Séamus Durack

Infobox GAA player
code= Hurling
sport = Hurling


name = Séamus Durack
irish =
fullname = Séamus Durack
placeofbirth = Feakle
countryofbirth = County Clare
dob =
height =
nickname =
county = Clare
province = Munster
club = Feakle
clposition = Goalkeeper
clubs =
clyears =
clapps(points) =
clcounty =
clprovince=
clallireland =
counties = Clare
icposition = Goalkeeper
icyears = 1970s-1980s
icapps(points) =
icprovince = 0
icallireland = 0
allstars = 3
clupdate =
icupdate = Séamus Durack is a former Irish sportsperson. He played senior hurling with the Clare inter-county team in the 1970s and 1980s. He is regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of his era.

Early life

Séamus Durack was born in Feakle, County Clare. He was educated locally and, in time, would become one of Clare's greaest-ever players.

Playing career

Club

Durack played his club hurling with the Feakle and Éire Óg clubs in Clare. He won an intermediate county title with Feakle in 1973, before later winning a senior county championship in 1988.

Inter-county

Durack's skill at club level brought him to the attention of the Clare inter-county selectors and he quickly joined the county minor team. He later played with the Clare under-21 side, however, he had little success at either level. Durack subsequently became the number-one choice for goalkeeper on the Clare senior team. Over the course of the 1970s he would go on to become one of the best custodians in the game. Durack also served as goalkeeper on the Munster Railway Cup team, winning two inter-provincial titles in 1976 and 1978. While Clare had little success in the Munster Championship during the 1970s he did compete in two Munster finals which were both lost to Cork. There was some compensation for Durack as he won back-to-back National Hurling League medals in 1977 and 1978. In both years he won All-Star awards, becoming the first player from Munster to win the goalkeeper spot on the team. Three years later in 1981 Durack won a third All-Star awatd, however, a Munster title eluded him with Clare.

Managerial career

In the early 1990s Durack served as manager of the Clare senior hurling team, however, he had little success. He then took the reigns of the Newmarket-on-Fergus senior team for 2 years (2004 & 2005) leading them to the semi-final and final of the Clare Senior championship in successive years. This resulted in "The Duke" gaining local legendary status and his name is often found under the heading "Hero" on a lot of his former players bebo pages.