Career
Born in Portroe, County, Gleeson first excelled at hurling during his schooling at Nenagh Columbia Broadcasting System. He arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of twenty-one when he first linked up with the under-21 team He joined the senior panel during the 2008 league. At club level Gleeson is a one-time North championship medallist with Portroe.
Club Gleeson plays his club hurling with Portroe and has enjoyed some success.
Inter-county He was substitute goalkeeper on the team in 2002, however, Limerick dominated the championship at this time. In 2008 Gleeson joined the senior hurling team as understudy to regular "keeper Brendan Cummins.
He was an unused substitute as claimed that year"s National Hurling League following a 3-18 to 3-16 victory. Gleeson was later included on "s championship panel and collected a Munster medal as a non-playing substitute following a 2-21 to 0-19 defeat of Clare.
Gleeson made his competitive debut the following season in a league game against Galway.
Later that year he made his championship debut as a ten-minute blood sub for Brendan Cummins in a 1-19 to 0-19 Munster quarter-final defeat of Cork. That year he collected an All-Ireland medal as a non-playing substitute following Tipp"s 4-17 to 1-18 defeat of Kilkenny. The following year Gleeson came on as substitute for Cummins after 64 minutes of the provincial decider.
Gleeson started the 2014 season as first choice goalkeeper for due to the retirement of Brendan Cummins at the end of the 2013 season.
He made his first start in the championship for on 1 June 2014 in the Munster Championship against Limerick in a 2-18 to 2-16 defeat. On 17 August 2014, defeated Cork by 2-18 to 1-11 in the All-Ireland semi-final to reach the 2014 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final.
Former Cork goalkeeper Donal Óg Cusack speaking on the Sunday Game highlights programme on the night of the semi-final match said that in his opinion Gleeson had given the greatest ever display of tactical puckouts in the game saying "Darren Gleeson gave the greatest display of tactical puckouts ever seen. Gleeson started his first All Ireland final on 7 September 2014 against Kilkenny in a match that finished in a draw.
Kilkenny went on to defeat in the replay three weeks later.
Player Individual.