Mary Geaney

{{Infobox Gaelic games player

| image =

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1954}}

| birth_place = Castleisland, County Kerry
Ireland

| sport = Camogie
Ladies' Gaelic football

| province = Munster

| name = Mary Geaney

| irish = Máire Nic Éanna

| position = Forward

| county =

| club = Castleisland Desmonds
UCC
Éire Óg

| clyears =

| clcounty =

| clprovince =

| clposition = Forward

| icyears = 1973–198x
1978–1988

| counties = Kerry (Gaelic football)
Cork (camogie)

| scores =

| code = Ladies' Football

| icprovince =

| icallireland = 4

| allstars =

| icposition = Forward

|}}

Mary Geaney (born 1954) is an Irish sportswoman. She played senior ladies' Gaelic football for Kerry, senior camogie for Cork and is also a former Ireland women's field hockey international. In 1976 she captained Kerry when they won the All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship and in 1980 she captained Cork when they won the All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship. She was the first player to captain a team to both championships.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/multi-talented-mary-geaney-made-her-own-all-ireland-history-458816.html|title=Multi-talented Mary Geaney made her own All-Ireland history|publisher=www.irishexaminer.com|access-date=2 September 2019|date=12 September 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.offtheball.com/football/mary-geaney-interview-243635|title=Meet the remarkable sporting history-maker Mary Geaney|publisher=www.offtheball.com|access-date=2 September 2019|date=27 September 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.radiokerry.ie/kerry-lady-reminisces-historic-football-camogie-captaincy-double/|title=Kerry Lady Reminisces On Historic Football-Camogie Captaincy Double|publisher=www.radiokerry.ie|access-date=2 September 2019|date=17 September 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/corkman/sport/gaa/buckley-award-to-mark-18th-allireland-medal-36754408.html|title=Buckley award to mark 18th All-Ireland medal|publisher=www.independent.ie|access-date=2 September 2019|date=31 March 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rena-buckley-and-sinead-aherne-joint-winners-of-sportswoman-award-1.3252657|title=Rena Buckley and Sinead Aherne joint winners of sportswoman award|publisher=www.irishtimes.com|access-date=2 September 2019|date=12 October 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2017/0910/903690-murray/|title=Murray hails Cork's cool heads after last-gasp win|publisher=www.rte.ie|access-date=2 September 2019|date=10 September 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.the42.ie/rena-buckley-final-speech-3592437-Sep2017/|title='I wouldn't go back on my word': Buckley's childhood pledge to make her acceptance speech in Irish|publisher=www.the42.ie|access-date=2 September 2019|date=11 September 2017}} As a field hockey international, she was a member of the Ireland team that won the 1983 Women's Intercontinental Cup. In 2010 she was inducted into the Irish Hockey Association Hall of Fame.{{cite web|url=http://irishhockey.newsweaver.ie/hockeyhappenings/70od95345l5|title=Hall of Fame Inductees|publisher=irishhockey.newsweaver.ie|access-date=26 May 2019|date=30 May 2010}}

Early years, family and education

Mary Geaney is the daughter of Con Geaney, a member of the Kerry team that won the 1932 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. Her brother, David Geaney, was a member of the Kerry team that won the same All-Ireland championship in 1959.{{cite book |author=Weeshie Fogarty |author-link=Weeshie Fogarty |title=My Beautiful Obsession - Chasing the Kerry Dream|publisher=Gill & Macmillan Ltd|year=2012}} She was educated at the Ursuline Secondary School in Blackrock, Cork.

Ladies' Gaelic football

Geaney began playing ladies' Gaelic football for Castleisland Desmonds.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/kerryman/localnotes/castleisland-mc-steals-show-at-desmonds-bash-27393759.html|title=Castleisland: MC steals show at Desmonds bash|publisher=www.independent.ie|access-date=2 September 2019|date=14 April 2010}} In 1973 she played for Kerry against Cork in one of the first ladies' Gaelic football games between the two counties. Kerry won by 5–10 to 4–11 with Geaney scoring 2–6.{{cite web|url=http://ladiesgaelic.ie/about-lgfa/history/association-history-county-international/ireland/kerry/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913210638/http://ladiesgaelic.ie/about-lgfa/history/association-history-county-international/ireland/kerry/|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 September 2016|title=Ladies Football in Kerry|publisher=ladiesgaelic.ie|access-date=2 September 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://ladiesgaelic.ie/the-lgfa/history/the-beginning/|title=History – The Beginning|publisher=ladiesgaelic.ie|access-date=21 October 2019}} In 1974 she played for Kerry when they lost to Tipperary in the first Munster Senior Ladies' Football Championship final. In 1976 she captained Kerry when they won the All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship, defeating Offaly by 4–6 to 1–5. With 3–2, Geany was also the top scorer in the final. She also scored the first ever hat-trick in a Ladies' All-Ireland final.{{cite web|url =https://www.balls.ie/gaa/top-all-ireland-ladies-senior-football-finals-346914|title=The Best All Ireland Ladies Senior Football Finals|date=25 September 2016|publisher=www.balls.ie|access-date=4 November 2019}} Geaney also won the All-Ireland Ladies Club Football Championship with Castleisland Desmonds. She also represented Munster at interprovincial level.

Camogie

Geaney played camogie for Castleisland Desmonds and Éire Óg. Between 1978 and 1988 she also played for Cork in six All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship finals. Geaney finished on the winning side in 1978, 1980 and 1983. In six finals she scored 7–5. In the 1978 final she scored a hat-trick of goals and in 1980 she captained the winning Cork team.{{cite web|url=http://www.camogie.ie/about-_camogie.asp|title=History of Camogie|publisher=www.camogie.ie|access-date=2 September 2019}}{{cite web|url=http://www.camogie.ie/championship.asp|title=Championship Roll of Honour|publisher=www.camogie.ie|access-date=4 September 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/pg/OfficialCamogieAssociation/photos/?tab=album&album_id=289122196491|title=Camogie All Ireland finals (newspaper reports)|publisher=www.facebook.com|access-date=4 September 2019}} She also represented Munster at interprovincial level in the Gael Linn Cup.

Field hockey

{{Infobox field hockey player

| name = Mary Geaney

| full_name = Mary Geaney

| position = Goalkeeper

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Ursuline School

| years1 = 197x–199x

| clubs1 = Old Ursulines

| years2 = 1970–19xx

| clubs2 = → Munster

| nationalyears1 = 1971–198x

| nationalteam1 = Ireland

| nationalcaps1 = 61

| medaltemplates =

}}

Geaney played field hockey for Old Ursulines (Cork), Munster and Ireland. She made her senior international debut in 1971 against England. She subsequently made 61 senior appearances for Ireland. She was a member of the Ireland teams that won the 1977 Triple Crown and the 1983 Women's Intercontinental Cup. In 2010, together with her former team mate, Margaret Gleghorne, she was inducted into the Irish Hockey Association Hall of Fame.

{{cite web|url=http://www.hookhockey.com/index.php/2010/05/leinster-stars-feature-heavily-on-awards-night/#.XOqtKvZFxy0|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301195445/http://www.hookhockey.com/index.php/2010/05/leinster-stars-feature-heavily-on-awards-night/#.XOqtKvZFxy0|url-status=usurped|archive-date=1 March 2020|title=Leinster stars feature heavily on Awards night|publisher=www.hookhockey.com|access-date=26 May 2019|date=30 May 2010}}{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/battle-for-senior-cup-hots-up-1.656041|title=Battle for Senior Cup hots up|publisher=www.irishtimes.com|date=23 April 2010|access-date=26 May 2019}}

class="wikitable collapsible"

! Tournaments

! Place

1983 Women's Intercontinental Cup

1st

1984 Women's EuroHockey Nations Championship

5th

Other sports

Geaney has also played squash, badminton and golf for Munster. She is a member of the Killarney Golf & Fishing Club.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/golf/annes-third-time-lucky-26036812.html|title=Anne's third time lucky|publisher=www.independent.ie|date=5 August 2002|access-date=4 September 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/golf/camogie-stars-head-for-gowran-25904872.html|title=Camogie stars head for Gowran|publisher=www.independent.ie|date=5 July 2004|access-date=4 September 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.killarneyadvertiser.ie/killarney-ladies-tee-up-for-all-ireland-success/|title=Killarney ladies tee up for All-Ireland success|publisher=www.killarneyadvertiser.ie|date=25 August 2017|access-date=4 September 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.killarneytoday.com/thats-way-ladies/|title=That's the way to do it, ladies|publisher=www.killarneytoday.com|date=29 August 2017|access-date=4 September 2019}}