Colin Ryan savouring his second coming with Limerick

By Paul Keane

Colin Ryan got a message out of the blue from John Kiely one Friday evening last Autumn.

The Pallasgreen man, who completed a successful defence of his M. Donnelly All-Ireland Poc Fada title last Monday afternoon on the Cooley Peninsula, owns his own landscaping business, Ryan Landscaping, and presumed Kiely had a job for him.

And the Limerick manager did have a job for him, just not the type he was necessarily expecting.

Six seasons since he'd last featured for Limerick, as an outfield player, Kiely wanted to know if Ryan fancied trying out as a goalkeeper for 2026.

Shane Dowling, the main cover for Nickie Quaid throughout the 2025 season, had retired and Limerick were at a deficit.

"He said, 'Can you take a call?'" said Ryan of the initial message he received from Kiely. "And I was like, 'Jesus, what is this about?'

"I do landscaping, I have my own business there, and I just thought he wanted a bit of work done or something. There were loads of things going through my head.

"But when he asked me in, there was only one thing in my mind then. I wasn't going to turn it down."

Ryan had played a key role in Limerick's surge up through hurling's ranks in the 2010s, lining out in the 2014 All-Ireland minor final as well as in the 2015 and 2017 All-Ireland U-21 final wins.

Smack back in the centre of affairs at midfield for the 2017 U-21 win over Kilkenny, he was joined in that star-studded team by Seán Finn, Kyle Hayes, Barry Nash, Cian Lynch, Peter Casey and Aaron Gillane, with Tom Morrissey as captain.

And Ryan was part of the senior group the following year when Limerick collected a first All-Ireland senior title in 45 years.

There was more senior activity in 2019 but for the next six years he was predominantly a club player and only rose to national prominence through the Poc Fada, winning the 2021 and 2025 titles before collecting a third last Monday.

Whatever about his recall, how did he end up coming back as a goalkeeper?

"This is my first year in goals since minor," explained Ryan. "We played a club game last Thursday night and I was centre-forward. I've been outfield since 2014 basically. But John basically asked if I could do a job for him and I was happy, just delighted to get the call and to do it. Obviously winning the All-Ireland at the end of the season was a huge bonus."

Ryan's second coming couldn't have worked out much better. Sure, he'd have been delighted to start every game for Limerick but that was never realistic with Quaid still going strong.

So father-of-two Ryan took the opportunities that were available, starting all of their Munster Hurling League pre-season games and helping the team to capture the title, before providing vital cover throughout the League and Championship.

At one stage in the All-Ireland semi-final win over Clare, when there was a possibility of Quaid picking up a black card for a challenge on Peter Duggan, Ryan wondered if he was going to be pressed into action. He wasn't needed in the end.

"From my perspective, as long as I'm there and I'm asked to do a job, I'm going to do it," he said. "That is the way I am going to approach it.

"Anything could happen. With the semi-final this year, anything could have happened, I could have been in, I could have been out. So look, you just take it as it comes."

Ryan finished the season with four new medals for his collection, from the successful Munster Hurling League, Allianz League, Munster and All-Ireland campaigns.

If he's asked to come back in again for 2027, chances are he will.

"I should do, yes," he said.

Where the Poc Fada fits into it all is an interesting one. By seeing off Mayo's Bobby Douglas on Monday, and collecting his third title, Ryan has remained at the forefront of the unique competition. He has had a number of second place finishes over the years too and the competition has kept his name in the public consciousness, and more specifically, Kiely's.

So did it play some part in his recall?

"I would say it probably did because, look, it's an All-Ireland competition, you're coming away as an All-Ireland winner from it," said Ryan. "I think it would have planted a seed in management's head maybe. I can't be sure, who knows, but personally I do think that it did help."

Ryan offered another valuable insight into his character and willingness to dig deep on Monday last, braving the stiff winds on Annaverna Mountain to collect his third title. For his previous wins in 2021 and 2025, the 5km mountain-top circuit had been reduced due to bad weather but this was the full course, complete with heavy gorse, knee-deep grass in places and deep ravines.

"It was actually nice to get around the full course and to come in first," he said. "At least I know now that I can do a full course and compete at a high level. Because sometimes with the full course, it does take a toll on you. Coming back down the last stretch, you would be tired. So it was nice to get it done."