National Forum

Greatest Lost Talents In Your County

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Replying To hamsterdean:  "The Feelys were originally from Waterford"
Brussels if we're being pedantic about it.

if_in_doubt (Kildare) - Posts: 3685 - 25/11/2019 12:17:47    2251293

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I only saw the GAA Gold of Matt Connor but it is scary to think what he could have done only for the accident.

As a Galway man I have only bad memories of Brian Mullins but he was a class act, i hadn't realised he had a bad car accident before 83 and was even better.

Someone mentioned Nicky Joyce and I remember hoping that he was going to be better than Padraic, he had all the skills, pace etc but weather it was application i don't know. Probably 100 stories like him in every county.

Galways new selector John Conncannon had a great underage career but was badly hampered by injury.

We've won a lot underage in Galway that hasn't translated to senior so I will resist the temptation to filling the forum with hard luck stories from my own county!!

Mayonman (Galway) - Posts: 1828 - 25/11/2019 14:56:09    2251339

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Replying To KingdomBoy1:  "Ya Dan Doona was a class act , He took the fall for someone else and jack gave him the road unfortunately."
Remember him playing underage. Him and Jersey Houlihan from Ballyduff were the two most talented forwards in Kerry at that age group. The lad was outrageous. Micko tried to get him to transfer to Wicklow at one stage as well!

macruiskeen (UK) - Posts: 37 - 25/11/2019 15:35:11    2251355

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Replying To Horsebox77:  "Yes , spot in Cronin scored in the semi vs Cork but we were goal less in the Munster final"
The Late Danny Fitz (two of his sons are now playing rugby with Connacht) scored one, Jamed O'Donovan, father of Hurler Darragh, scored another within seconds of the throw in from a brilliantly taken penalty and Sean Kelly from New Castle scored the third. However, and I may be wrong in this, we missed a penalty in the second half and that decided it. As in quite a few Munster Finals with we were ok. but not good enough.

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4318 - 25/11/2019 21:34:36    2251427

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Replying To Gleebo:  "Pearse Hanley definitely a huge loss to Mayo, could have made the difference in some of those one point losses to Dublin in the 2010s.

Kevin O'Neill arguably also, as he only really lined out for Mayo at the beginning and end of his career, not being picked at his peak (when he was routinely topping the championship scoring charts in Mayo) due to a combination of injuries, bust-ups with the county manager, being in the States, long club championship runs with Knockmore etc.

Would also advocate for Ronan Goulding, Kevin McStay, and probably the entire 2013 minor winning side."
Entire 2013 minor winning side? Stephen Coen, Diarmuid O'Connor; Conor Loftus, Michael Plunkett to name but a few were part of that team.

Gaa_lover (USA) - Posts: 3345 - 26/11/2019 04:16:01    2251463

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Replying To Oldtourman:  "The Late Danny Fitz (two of his sons are now playing rugby with Connacht) scored one, Jamed O'Donovan, father of Hurler Darragh, scored another within seconds of the throw in from a brilliantly taken penalty and Sean Kelly from New Castle scored the third. However, and I may be wrong in this, we missed a penalty in the second half and that decided it. As in quite a few Munster Finals with we were ok. but not good enough."
Didn't ye have Phil Danaher playing that day as well?

macruiskeen (UK) - Posts: 37 - 26/11/2019 09:06:21    2251478

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Replying To Gaa_lover:  "Entire 2013 minor winning side? Stephen Coen, Diarmuid O'Connor; Conor Loftus, Michael Plunkett to name but a few were part of that team."
Only really O'Connor has made the step up though the others have been average at best tbh

sourmilk93 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1144 - 26/11/2019 10:53:09    2251505

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Rob Kearney. He played minor football with the Wee County and also played in a Senior Championship final for Cooley Kickhams in 2004. They lost to their great rivals and neighbours St Patricks.

OLLIE (Louth) - Posts: 12224 - 26/11/2019 21:56:40    2251676

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Replying To liam500:  "Bit off topic but what advice would you give a very talented sixteen year old thinking of giving up the GAA and going across the water to persue pro soccer? Personally I would advise against it. Only a very small percentage actually make it, the rest get thrown aside and then have missed their best GAA years..."
Are you joking ?
If the lad is in any way academic then obviously my recommendation would be to pursue a career in something tangible and more certain than sport. If not, then it's a no brainer. Why would any sensible, intelligent, responsible adult advise a 16 year-old to invest his time and energy on a career path which offers no financial reward, the risk of being thrown on the rubbish-heap if it doesn't work out or he gets injured is tremendous. And the pinnacle of his career might be to win a piece of tin that says "All Ireland medal" so that he can tell his grand children that he played and won an All Ireland when he was in his prime. If that's his only option, then the obvious way forward for the lad is to try and pursue a career in soccer that could potentially provide him and his family with an income. Its not certain and not without risk, but obviously a far better option than wasting his time with GAA.

Hoofhearted (Australia) - Posts: 49 - 27/11/2019 01:28:34    2251709

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Replying To macruiskeen:  "Didn't ye have Phil Danaher playing that day as well?"
Yes he was- at center forward. The center back Tom Browne is the father of the Browne, who played at midfield for Kilkenny this year. Did Philip actually play minor football with Kerry- I think he did but I am not sure.

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4318 - 27/11/2019 11:29:45    2251756

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Replying To sourmilk93:  "Only really O'Connor has made the step up though the others have been average at best tbh"
Stephen Coen is a great player. Held Connolly scoreless after Keegan got black carded in the AIF a few years ago

whitey (USA) - Posts: 9 - 28/11/2019 17:30:37    2252000

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Replying To Oldtourman:  "Yes he was- at center forward. The center back Tom Browne is the father of the Browne, who played at midfield for Kilkenny this year. Did Philip actually play minor football with Kerry- I think he did but I am not sure."
He is from Abbeyfeale so wouldn't be shocked by it given their field is in Kerry!!

macruiskeen (UK) - Posts: 37 - 29/11/2019 09:24:21    2252052

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Replying To Oldtourman:  "The Late Danny Fitz (two of his sons are now playing rugby with Connacht) scored one, Jamed O'Donovan, father of Hurler Darragh, scored another within seconds of the throw in from a brilliantly taken penalty and Sean Kelly from New Castle scored the third. However, and I may be wrong in this, we missed a penalty in the second half and that decided it. As in quite a few Munster Finals with we were ok. but not good enough."
There was no missed penalty in the second half. Maurice Fitzgerald gave a display of freetaking - many were fairly soft, though, with a much-vaunted Kerry forward going to ground rather easily on a number of occasions!!

Maurice Fitzgerald did miss a penalty the following year in the semi-final, though, when Limerick really should have beaten Kerry (before Clare actually doing so in the final).

football first (None) - Posts: 1259 - 29/11/2019 10:54:30    2252066

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Replying To macruiskeen:  "He is from Abbeyfeale so wouldn't be shocked by it given their field is in Kerry!!"
Ya, Philip Danaher did play minor for Kerry. The family had/have a shop in Abbeyfeale but built their house just over the border in Kerry. Duagh would then have been his club (i think)
He did'nt play U21 as he had moved to Dublin and played rugby for Lansdowne, Munster and Ireland.
When the AIL started he returned to Limerick and played with the hugely successful Garryowen and in the rugby off-season returned to play with Abbeyfeale (Fr.Caseys)
It was the then manager of Limerick, John o'Keefe that got him to line out for Limerick in 91, reaching a Munster final where Limerick scored 3-12 yet still lost. Limerick played that final without another Garryowen and Munster star Dan Larkin, who was probably the best footballer/athlete in Limerick at the time, due to injury.
Danaher played at centre forward but really should have been drafted to defence when the full-back who was hobbling badly was left on for the entire second half and Kerry exploited this. Different sport i know, but Danaher played full back for Ireland.

hamstring (Limerick) - Posts: 318 - 29/11/2019 21:34:03    2252159

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Replying To Hoofhearted:  "Are you joking ?
If the lad is in any way academic then obviously my recommendation would be to pursue a career in something tangible and more certain than sport. If not, then it's a no brainer. Why would any sensible, intelligent, responsible adult advise a 16 year-old to invest his time and energy on a career path which offers no financial reward, the risk of being thrown on the rubbish-heap if it doesn't work out or he gets injured is tremendous. And the pinnacle of his career might be to win a piece of tin that says "All Ireland medal" so that he can tell his grand children that he played and won an All Ireland when he was in his prime. If that's his only option, then the obvious way forward for the lad is to try and pursue a career in soccer that could potentially provide him and his family with an income. Its not certain and not without risk, but obviously a far better option than wasting his time with GAA."
England's long been poor at this - ignoring youth and buying in established names. Too much money and too many buffers in management with dismal people skills. Eg R Keane great player but a flop as a manager. Bullying only takes you so far. Klopp the shining exception of course. England not as bad as it used to be in this regard:


https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/premier-league-best-young-players-bundesliga-90899

- but if I was young and talented, I'd be looking to go to a country where the pro soccer clubs actually bring on young players, such as Spain or Germany. Talent isn't enough; needs huge motivation to withstand homesickness, drugs etc. Having lived in all three countries, Germany by a mile. Great country for football; for getting an education (free to fellow EU citizens, no fees); great infrastructure, lovely people and great beer.

essmac (Tyrone) - Posts: 1141 - 30/11/2019 10:36:29    2252186

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Jim Gavin!

DUBJOHN (Dublin) - Posts: 932 - 30/11/2019 18:07:54    2252327

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Eddie Scully Limerick footballers

hamsterdean (Limerick) - Posts: 223 - 05/12/2019 17:19:37    2253424

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Joe Brolly was a huge loss to Derry. Any chance ye could take him back!!

Dad (Mayo) - Posts: 24 - 07/12/2019 09:56:03    2253662

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John Buckley-Kerry
Bryan Sheehan-Kerry
Dan McEoin-Cork
Chris Bergin-Laois
Peter O'Leary-Laois

hamsterdean (Limerick) - Posts: 223 - 10/12/2019 21:31:26    2254203

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The Swashbuckling and infamous Johnny Maher from Galway was one of the best minor stars I have ever seen. Never given a proper chance with Galway seniors really. Oh how we could have done with his power and strength and indeed accuracy in 2005 final around the time he was at his peak.

clare_sparrow (Galway) - Posts: 425 - 11/12/2019 07:42:30    2254237

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