Seán Boylan

Infobox GAA manager |

name =Seán Boylan
irish =
placeofbirth=County Meath
countryofbirth=Ireland
dob=
dod=
nickname=
height=
sport=Gaelic football
clyears=?-?
club=?
winningclubs=
clallireland=
clprovince=
clcounty=
county=Meath
icyears=1983-2006
winningcounties=Meath
icprovince=8
icallireland=4
league=3
|

Seán Boylan is a retired Gaelic football manager from Dunboyne, County Meath, Republic of Ireland. He retired from his position as manager of the Meath GAA Senior Football team on the evening of 31st of August, 2005 after twenty-three years in charge. During his time with Meath, he managed the team to four All-Ireland Senior Football Championships (1987, 1988, 1996, 1999), three National Football League titles, and eight Leinster Senior Football Championships.

In recognition of his services to Meath GAA and his services to Meath as a county, Boylan was conferred as Freeman of the County of Meath - the first person ever to be bestowed with the title - on 23 April 2006. He was entered into the GAA Hall of Fame for his services to Meath football at a ceremony after Meath's Leinster Minor Football Championship victory over Offaly victory in Croke Park on
July 16, 2006.

Family and background

Boylan's late father, also called Seán, was involved in the Irish independence movement in the early twentieth century, being a prominent member of the IRA in Co. Meath during the War of Independence.

Like another Meath football icon, Colm O'Rourke, Boylan has strong Leitrim connections as his late mother hailed from near the small village of Cloone near Mohill.

Managerial Roll of Honour with Meath

*1983 - O'Byrne Cup
*1984 - Centenary Cup
*1986 - Leinster SFC
*1987 - Leinster SFC, All-Ireland SFC
*1988 - Leinster SFC, All-Ireland SFC, NFL
*1990 - Leinster SFC, NFL
*1991 - Leinster SFC
*1994 - NFL
*1996 - Leinster SFC, All-Ireland SFC
*1999 - Leinster SFC, All-Ireland SFC
*2001 - Leinster SFC

International Rules

Boylan coached the Ireland team in the 2006 International Rules Series against Australia in two games in Pearse Stadium, Salthill, Galway and Croke Park, Dublin in October, 2006. Australia won the series by 30 points but the game was overshadowed by violent incidents in the first quarter of the second test match, including a serious injury sustained by Graham Geraghty. He also admitted that he brought his players off at the end of the first quarter in protest and did not want them to return, later saying "I said I'd do it. Only the players themselves changed my mind. They said they wanted to go out and give it a go, they wanted to play football."

Boylan will coach the Irish International Rules Team again in 2008.

ee also

*List of Irish sports people

External links

* [http://www.meathgaa.net/ Hoganstand Meath GAA] "
* [http://meath.gaa.ie/ Meath GAA] "