John Gardiner (born 8 February 1983) is an Irish retired hurler who played for Cork Senior Championship club Na Piarsaigh. He played for the Cork senior hurling team for 11 seasons, during which time he usually lined out as a right wing-back. A commanding and combative defender, Gardiner was part of a dominant half-back line that also included Seán Óg Ó hAilpín and Ronan Curran. Gardiner began his hurling career at club level with Na Piarsaigh. He eventually broke onto the club's senior team and enjoyed his greatest success when Na Piarsaigh won the 2004 Cork Senior Championship. At inter-county level, Gardiner was part of the successful Cork minor team that won the All-Ireland Championship in 2001 before later lining out with the under-21 team for three seasons. He joined the Cork senior team in 2002. From his debut, Gardiner was ever-present as a defender and made a combined total of 104 National League and Championship appearances in a career that ended with his last game in 2004 and 2005. Gardiner also secured three Munster Championship medals. He retired from inter-county hurling after being released from the Cork panel in November 2012. Gardiner won his only All-Star in 2005 while he was also selected as Hurler of the Year by his peers in the Gaelic Players Association. At inter-provincial level, he was selected to play in six championship campaigns with Munster and claimed Railway Cup medals as captain in 2005 and 2007. Biography John Gardiner was born in Farranree on the north side of Cork City in 1983. He was educated at Scoil Isogain before later attending St. Finbarr's College, a hurling nursery for local talent. It was here that Gardiner first tasted success as he became a key member of many of the school's victorious hurling and Gaelic football teams. He later studied at the Cork Institute of Technology and has worked as an official with the Ulster Bank since 2007. Playing career Club Gardiner plays his club hurling and Gaelic football with his local club called Na Piarsaigh and has enjoyed much success. After enjoying little success in the minor and under-21 grades, he subsequently joined the Na Piarsaigh senior hurling team and became a key fixture at left wing-back. In 2004 he lined out in the final of the county senior championship with Cloyne providing the opposition. A 0–17 to 0–10 score line gave Na Piarsaigh the