| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Native name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 2003 (age 22–23) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 21 ft 1 in (643 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Hurling | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * club appearances and scores correct as of 20:31, 14 January 2024. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bríon Saunderson (born 2003) is an Irish hurler. At club level, he plays with Midleton and at inter-county level with the Cork senior team.
Career
Saunderson first played hurling at juvenile and underage levels with the Midleton club. He later played as a schoolboy with Midleton CBS Secondary School in the Harty Cup before attending University College Cork (UCC).[1] Saunderson was part of the UCC team that won the Canon O'Brien Cup in 2024.[2]
After progressing from the underage grades, Saunderson first played at adult club level with Midleton as goalkeeper with the senior team in 2021. He won a Cork PSHC medal in his debut season as Midleton beat Glen Rovers in the final.[3]
Saunderson first appeared for Cork during a two-year stint as goalkeeper with the minor team in 2019 and 2020.[4][5] He later spent two years with the under-20 team, culminating with a defeat of Offaly in the 2023 All-Ireland under-20 final.[6] Saunderson was drafted onto the senior team following this victory and made his debut in the pre-season Munster SHL in 2024.[7] He was sub-goalkeeper to Patrick Collins for Cork's 3–29 to 1–34 extra-time defeat by Clare in the 2024 All-Ireland final.[8]
Saunderson claimed his first senior silverware in April 2025 when he was a substitute when Cork won the National Hurling League title following a 3–24 to 0–23 win over Tipperary in the final.[9] This was later followed by a Munster SHC medal, again as sub-goalkeeper, after Cork's penalty shootout defeat of Limerick in the 2025 Munster final.[10]
Career statistics
Club
- As of 6 October 2024.
| Team | Year | Cork | Munster | All-Ireland | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | ||
| Midleton | 2021 | 6 | 0–0 | 1 | 0–0 | — | 7 | 0–0 | |
| 2022 | 3 | 0–0 | — | — | 3 | 0–0 | |||
| 2023 | 3 | 0–1 | — | — | 3 | 0–1 | |||
| 2024 | 5 | 0–3 | — | — | 5 | 0–3 | |||
| Total | 17 | 0–4 | 1 | 0–0 | — | 18 | 0–4 | ||
Inter-county
- As of 7 June 2025.
| Team | Year | National League | Munster | All-Ireland | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | ||
| Cork | 2024 | Division 1A | 1 | 0–0 | 0 | 0–0 | 0 | 0–0 | 1 | 0–0 |
| 2025 | 1 | 0–0 | 0 | 0–0 | 0 | 0–0 | 1 | 0–0 | ||
| Career total | 2 | 0–0 | 0 | 0–0 | 0 | 0–0 | 2 | 0–0 | ||
Honours
- Midleton CBS
- Dr O'Callaghan Cup: 2020
- University College Cork
- Canon O'Brien Cup: 2024
- Midleton
- Cork
References
- O'Callaghan, Therese (16 October 2019). "Defending champions Midleton open Harty Cup campaign with win over Bandon". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
- O'Callaghan, Therese (30 December 2023). "Hayes hits dramatic winner as UCC edge Cork to regain Canon O'Brien Cup". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
- Hurley, Denis (21 November 2021). "Premier SHC final: Midleton are the county champions again". Echo Live. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
- Hurley, Denis (8 June 2019). "Cork minors still in the hunt for place in final after Waterford victory". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
- Barry, Stephen (16 October 2020). "Donal Óg Cusack names his Cork minor hurling team to face Clare". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
- "Cork v Offaly: All-Ireland U20 hurling glory for Rebels". Echo Live. 4 June 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
- "Watch: Lehane strike key as Cork hold off Clare for first win of 2024". Hogan Stand. 14 January 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
- Fogarty, John (21 July 2024). "Clare beat Cork in epic extra-time All-Ireland hurling final". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- Fogarty, John (6 April 2025). "Páirc party as Cork cruise past Tipperary to claim first Hurling League title since 1998". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
- "Cork v Limerick: Rebels triumph on penalties to take Munster title". Echo Live. 7 April 2025. Retrieved 8 June 2025.