Len Gaynor

Infobox GAA player
code= Hurling
sport = Hurling


name = Len Gaynor
irish =
fullname = Len Gaynor
placeofbirth = Nenagh
countryofbirth = County Tipperary
dob = 1944
height =
nickname =
county = Tipperary
province = Munster
club = Kilruane McDonagh's
clposition = Half-back
clubs =
clyears =
clapps(points) =
clcounty =
clprovince=
clallireland =
counties = Tipperary
icposition = Half-back
icyears = 1964-1973
icapps(points) =
icprovince = 4
icallireland = 2
allstars =
clupdate =
icupdate = Len Gaynor (born 1944) is a former Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Kilruane McDonagh's and with the Tipperary senior inter-county team in the 1960s and 1970s. He later served asmanager of both the Clare and Tipperary senior hurling teams.

Playing career

Club

Gaynor played his club hurling with his local Kilruane McDonagh's club. He enjoyed some success at underage levels before winning three consecutive senior county championship titles in 1977, 1978 and 1979.

Inter-county

By the early 1960s Gaynor had made an impact as a member of the Tipperary minor hurling team. He tasted his first success in 1962 when he won a Munster minor medal. He later joined the Tipp under-21 panel with whom he won both Munster and All-Ireland medals in 1964 in the inaugural year of the competition. Gaynor won a second Munster under-21 medal in 1965.

In 1965 Gaynor made his senior debut for Tipperary. That year he won his first National Hurling League medal and his first senior Munster title. He later claimed his first senior All-Ireland medal following a win over Wexford. Two years later in 1967 Gaynor collected his second Munster title, however, Kilkenny were victorious in the subsequent All-Ireland final. In 1968 he captured a second National League medal and a third Munster medal, however, Tipp's All-Ireland hopes ended in tatters as Wexford emerged as the victors. It would be 1971 before Gaynor won his fourth Munster title. He later won a second All-Ireland medal following a thrill victory over Kilkenny in the final. Following this game Tipp's hurling fortunes took a downturn and Gaynor retired from inter-county hurling in the early 1970s.

Managerial career

In the early 1990s Gaynor served as manager of the Clare senior hurling team. He had some success by steering the county to two consecutive Munster final appearances in 1993 and 1994, however, these games ended in huge defeats for Clare. He was replaced in 1995 by Ger Loughnane. In 1997 Gaynor became manager of the Tipperary senior hurling team. Once again his tenure in charge was mixed, as Tipp were defeated in both the Munster and All-Ireland finals in the first year of the "back-door" system.

Teams