Alan Quinlan 'Tipp Person Of The Year 2010'
Thirty six year old Alan Quinlan, former Ireland International and Munster rugby star, has been named as the 2010 Tipperary Person of the Year.
This announcement was made in Dublin’s Palace Bar, Fleet St, at a function recently organised by the Tipperary Association Dublin.
Alan, a native of Limerick Junction, Co.Tipperary, comes from a farming background and was educated at the Monastery Primary School and the Abbey Christian Brothers in Tipperary Town.
His rugby career began with Clanwilliam FC, (whose seconds team advanced to the semi-final of the O’Carroll Plate, last Saturday), where he captained the Irish Youth Team against Scotland in 1993.
Quinlan moved from Clanwilliam to join Shannon U20s in 1994. He began playing for Munster in 1996 and captained the youths team before becoming a regular in their first team.
In May 2006 he made a comeback following a cruciate ligament injury earlier in the season to win both the AIB League Division 1 title with Shannon and the Heineken Cup with Munster after a late appearance from the bench in the Heineken Cup Final win over Biarritz in Cardiff.
He captained the side from the Number Eight spot in Munster’s upset victory over Ulster at Ravenhill in the 2007 League. Quinlan was voted ‘Man of the Match’ when Munster beat Toulouse 16-13 on the 24th May 2008, to win the Heineken Cup (European Rugby Cup) for a second time. He was also part of the Squad that won the 2008 – 2009 season’s Magners League.
In total he holds five league medals with Shannon, as well as two Heineken Cup medals and a Celtic League Medal with Munster.
He has also played soccer for St. Michaels in Tipperary Town and Gaelic football for Tipperary, at county level.
Capped twenty seven times for Ireland, Alan Quinlan was part of the Ireland squad at the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia, scoring two tries in that tournament. He dislocated his shoulder scoring a vital try against Argentina in the pool stages which ended his continued involvement in that tournament.
Alan Quinlan married Irish model Miss Ruth Griffin in Tipperary town in 2008 and they have since produced one son, named AJ, born in January of the following year.
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