James Masters (Gaelic footballer)

Infobox GAA player
code= Football
sport = Gaelic football


name = James Masters
irish =
fullname = James Masters
placeofbirth = Cork
countryofbirth = Ireland
height =
nickname =
county = Cork
province = Munster
club = Nemo Rangers
clposition = Forward
clubs =
clyears =
clapps(points) =
clcounty =
clprovince=
clallireland =
counties = Cork
icposition = Forward
icyears = 2000s
icapps(points) =
icprovince = 2
icallireland = 0
allstars = 0
clupdate =
icupdate =

James Masters (born 1982) is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Nemo Rangers and with the Cork senior inter-county team. He is regarded as one of Cork's best players.

Early & private life

James Masters was born in Cork in 1982. He was educated locally at Coláiste Chríost Rí where he first tasted success as a Gaelic footballer. In 2001 he scored nine points when the school beat St. Colman's College to win the Cork Colleges Senior Football Championship. Masters later attended the Garda Síochána College in Templemore, County Tipperary and is currently a Garda in Bandon, County Cork.

He has recently signed a big contract with adidas rumoured to be worth in the region of €100,000.

James is also a well established hurler, helping the Cork Intermediates to win the All-Ireland in 2005.

Playing career

Club

Masters plays his club football with the famous Nemo Rangers club in Cork and has enjoyed much success. He joined the senior panel in the early 2000s, however, he had to wait several years before he would make a big impact, due to the presence of former cork players Joe Kavanagh and Colin Corkery playing in his position. Masters did come on as a substitute in the 2002 Munster club final, a game that 'Nemo' won, however, he played no part in the club's subsequent victory in the All-Ireland final. Three years later in 2005 Masters won his first county title as well as a second Munster club title. He won a second county medal in 2006 and a 3rd in 2007.

Inter-county

Masters first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Cork minor football team in 2000. He was captain if the side that year and lead his county to both Munster and All-Ireland honours. Masters joined the county under-21 team the following year and won a Munster title at this grade. By 2005 Masters was a full member of the senior team and he played in his first Munster final, however, Kerry ended up as the winners on that occasion. The two sides later met in the All-Ireland semi-final which Kerry won by a huge score. In 2006 Masters won his first Munster title after Cork defeated Kerry in a provincial final replay. Unfortunately, the two sides met again in the All-Ireland semi-final with Kerry emerging as the victors again. In 2007 Cork lost their Munster crown, however, they later qualified for an All-Ireland semi-final appearance against Meath on 19 August, 2007.

Province

In 2005 Masters lined out with Munster in the province's unsuccessful bid for the Railway Cup.

Teams