Lester Ryan (18 April 1959 – 6 June 2020) was an Irish hurler who played as a midfielder at club level with Clara and at inter-county level with the Kilkenny senior hurling team. His brother, Harry Ryan, and his nephew, Lester Ryan, were All-Ireland Championship-winners with Kilkenny. Playing career St. Kieran's College As a student at St. Kieran's College in Kilkenny, Ryan played hurling at all levels before being added to the college's senior team. He was just 15-years-old when he claimed a Leinster Colleges Championship title as a non-playing substitute in 1975, after a 6–12 to 4–03 victory over Birr's Presentation College. Ryna later claimed an All-Ireland Colleges Championship medal after coming on as a substitute in the 6–09 to 2–03 defeat of Coláiste Iognáid Rís in the All-Ireland final. Clara Ryan was still eligible for the minor grade when he was first selected to play at adult level with the Clara junior hurling team. He claimed his first silverware as a non-playing substitute in 1977 when Clara defeated Tullogher by 3–12 to 2–04 to win the Kilkenny Junior Championship. After claiming an under-21 championship medal in 1979, Ryan lined out in his first adult county final in 1982 when Clara faced Carrickshock in the Kilkenny Intermediate Championship final. He ended the game with a winners' medal after playing at midfield in the 0–13 to 0–09 victory. After four years in the Kilkenny Senior Championship, Clara qualified to meet Ballyhale Shamrocks in the 1986 final. Ryan scored four points from frees and claimed a winners' medal after the 3–10 to 4–05 victory. He lined out in a second senior decider when Clara faced Glenmore in the 1990 final but ended the game on the losing side after a 3–15 to 2–06 defeat. Kilkenny Minor and under-21 Ryan first played for Kilkenny when he was drafted onto the minor team alongside his brother Harry in advance of the 1975 Leinster Minor Championship. In his debut season, he claimed a Leinster Minor Championship as a substitute after a 2–18 to 3–04 defeat of Dublin in the final before later winning an All-Ireland Minor Championship medal after again lining out as a substitute in the 3–19 to 1–14 victory over Cork. Ryan collected a second successive Leinster Minor Championship medal as a non-playing substitute in 1976, however, Kilkenny suffered a 2–20 to 1–07 defeat by Tipperary in the subsequent All-Ireland final. Eligible