John Cleary (born 20 June 1963) is an Irish former Gaelic footballer who played as a left corner-forward at senior level for the Cork county team. Born in Castlehaven, County Cork, Cleary first arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of sixteen when he first linked up with the Cork minor team before later joining the under-21 side. He made his senior debut during the 1983 championship. Cleary immediately became a regular member of the starting fifteen and won two All-Ireland medals, three Munster medals and one National Football League medal. He was an All-Ireland runner-up on three occasions.