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| Native name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nickname | Damo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 10 August 1992 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Bar owner | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Hurling | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Full-back | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| *Inter County team apps and scores correct as of 21:25,8 March 2026. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Damien Cahalane (born 10 August 1992) is an Irish hurler and Gaelic footballer who plays as a centre-back for club sides St Finbarr's and Castlehaven and as a full-back at senior level with the Cork county hurling team.
Cahalane was born in Wilton,Cork. His father,Niall Cahalane,and his uncle,John Cleary,won All-Ireland medals as members of the Cork senior football team in 1989 and 1990. [1] His aunt,Nollaig Cleary,won nine All-Ireland medals with Cork. [2] His brother,Conor Cahalane,has also played for Cork.
Cahalane first came to prominence as a dual player with Coláiste an Spioraid Naoimh in Bishopstown. Having played both codes at every grade,he won a Cork Colleges Under-16½B medal in 2009.
As a student at University College Cork,Cahalane also became involved in Gaelic games. On 8 March 2012,he won an All-Ireland Freshers Championship medal following a 0–24 to 3–11 defeat of the University of Limerick. [3]
In spite of living in Cork city,Cahalane joined the Castlehaven football club in West Cork at a young age and played in all grades at juvenile and underage levels,winning two divisional under-21 championship medals and a county under-21 championship medal in 2010. He simultaneously played hurling with the St Finbarr's club. [4] [5] On 8 October 2012,Cahalane was at centre-back when Castlehaven defeated Duhallow by 1-7 to 0-9 to win the county senior championship. [6] Castlehaven retained the title on 13 October 2013 after a two-point defeat of Nemo Rangers,with Cahalane winning a second championship medal. [7]
Cahalane first played for Cork as a member of the minor football team in 2009. A dual player in his second season at minor,he won a Munster medal with the footballers after a one-point defeat of Kerry in the final. [8] On 19 September 2010,Cahalane was at midfield when Cork were defeated by Tyrone in the All-Ireland final. [9]
Cahalane continued his dual status with the Cork under-21 teams,however,he enjoyed little success with the hurling team. During his three years with the Cork under-21 footballers,the team remained undefeated in the provincial championship,with Cahalane winning successive Munster medals in 2011,2012 and 2013. [10] [11] [12] Cahalane was captain of the team for the third title. [13] On 4 May 2013,Cahalane was at full-back when Cork suffered a 1-14 to 1-11 defeat by Galway in the All-Ireland final. [14]
Cahalane made his senior debut for Cork in a Waterford Crystal Cup defeat of Kerry on 4 February 2012. [15] He made his first start in a National League game in a four-point defeat of Galway on 18 March 2012,before making his first championship start at full-back later that season in an All-Ireland Qualifier against Wexford. [16] [17] The following season,Cahalane switched codes to Gaelic football,making his senior debut in a McGrath Cup game on 6 January 2013. [18] [19] He made his first start in a National League game in a 1-18 to 2-09 defeat by Dublin on 2 February 2013,before making his first championship start later that season in a Munster Championship quarter-final against Limerick. [20] [21] Cahalane underwent a double hip operation at the end of the season. [22]
At the start of 2014,Cahalane committed to playing for both the Cork senior hurling and football teams for the upcoming season. [23] [24] Following Cork's defeat by Kerry in the Munster final,Cahalane suffered a large gash to his heel when he stepped on a medicinal vial in the shower in Páirc UíChaoimh. [25] The injury threatened his participation in the provincial hurling final,however,on 13 July 2014,Cahalane won his first Munster medal after a six-point defeat of Limerick. [26]
At the end of the 2014 season Cahalane decided to end his association with the Cork football team and to concentrate on hurling. [27] [28] On 9 July 2017,he won his second Munster medal following a 1-25 to 1-20 defeat of Clare in the final. [29]
On 1 July 2018,Cahalane won a third Munster medal following a 2-24 to 3-19 defeat of Clare in the final.
On the 6th of April 2025 Cahalane won his first National League title following at 3-24 to 0-23 defeat of Tipperary in Páirc UíChaoimh. [30]
| Team | Year | National League | Munster | All-Ireland | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | ||
| Cork | 2012 | Division 1A | 1 | 0-00 | 0 | 0-00 | 1 | 0-00 | 2 | 0-00 |
| 2013 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 2014 | Division 1B | 2 | 0-00 | 4 | 0-01 | 1 | 0-00 | 7 | 0-01 | |
| 2015 | Division 1A | 5 | 0-00 | 1 | 0-00 | 3 | 0-01 | 9 | 0-01 | |
| 2016 | 5 | 0-01 | 1 | 0-00 | 2 | 0-00 | 8 | 0-01 | ||
| 2017 | 4 | 0-00 | 3 | 0-00 | 1 | 0-00 | 8 | 0-00 | ||
| 2018 | 1 | 0-00 | 5 | 0-00 | 1 | 0-00 | 7 | 0-00 | ||
| 2019 | 5 | 0-00 | 2 | 0-00 | 2 | 0-00 | 9 | 0-00 | ||
| 2020 | 2 | 0-04 | 1 | 0-00 | 2 | 0-00 | 5 | 0-04 | ||
| 2021 | 4 | 0-01 | 1 | 0-00 | 2 | 0-00 | 7 | 0-01 | ||
| 2022 | 5 | 0-00 | 3 | 0-00 | 2 | 0-01 | 10 | 0-01 | ||
| 2023 | 3 | 0-00 | 4 | 0-01 | — | 7 | 0-01 | |||
| 2024 | 3 | 0-00 | 3 | 0-00 | 1 | 0-00 | 7 | 0-00 | ||
| 2025 | 4 | 0-00 | 3 | 0-01 | 1 | 0-00 | 8 | 0-01 | ||
| 2026 | 1 | 0-00 | 0 | 0-00 | 0 | 0-00 | 1 | 0-00 | ||
| Career total | 45 | 0-06 | 31 | 0-03 | 19 | 0-02 | 95 | 0-11 | ||
