Club Lyons's playing career with Dublin GAA club
Kilmacud Crokes ended early due to a persistent knee injury. A screw had to be placed within the knee at one point, which hindered his running ability. Lyons managed Kilmacud Crokes to an All-Ireland Club SFC on
Saint Patrick's Day, 1995. He also spent time as chairman of Crokes, until 2007.
1997–1999: Offaly Lyons was announced as senior
Offaly county football team manager in late 1996. In his first year in charge, in 1997, the team won a
Leinster Senior Football Championship, defeating then
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (SFC) title holders
Meath in the final.
Mayo defeated Offaly in the next game, that year's All-Ireland SFC semi-final. Offaly followed this championship run with a
National Football League title in 1998. They were beaten early in both the 1998 and 1999 Leinster SFCs. Following this, Lyons and Offaly parted ways. Lyons was reported to have "retired" as Offaly manager. Lyons returned to his position as an analyst on
The Sunday Game. •
O'Byrne Cup (2): 1997 1998 •
Leinster Senior Football Championship (1): 1997 •
National Football League (1): 1998
2002–2004: Dublin :
A full record of the performance of Dublin between 2002 and 2004 is available at: Lyons was confirmed as manager of the
Dublin senior football team in October 2001. Dublin had a poor league campaign and only avoided
relegation following an away draw with
Galway on the last day. Dublin came into the All-Ireland SFC as rank outsiders for the first time in many years and, following a poor performance over
Wexford, Dublin's chances were dismissed further. Dublin also faced a tricky Leinster SFC semi-final against Meath, a team Dublin had not defeated for seven years. Lyons risked bringing in a lot of inexperienced players, such as
Ray Cosgrove,
Alan Brogan, and John McNally. Dublin won, defeating Meath with each of the new additions playing well, particularly Cosgrove, who scored 2–2. Dublin later won the Leinster SFC, defeating
Kildare in the final, and reached the All-Ireland SFC semi-final after a replay with
Donegal. In the semi-final, against
Armagh, Dublin was favourite but lost by a point. Lyons had played a media game during his first year in charge. When the standard of the team's performances dropped in 2003, the media game Lyons had played came back to haunt him. Lyons's success in his first year was not repeated in the following two years, with Dublin failing to win a Leinster SFc title or to play in an All-Ireland SFC semi-final. Lyons and the media's relationship deteriorated such that by the summer of 2004, he refused to reveal his team selection to the media until minutes before throw-in.
Celebrity Bainisteoir In 2008, Lyons mentored
Glenda Gilson as she "managed" Crumlin for RTÉ's
Celebrity Bainisteoir. ==Media==