John Kiely
All-Ireland Champion Manager, Dual Code Player & Elite Performance Leader
why book john?
- John Kiely brings real-world leadership experience: having built and led a team to end a 45-year title drought and then deliver five All-Ireland championships in six seasons with Limerick.
- He demonstrates how he created a high-performance culture by combining elite sporting standards with inclusive, people-first management and disciplined preparation.
- John offers insights into how he built sustainable success—applying lessons from his work in education and sport to business contexts, showing how vision, team alignment and leadership translate into winning outcomes.
Biography
John Kiely is widely recognised as one of the most accomplished figures in modern Irish sport. A native of Galbally, County Limerick, he charted a dual-code playing career in both hurling and Gaelic football, representing local clubs Garryspillane (hurling) and Galbally (football). As a clubman, he earned senior honours in his home county, and from that foundation he embarked on a coaching and management journey that has re-written the record books.
In 2016 he was appointed manager of the Limerick senior hurling team, and under his stewardship the county embarked on a golden era. Key milestones include the ending of a 45-year All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship drought in 2018, followed by further All-Ireland titles in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. Alongside this, his teams have captured multiple Munster championships and National Hurling League titles. His success has been built not just on excellence in performance, but on culture, preparation and the collective mindset of high-performing teams.
Off the field, John has demonstrated leadership in the education sector. For many years he served as teacher and later principal at The Abbey School, Tipperary, bringing the same rigour, strategic thinking and people-centred management to his work in schools as to his sporting life.
His ability to build inclusive environments, demand high standards and sustain performance over many seasons marks him out as a compelling speaker on themes of leadership, culture change, high performance and sustainable success.
John combines the discipline of elite sport with educational insight and people-centred leadership. His experience delivering results under pressure, navigating transition and leading teams through sustained success gives him a powerful voice for organisations seeking to build high-performance cultures, adapt to change and engage their people. John Kiely is a leader who delivers titles — and builds lasting foundations for success.
Topics
Building a high-performance culture: lessons from elite sport in business success
Leadership under pressure: managing change, expectation and performance
Team dynamics and sustainable success: from championship season to championship season
Transition and transformation: converting legacy challenges into strategic wins
Lessons from sport for the workplace: preparation, mindset and continuous improvement
Inclusive leadership: balancing high standards with people-centred culture
John Kiely
Masterclasses
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