Martin Bailie (7 June 1962 – 3 September 2022) was a Northern Irish hurler. At club level he played with Ballygalget and was also a member of the Down senior hurling team.

Martin Bailie
Personal information
Irish name Máirtín Ó Báille
Sport Hurling
Position Centre-forward
Born 7 June 1962
Newtownards,
County Down, Northern Ireland
Died 3 September 2022(2022-09-03) (aged 60)
Newry,
County Down, Northern Ireland
Nickname Spike
Occupation Architect
Club(s)
Years Club
Ballygalget
Club titles
Down titles 5
Inter-county(ies)
Years County
1982-1997
Down
Inter-county titles
Ulster titles 3
All-Irelands 0
NHL 0
All Stars 0

Career

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Bailie first played hurling at juvenile and underage levels with the Ballygalget club. He eventually progressed onto the club's senior team and won five Down SHC titles between 1982 and 1997.[1]

Bailie first appeared on the inter-county scene at a time when the Down minor hurling team were competing in the Leinster MHC. He later won an Ulster U21HC title in 1983. By this stage Bailie had begun his 15-year career with the Down senior hurling team. He lined out when Down were beaten by London in the 1988 All-Ireland SHC B final, the same year he was chosen as a replacement All-Star.[2] Bailie later won Ulster SHC medals in 1992, 1995 and 1997.[3] His inter-county performances also earned a call-up to the Ulster team in the Railway Cup.[4]

Personal life and death

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Bailie was married to Sheila and had three children, Naomi, Shane and Caolan. His daughter, Naomi Bailie, was a Sinn Féin councillor who served as the first chairperson of the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council in 2015.[5] Bailie was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2016.[6] He died on 3 September 2022, at the age of 60.[7]

Honours

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Ballygalget
Down

References

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  1. ^ "Ballygalget HC". Club Info website. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Tributes paid to Down hurling legend Martin Bailie who has passed away". Irish Independent. 5 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  3. ^ "Tributes paid to late Down hurling legend Martin Bailie". The Irish News. 5 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  4. ^ "The day Ulster hurlers beat Munster". The Saffron Gael. 22 November 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  5. ^ "Sinn Féin councillor Naomi Bailie thanks well-wishers after meningitis treatment". The Irish News. 13 January 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  6. ^ "Sheila running for dementia charity close to her heart". The Down Recorder. 10 June 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  7. ^ "Death of former Down hurling star Martin Bailie". Hogan Stand. 5 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.