Paul McKillen

Paul McKillen
Personal information
Irish name Pól Mac Coilín
Sport Hurling
Position Midfield
Born June 1966
Ballycastle,
County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Nickname Humpy
Occupation Caretaker
Club(s)
Years Club
1983-2001
McQuillan Ballycastle
Club titles
Antrim titles 3
Ulster titles 3
All-Ireland Titles 0
Inter-county(ies)
Years County
1984-1998
Antrim
Inter-county titles
Ulster titles 7
All-Irelands 0
NHL 0
All Stars 1

Paul McKillen (born June 1966[1]) is a Northern Irish hurling manager and former player. At club level he played with McQuillan Ballycastle and at inter-county level with the Antrim senior hurling team.

Playing career

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McKillen first played hurling with the McQuillan Ballycastle club. He was still eligible for the minor grade when he won his first Antrim SHC medal after a defeat of Loughgiel Shamrocks in 1983. McKillen won a second title a year later when McQuillan's retained the title, before claiming a third and final winners' medal in 1986. Each of these three victories were subsequently converted into Ulster Club SHC title successes.[2]

At inter-county level, McQuillan first appeared for Antrim at underage levels, however, his minor and under-21 tenures ended without any title success. McKillen made his senior team debut in 1984 and went on to win seven Ulster SHC titles in a ten-year period between 1989 and his retirement in 1998.[3] He also lined out at midfield when Tipperary beat Antrim by 4-24 to 3-09 tin the 1989 All-Ireland final.[4]

McKillen's other inter-county honours include a National League Division 2 medal. He also earned inclusion on the Ulster team in the Railway Cup competition. McKillen was an All-Star Award recipient in 1993.[5]

Management career

[edit]

McKillen first became involved in coaching as a result of his day job as a caretaker at Cross & Passion College. He has served as a coach and selector with various college teams and was part of four Mageean Cup-winning management teams. McKillen later became involved in inter-county management as a selector with the Antrim senior hurling team that won the 2006 Christy Ring Cup after a defeat of Carlow in the final.[6]

McKillen later served as a coach with the Down senior hurling team that lost the 2009 Christy Ring Cup final to Carlow.[7] He later guided the Antrim minor hurling team to the Ulster MHC title in 2014.[8] A stint as manager of the St Mary's, Rasharkin club team was followed by McKillen becoming joint-manager of the Antrim intermediate camogie team.[9] He guided the team to the All-Ireland ICH title in 2021.[10]

Honours

[edit]

Player

[edit]
McQuillan Ballycastle
Antrim

Management

[edit]
Cross & Passion College
Antrim

References

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  1. ^ "Antrim pen pictures". Irish Press. 2 September 1989. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  2. ^ "My GAA Life with Paul McKillen". Gaelic Life. 9 April 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  3. ^ "The Irish News Archive - July 3 1998: Paul McKillen can't resist lure of Saffron's Sean McGuinness". The Saffron Gael. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  4. ^ "Together again….The men of '89". The Saffron Gael. 30 September 2019. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  5. ^ "Pride in Antrim jersey McKillen's goal". Belfast Telegraph. 25 July 2014. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  6. ^ "McKillen answers Saffrons' call". Irish Examiner. 2 January 2006. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  7. ^ "McKillen and McKernan take charge of Antrim camogs". Hogan Stand. 17 January 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  8. ^ "The difficult task of preparing Antrim's minor hurlers". Hogan Stand. 25 July 2014. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  9. ^ "Good win for Rasharkin in McKillen's first game in charge". The Saffron Gael. 26 March 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  10. ^ "Antrim too good for Kilkenny in intermediate decider". RTÉ Sport. 12 September 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2024.