and Awards
Team Honours
- Limerick Institute of Technology
- Fitzgibbon Cup (1): 2007
- Portumna
- All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship (4): 2006, 2008, 2009, 2014
- Connacht Senior Club Hurling Championship (2): 2005, 2007
- Galway Senior Hurling Championship (5): 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013
- Galway
- All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (1): 2017
- Leinster Senior Hurling Championship (3): 2012, 2017, 2018
- National Hurling League (3): 2010, 2017, 2021
- All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship (1): 2007
- All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship (2): 2004, 2005
Individual Awards
- All Stars Hurler of the Year (1): 2017
- All Stars Young Hurler of the Year (1): 2008
- All-Star Awards (5): 2008, 2009, 2012, 2017, 2018
- Fitzgibbon Cup Team of the Century: 1912–2012
- Best Galway team of the last fifty years: 1962–2012
- In May 2020, a public vote by RTÉ.ie named Canning in the half-forward line alongside Henry Shefflin and D. J. Carey in a team of hurlers who had won All Stars during the era of The Sunday Game.
- Also in May 2020, the Irish Independent newspaper named Canning at number eight in its "Top 20 hurlers in Ireland over the past 50 years".
Sponsorships
Red Bull
Joe is sponsored by Red Bull, the energy drink company. He has been the face of a Red Bull hurling game called Red Bull Strike.
