# Brian Dowling (hurler)

Brian Martin Dowling (born 7 March 1983) is an Irish hurling manager and former player who has managed the Kildare senior team since 2023.
At club level Dowling played with O'Loughlin Gaels, and also lined out at inter-county level with various Kilkenny teams. He has previously been manager of the Kilkenny senior camogie team.

## Playing career

Dowling first played hurling as a schoolboy at St Kieran's College in Kilkenny. He was part of the college team that beat St Flannan's College to win the Croke Cup in 2000. Dowling later studied at Waterford Institute of Technology and won three Fitzgibbon Cup medals, including one as team captain.
At club level, Dowling began his career at juvenile and underage levels with O'Loughlin Gaels. He was just out of the minor grade when he Kilkenny SHC medals in 2001 and 2003. He also won his first Leinster Club SHC medal in 2003. Dowling won a third Kilkenny SHC medal in 2010, before later claiming his second Leinster Club SHC medal. He was a corner-forward when O'Loughlin Gaels were beaten by Clarinbridge in the 2011 All-Ireland Club SHC final.
Dowling first appeared on the inter-county scene with Kilkenny, as a member of the minor team that won the Leinster MHC title in 2001. He subsequently joined his brother Seán on the senior team in 2002, and ended his debut season with a set of National League, Leinster SHC and All-Ireland SHC medals. Dowling was again part of the Kilkenny senior team that retained those three titles in 2003.
As a member of the Kilkenny under-21 team in 2003, Dowling also claimed an All-Ireland U21HC medal that year, after a defeat of Galway. He was dropped from the senior team in February 2004. In spite of this, Dowling claimed a second successive All-Ireland U21HC medal in 2004, in what was his last game in a Kilkenny jersey.

## Coaching career
### Early days

Dowling first became involved in coaching in his capacity as a teacher at Coláiste Éanna in Dublin. He also enjoyed underage success with O'Loughlin Gaels, having been a selector with the under-21 team that claimed the Kilkenny U21HC title in 2015. After transferring to St Kieran's College, Dowling helped his alma mater to the All-Ireland Colleges JHC title in 2019, before helping the college win the All-Ireland Colleges SHC title in 2023.
Dowling joined Ann Downey's Kilkenny senior camogie management team as a coach and selector in 2019, before succeeding her as manager a year later. His debut season saw Kilkenny beat Galway to claim the All-Ireland SCC title. Dowling guided Kilkenny to a second All-Ireland SCC title during his tenure in 2022. He stepped down as manager after a defeat by Cork in the 2023 All-Ireland SCC quarter-final.

### Kildare

In September 2023, Dowling began managing the Kildare senior hurling team.

## Honours
### Player
#### St Kieran's College

* All-Ireland Colleges Senior Hurling Championship: 2000
* Leinster Colleges Senior Hurling Championship: 2000

#### Waterford Institute of Technology

* Fitzgibbon Cup: 2002, 2003, 2006 (c)

#### O'Loughlin Gaels

* Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship: 2003, 2010
* Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship: 2001, 2003, 2010

#### Kilkenny

* All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship: 2002, 2003
* Leinster Senior Hurling Championship: 2002, 2003
* National Hurling League: 2002, 2003
* All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship: 2003, 2004
* Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship: 2003, 2004
* Leinster Minor Hurling Championship: 2001

### Management
#### Coláiste Éanna

* Leinster Colleges Senior B Hurling Championship: 2009

#### St Kieran's College

* All-Ireland Colleges Senior Hurling Championship: 2023
* Leinster Colleges Senior Hurling Championship: 2023
* All-Ireland Colleges Junior Hurling Championship: 2018
* Leinster Colleges Junior Hurling Championship: 2018, 2019

#### O'Loughlin Gaels

* Kilkenny Under-21 Hurling Championship: 2015

#### Kilkenny

* All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship: 2020, 2022
* Leinster Senior Camogie Championship: 2019, 2022, 2023
* National Camogie League: 2021