Ger Cunningham Gaelic games player
Gerard "Ger" Cunningham (born 30 August 1961) is an Irish retired hurler who played as a goalkeeper for the Cork senior team.He is the current Dublin hurling manager after taking over in October 2014. Born in Togher, Cork, Cunningham first excelled at Gaelic games whilst at Sullivan's Quay national school and Coláiste Iognáid Rís. He arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of seventeen when he first linked up with the Cork minor team, before later lining out with the under-21 sides as a dual player. He made his senior debut in the 1981 championship. Cunningham went on to play a key part for almost two decades, and won three All-Ireland medals, seven Munster medals and three National Hurling League medals. He was an All-Ireland runner-up on three occasions.Cunningham represented the Munster inter-provincial team at various times throughout his career, winning three Railway Cup medals. At club level he won one Munster medal and six championship medals with St. Finbarr's.Throughout his career Cunningham made 50 championship appearances, a Cork record for a goalkeeper until it was surpassed by Donal Óg Cusack on 29 May 2011. He announced his retirement from inter-county hurling on 15 January 1999.Cunningham is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurling goalkeepers in the history of the game. Throughout his career he won four All-Star awards as well as Texaco Hurler of the Year in 1986. He has been repeatedly voted onto teams made up of the sport's greats, including as goalkeeper on the Cork Hurling Team of the Century in 2000 and on a special Munster Hurling Team (1984-2009).In retirement from playing Cunningham has become involved in team management and coaching. At club level he has taken charge of St. Finbarr's and University College Cork and guided Ballygunner to championship success in Waterford. Cunningham was also an All-Ireland-winning goalkeeping coach and selector with the Cork senior team.