Séamus Prendergast

{{Infobox Gaelic games player

|image =

|name = Séamus Prendergast

|irish = Séamus de Priondragás

|nickname =

|occupation =

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|1|1|df=yes}}

|birth_place = Ardmore, County Waterford, Ireland

|height = {{convert|1.88|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}}

|sport = Hurling

|code = Hurling

|county = Waterford

|province = Munster

|club = Ardmore

|clyears =

|clposition = Centre forward

|clapps(points) =

|clcounty = 0

|clprovince =

|clallireland =

|counties = Waterford

|icyears = 2000–2014

|icposition = Centre-forward

|icapps(points) = 58 (2–47)

|icprovince = 4

|icallireland = 0

|nhl = 1

|allstars = 0

|clupdate =

|icupdate = 21:48, 16 October 2014

}}

Séamus Prendergast (born 1 January 1980) is an Irish hurler who played as a centre-forward at senior level for the Waterford county team.

Born in Ardmore, County Waterford, Prendergast first played competitive hurling in his youth. He first arrived on the inter-county scene as a member of various Waterford teams at underage levels. Prendergast joined the senior panel during the 2001 championship and subsequently became a regular member of the starting fifteen. He went on to win four Munster medals and one National Hurling League medal. Prendergast was an All-Ireland runner-up on one occasion.

As a member of the Munster inter-provincial team on a number of occasions, Prendergast won one Railway Cup medal. At club level he is a two-time championship medallist in the intermediate grade with Ardmore.

His brother, Declan Prendergast, also had a lengthy career with Waterford.

Throughout his career Prendergast made 58 championship appearances. He announced his retirement from inter-county hurling on 14 October 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/hurling/2014/1015/652483-prendergast-calls-time-on-deise-career/|title=Prendergast calls time on Déise career|publisher=RTÉ Sport|date=15 October 2014|accessdate=16 October 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/other/prendergast-retires-from-inter-county-scene-645392.html|title=Prendergast retires from inter-county scene|publisher=Breaking News website|date=15 October 2014|accessdate=16 October 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.southeastradio.ie/2014/10/15/sport-prendergast-retires-from-inter-county-action-with-waterford/|title=Prendergast retires from inter-county action with Waterford|publisher=Southeast Radio website|date=15 October 2014|access-date=16 October 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025214650/http://www.southeastradio.ie/2014/10/15/sport-prendergast-retires-from-inter-county-action-with-waterford/|archive-date=25 October 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.setanta.com/ie/prendergast-confirms-his-retirement//|title=Prendergast confirms his retirement|publisher=Setanta Sports website|date=15 October 2014|accessdate=16 October 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.thescore.ie/seamus-prendergast-retires-1724010-Oct2014/ |title=Four-time Munster championship winner with Waterford calls it a day |publisher=The Score website |date=14 October 2014 |access-date=16 October 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021033526/http://www.thescore.ie/seamus-prendergast-retires-1724010-Oct2014/ |archive-date=21 October 2014 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/prendergast-retires-from-inter-county-scene-645392.html|title=Prendergast retires from inter-county scene|publisher=Irish Examiner|date=15 October 2014|accessdate=16 October 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=226020|title=Prendergast retires from inter-county duty|publisher=Hogan Stand website|date=14 October 2014|accessdate=16 October 2014}}{{cite web|url = http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/powerhouse-prendergast-calls-time-on-his-15year-career-30665356.html|title= Powerhouse Prendergast calls time on his 15-year career|date= 15 October 2014 |work=Irish Independent|accessdate=15 October 2014}}

Playing career

=Club=

Prendergast plays his club hurling and Gaelic football with Ardmore and has enjoyed some success.

In 2002 he won his first championship medal in the intermediate grade following a narrow 2–5 to 0–10 defeat of Clonea.{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/gaelic-games-scoreboard-285945.html|title=Gaelic games scoreboard|date=18 November 2002|work=Irish Independent|accessdate=2 November 2012}}

After a period in the senior ranks, Ardmore found themselves back in the intermediate grade again by 2013. That year Prendergast won a second championship medal as Ardmore defeated Dunhill by 0–23 to 2-13.{{cite news|url=http://www.waterford-news.ie/2013/10/15/prendergast-points-ardmore-back-senior-ranks/ |title=Prendergast points Ardmore back to senior ranks |date=15 October 2013 |work=Waterford News and Star|access-date=18 October 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141023030628/http://www.waterford-news.ie/2013/10/15/prendergast-points-ardmore-back-senior-ranks/ |archive-date=23 October 2014 }}

=Inter-county=

Prendergast made his senior debut for Waterford in a National League game against Derry in 2001. As the first Ardmore man to play senior inter-county hurling for Waterford, he immediately became a regular member of the starting fifteen. On 10 June 2001 Prendergast made his championship debut against Limerick in a Munster semi-final. In spite of scoring a goal after just two minutes, Prendergast's side were defeated by 4–11 to 2-14.{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/limerick-rise-from-ashes-with-late-goals-26083100.html|title=Limerick rise from ashes with late goals|date=11 June 2001|work=Irish Independent|accessdate=18 October 2014|first=Vincent|last=Hogan}}

In 2002 Waterford emerged from the doldrums by reaching the Munster final where they faced reigning champions Tipperary. A high-scoring game produced a 2–23 to 3–12 victory for Waterford. Not only was it a first Munster medal for Prendergasr but it was Waterford's first provincial crown in thirty-nine years.{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/waterford-wonders-whip-tipp-with-awesome-display-298042.html|title=Waterford wonders whip Tipp with awesome display|work=Irish Independent|accessdate=2 August 2012|date=1 July 2002|first=Martin|last=Breheny}}

After surrendering the Munster title to Cork in 2003, Prendergast's side were back in the provincial showpiece for a third successive year in 2004. In the Munster final, Waterford defeated Cork for the first time in forty-five years, with Prendergast winning a second Munster medal following a 3–16 to 1–21 victory. An All-Ireland appearance subsequently eluded the team yet again.

The following few years proved difficult for Prendergast. Waterford crashed out of the early stages of the provincial championship in 2005 and 2006. On both these occasions his team was defeated by Cork in the All-Ireland series.

In 2007 Prendergast added a National Hurling League medal to his collection when Waterford defeated Kilkenny by 0–20 to 0–18 in the final.{{cite news|url=http://www.munster-express.ie/sports/gaa-hurling/waterford-end-44-year-faminewith-national-league-title/|title=Waterford end 44-year famine with National League title|publisher=Munster Express|accessdate=2 August 2012|date=4 May 2007|first=Martin|last=Breheny}} He later claimed a third Munster medal as Waterford defeated Limerick by 3–17 to 1–14 in the provincial decider.{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/dynamic-dan-adds-some-extra-dash-for-the-dise-995588.html|title=Dynamic Dan adds some extra dash for the Déise|work=Irish Independent|accessdate=2 August 2012|date=9 July 2007|first=Martin|last=Breheny}} While Waterford were viewed as possibly going on and winning the All-Ireland title for the first time in almost half a century, Limerick ambushed Waterford in the All-Ireland semi-final.

2008 began poorly for Waterford as the team lost their opening game to Clare as well as their manager Justin McCarthy. In spite of this poor start Prendergast's side reached the All-Ireland final for the first time in forty-five years. Kilkenny provided the opposition and went on to defeat Waterford by 3–30 to 1–13 to claim a third All-Ireland title in-a-row.{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/hurling/2008/0907/237822-kilkenny_waterford/|title=RTÉ Sport: Kilkenny 3-30 Waterford 1-13|publisher=RTÉ Sport|accessdate=2 August 2012|date=8 September 2008}}

Prendergast lined out in another Munster final in 2010 with Cork providing the opposition once again. A 2-15 apiece draw was the result on that occasion, however, Waterford went on to win the replay after an extra-time goal by Dan Shanahan. It was a fourth Munster medal for Prendergast.

The following few years sew Waterford go into decline. Prendergast played his last game for Waterford on 19 July 2014 in a 3–15 to 2–15 defeat by Wexford.

=Inter-provincial=

Prendergast also lined out with Munster in the inter-provincial hurling championship. In 2005 a 1–21 to 2–14 defeat of Leinster gave him a Railway Cup medal.{{cite web|url=http://munster.gaa.ie/history/railway-cup-hurling/|title=Railway Cup Hurling|work=Munster GAA website|accessdate=21 October 2012}}

Recognition

Prendergast is regarded by his peers{{who|date=June 2021}} as one of Waterford's greatest-ever servants.{{tone inline|date=June 2021}}

Kevin Moran, one of Prendergast's teammates, said of him upon his retirement: "He was one of the true greats, he was one of the team’s great leaders. He led on and off the field. His hurling did the talking and then when needed he would offer the required words off the field. In the last couple of years he took the panel’s younger members under his wing, showed them ropes. His experience was vital. Seamus was a guy I looked up to and who showed me the ropes when I came on board.".{{cite web|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/moran-retiring-prendergast-one-of-the-greats-291341.html|title=Moran: Retiring Prendergast 'one of the greats'|publisher=Irish Examiner|date=15 October 2014|accessdate=16 October 2014|first=Eoghan|last=Cormican}}