Joseph Deane (born 15 November 1977) is an Irish retired hurler who played for East Cork club Killeagh.
[1][2][3] Diminutive in size but noted for his deadly accuracy in front of goal, Deane is regarded as one of Cork's all-time greatest and most popular players.
Deane made 68 championship appearances in three different grades of hurling for the club, while his early prowess also saw him selected for University College Cork, with whom he won three successive Fitzgibbon Cup titles, and the Imokilly divisional team.
From his debut, Deane was ever-present as an inside forward and made a combined total of 117 National League and Championship appearances in a career that ended with his last game in 2008.
At inter-provincial level, Deane was selected to play in four championship campaigns with Munster, with his sole Railway Cup medal being won in 2000.
His great-grandfather, Tom Mahony, as well as his close relations Seánie O'Leary and John Fitzgibbon, also enjoyed All-Ireland success with Cork.
Marked by future inter-county teammate Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, Deane's side eventually lost the game by 1-09 to 0-04.
A 0–14 to 1–8 defeat of the Garda College allowed UCC retain the title and give Deane a second Fitzgibbon Cup medal.
[16] Deane added a third successive Fitzgibbon Cup medal to his collection in 1998, as UCC secured the three-in-a-row following a 2–17 to 0–13 defeat of the Waterford Institute of Technology.
He made his first appearance with the Cork minor football team on 26 April and scored 1-02 from left corner-forward in a 4-20 to 1-03 defeat of Limerick in the Munster Championship.
Deane was again at left corner-forward for the Munster final against Tipperary on 23 July, however, his contribution was limited to just a single point in the 2-06 to 0-10 defeat.
[22] On 25 July, Dean won a Munster Championship medal after top scoring for Cork with 2-05 in a 3-16 to 2-07 defeat of Clare in the final.
In spite of this he claimed a second Munster Championship medal on 30 July when he was listed amongst the substitute in Cork's 1-11 to 0-13 defeat of Tipperary.
On 23 August 1998, Deane won a third successive Munster Championship medal after scoring 1-07 from left corner-forward in a 3-18 to 1-10 defeat of Tipperary in the final.
In spite of surrendering their All-Ireland crown to Offaly at the semi-final stage, Deane was later honoured by collecting a second All-Star award.
In 2003 Cork's players were vindicated in taking a stand as the team won the provincial decider following an exciting 3–16 to 3–12 defeat of Waterford.
After facing a narrow 3–16 to 1–21 defeat by Waterford in one of the greatest Munster finals of all-time in 2004, Cork worked their way through the qualifiers and lined out against Kilkenny in the All-Ireland decider on 12 September 2004.
[30] The game was expected to be a classic, however, a rain-soaked day made conditions difficult as Kilkenny aimed to secure a third successive championship.
Goalkeeper Donal Óg Cusack stopped two certain goals in the first half to help Cork to a 2–14 to 1–4 victory and a fifth Munster medal for Deane.
[34] On 3 September 2006 Cork had the opportunity to become the first side in nearly thirty years to secure three successive All-Ireland champions as they faced Kilkenny in the decider.
Good-will cards flooded in from many of his past and present foes on the playing field, including the entire Tipperary team.
[36] Deane returned to competitive inter-county hurling on 21 January 2007 when he was introduced as a substitute in a 2–10 to 1–11 defeat of the Cork Institute of Technology in the Waterford Crystal Cup.
[38] A winter of discontent followed for the Cork senior hurling team following the unwanted reappointment of Gerald McCarthy as manager.