Denis Gerard Burns (born 1952) is an Irish former hurling manager and player who played as a right corner-back at senior level for the Cork county team.
[citation needed] Born in Cork, Burns was introduced to hurling in his youth before later coming to prominence at underage levels with the St Finbarr's club.
[citation needed] Burns made his debut on the inter-county scene at the age of twenty when he first linked up with the Cork under-21 team.
Burns also had a distinguished inter- varsity hurling career, winning a Fitzgibbon medal and acting as selector with UCD in the 1970s.
Those involved included Pat Daly, (Croke Park), Ned Power (Waterford) and Brendan O' Sullivan (Kilkenny).
During their term the back door was introduced for beaten provincial finalists and work initiated on the standardisation of sliotars and blood replacements.
[1] In 1974 Burns was a key member of the starting fifteen as St. Finbarr's returned to the top table of Cork hurling once again.
In spite of being regarded as underdogs in the championship decider against Blackrock, Con Roche gave a masterful display in helping "the Barr's" to a 2-17 to 2-14 victory.
A low-scoring 0-7 to 0-3 victory gave Burns his first Munster medal, however, the game was tinged with sadness for St. Finbarr's as an horrific shin-bone injury brought Bernie Scully's career to an end.
Burns was off the starting fifteen for the club's subsequent All-Ireland triumph having suffered a broken hand on Fitzgibbon duty with UCD.
Burns gave a man of the match performance in his final game for the Barrs and was recognised by the club with the award of Clubman of the Year for 1982.
He played minor and under 21 football for Cork and captained the Barrs to victory in the inaugural Under 21 County title in 1973.
After 1982 Burns continued to hurl in the junior grade with Carraig na bhFear where he now lived, finishing his playing career as a goalkeeper in the 1990s.
[2][3] Two years later in 1980 Burns won a National Hurling League medal following a 4-15 to 4-6 defeat of Limerick in a replay of the decider.