At club level, he played with Midleton, Ballincollig and divisional side Imokilly and was also a member of the Cork senior football team.
[2] After progressing through the juvenile and underage ranks, his first success at adult level came in 1978 when Midleton won the Cork IHC title.
He won a Munster JFC title in 1984, however, he later lost his place on the starting fifteen and was listed amongst the substitutes when Cork beat Warwickshire in the 1984 All-Ireland junior final.
[5] Glavin earned a call-up to the Cork senior team following this success, and he made a number of appearances during the opening stages of the 1984–85 National League.
[citation needed] His brother, Willie Glavin, won an All-Ireland MHC medal with Cork in 1967.