Tom Kiernan

Irish rugby union player (1939–2022)

Rugby player
Tom Kiernan
Birth nameThomas Joseph Kiernan
Date of birth(1939-01-07)7 January 1939
Place of birthCork, County Cork, Munster, Ireland
Date of death3 February 2022(2022-02-03) (aged 83)
Notable relative(s)Mike Kiernan (nephew)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fullback
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1950s–1960
1958–1973
1960–1963
1963–1970s		 Cork Constitution
Munster
UC Cork
Cork Constitution		 ()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1962–1968
1960–1973		 Lions
Ireland		 5
59		 (35)
(158)
Coaching career
Years Team
1978 Munster

Thomas Joseph Kiernan (7 January 1939 – 3 February 2022) was an Ireland international rugby union player.[1] He won 54 caps for Ireland as a full-back between 1960 and 1973 and captained his country 24 times. At the time of his retirement he was Ireland's most-capped player, most experienced captain, and record scorer in internationals with 158 points.[2] He captained the 1968 British Lions tour to South Africa, playing in all four internationals against South Africa. His nephew, Mike Kiernan, also played for Ireland and the Lions. Kiernan was also the Munster team coach for their famous victory over the All Blacks in 1978. He received the IRB Distinguished Service Award in 2001.[3] He died on 3 February 2022, at the age of 83.[4]

References

  • Griffiths, John (1987). The Phoenix Book of International Rugby Records. London: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. ISBN 0-460-07003-7.
  1. ^ "Decision to jettison Maggs creates problem for backline". Irish Independent. 22 February 2004.
  2. ^ Watterson, Johhny (29 October 2020). "Johnny Watterson: Rugby's centurions really just a modern day concept". Irish Times.
  3. ^ "Wood wins top award". BBC Sport. 12 November 2001. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  4. ^ Thornley, Gerry (3 February 2022). "Irish rugby great Tom Kiernan dies, aged 83". Irish Times. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
Preceded by
Noel Murphy
 Irish national rugby coach
1980–1983 		Succeeded by
  • v
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ForwardsBacks
Coach
H. R. McKibbon
  • v
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  • e
Forwards
Backs
Coach
Dawson; Manager: David Brooks
  • v
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  • e
Ireland national rugby union team captains
To 1900
  • Feb 1875: G.H. Stack
  • Dec 1875: R.J. Bell
  • Feb 1877: R. Galbraith
  • Feb 1877: W.H. Wilson
  • Mar 1878: R.B. Walkington
  • 1879: W.C. Neville
  • 1880: H.C. Kelly
  • 1881–Jan 1882: A.J. Forrest
  • Feb 1882: J.W. Taylor
  • 1883: G. Scriven
  • Feb 1884: J.A. McDonald
  • Mar 1884: D.F. Moore
  • Feb 1885: W.G. Rutherford
  • Mar 1885: A.J. Forrest
  • Feb 1886: M. Johnston
  • Feb 1886: J.P. Ross
  • 1887: R.G. Warren
  • Feb–Mar 1888: H.J. Neill
  • Dec 1888–90: R.G. Warren
  • Feb–Mar 1891: Dolway Walkington
  • Mar 1891: R. Stevenson
  • 1892: Victor Le Fanu
  • 1893: Sam Lee
  • 1894: Edmund Forrest
  • Feb 1895: J.H. O'Conor
  • Mar 1895: Charles Rooke
  • Mar 1895: Edmund Forrest
  • 1896: Sam Lee
  • 1897: Edmund Forrest
  • Feb 1898: Sam Lee
  • Feb 1898: G.G. Allen
  • Mar 1898: W. Gardiner
  • 1899–1900: Louis Magee
To the First World War
To the Second World War
To the professional era
To the present day
  • v
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To 1910
To present
Notes
Note 1: Robert Seddon died on tour after a boating accident. Andrew Stoddart became captain for the remainder of the tour.

Note 2: Matthew Mullineux decided that after losing the first test that he should withdraw from further test matches, handing on field captaincy to Frank Stout, but remained tour captain.
Note 3: David Bedell-Sivright was injured during the first test. Teddy Morgan took over captaincy on the field but Bedell-Sivright remained tour captain.
Note 4: The team that John Raphael captained was not selected by the four Home Nations governing body, but had been organised by Oxford University and billed as the English Rugby Union team. However, it was considered the Combined British team by Argentina because it also included three Scots.
Note 5: Jack Jones was captain for the first test, but Tommy Smyth remained the tour captain.
Note 6: Bleddyn Williams captained in the third and fourth tests v New Zealand and the first test v Australia.
Note 7: Cliff Morgan captained in the third test.
Note 8: David Watkins captained in the second and foruth tests v New Zealand.
Note 9: Michael Owen captained the Lions in the first tour game, the test vs. Argentina in Cardiff. Brian O'Driscoll was injured at the beginning of the first test against New Zealand. Gareth Thomas replaced him as tour captain.
Note 10: Sam Warburton was injured in the second test. Alun Wyn Jones replaced him as captain for the third test.
Note 11: Tour captain Sam Warburton was named on the bench for the first test. Peter O'Mahony was the captain on the field.

Note 12: Tour captain Alun Wyn Jones left the squad for 17 days due to an injury in the first warm-up match, and was replaced by Conor Murray temporarily.