National Forum

Best Player From Your County You Ever Seen

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Replying To Gleebo:  "I know a lot of people probably will scoff at this but for his scoring achievements, I think Cillian O' Connor stands alone. I don't know either if the OP implicitly excluded goalkeepers but David Clarke for me is the greatest goalie we ever had.

Honourable mention to James Nallen, Colm Boyle, Ciarán MacDonald, Lee Keegan, James Horan, Andy Moran, Liam MacHale.

A few stalwarts such as Willie Joe Padden, Pádraig Brogan, McStay etc. were before my time.

I believe that Kevin O'Neill would have been up there if he hadn't been inexplicably deselected by various Mayo managers for over a decade, but that's speculation on my part."
The man asked for the best 'player' keep it to 1 or 2 at the most if you have to,
typical Mayo man you think you can name a dozen players, not all Mayo fans are like you but you'd be fairly typical of why your fans are not liked in general.

Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 3198 - 21/08/2021 11:27:05    2373528

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There are so many and different types of footballers but from my own county on pure footballing talent then it's Ciaran MacDonald for me.

Other counties, Michael Donnellan in his pomp for Galway was a joy to watch and unstoppable. Peter Canavan, Maurice Fitzgerald and Diarmuid Connolly in recent years. Clifford will probably become a great but hopefully not this year ;)

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11571 - 21/08/2021 11:42:45    2373533

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Replying To yew_tree:  "There are so many and different types of footballers but from my own county on pure footballing talent then it's Ciaran MacDonald for me.

Other counties, Michael Donnellan in his pomp for Galway was a joy to watch and unstoppable. Peter Canavan, Maurice Fitzgerald and Diarmuid Connolly in recent years. Clifford will probably become a great but hopefully not this year ;)"
Where to start,

Paul Curran
Paddy Christie
Barney
Cluxton
Fenton
Bernard
Jack
Alan
Con
Kilkenny
Cian O S
Deano
Jamsie

Have to be Marino Magican though, Dermo had it all, the game was his play thing, genius.

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4516 - 21/08/2021 11:57:27    2373539

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Mattie Forde Football. Damien Fitzhenry Hurling.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 15815 - 21/08/2021 12:20:44    2373544

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Johnny Tobin, football and Joe Canning

baire (Galway) - Posts: 1849 - 21/08/2021 12:23:53    2373545

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I wasn't around for the great team of the 70's & 80's so in more modern times it comes down to three players for me, Maurice Fitzgerald, Seamus Moynihan & Colm Cooper

I really couldn't pick one over the others and say they were the best but Seamus Moynihan was my favourite player since I started following Kerry. I don't think he had any flaws in his game and could play all over the field. Magnificent footballer

GeniusGerry (Kerry) - Posts: 2113 - 21/08/2021 12:32:38    2373548

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Replying To Greengrass:  "Easy !!!! Paddy Keenan."
Would he get in the great Louth team of 57 Greengrass?

Ollie2 (Louth) - Posts: 1043 - 21/08/2021 13:18:54    2373562

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For me there were two players I always revelled in, even though they didn't win an all ireland, being James Masters and Colm Corkery. However my favourite as a kid was not one of the biggest names on the great cork team of the 80s/90s, but I loved the late Mick McCarthy. The Skibbereen Eagle.
Hurling for me, was Joe Deane or Tomas Mulcahy. I missed JBM really as I was very young when he was finishing his career, so I never saw him live in the flesh.

BaldyBadger (Cork) - Posts: 313 - 21/08/2021 14:11:20    2373571

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Replying To Tirchonaill1:  "The man asked for the best 'player' keep it to 1 or 2 at the most if you have to,
typical Mayo man you think you can name a dozen players, not all Mayo fans are like you but you'd be fairly typical of why your fans are not liked in general."
I care so little about your comment I almost passed out. Pithy enough for you?

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 21/08/2021 14:23:51    2373573

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Replying To Ollie2:  "Would he get in the great Louth team of 57 Greengrass?"
Yes Ollie. He certainly would.

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6180 - 21/08/2021 14:43:11    2373577

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The Mayo player who made the greatest impression on me when he came on the scene was Kevin McStay. His first game was a Connacht final against Galway. He wasn't more than 10 stone but he demonstrated skills I'd never seen from anyone in Gaelic football before and hardly since. I remember one situation where he got the ball and left two Galway defenders on the ground trying to block his dummy shots and soles, before calmly putting the ball over the bar. He didn't finish the game though and was taken off dazed... while they couldn't lay a glove on him when he had the ball a defender laid something heavier on him when the ref's back was turned. I've criticized McStay quite a lot for his punditry but he was the most skillful player on the ball I witnessed until the Gooch emerged down in the Kingdom.

Willie Joe was something else too and from outside Mayo I loved watching Teddy McCarthy, who was similarly sub-6-foot and like WJP was also a masterful fetcher.

Pericles (Mayo) - Posts: 2521 - 21/08/2021 14:43:47    2373578

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Replying To Tirchonaill1:  "The man asked for the best 'player' keep it to 1 or 2 at the most if you have to,
typical Mayo man you think you can name a dozen players, not all Mayo fans are like you but you'd be fairly typical of why your fans are not liked in general."
Donegal, out in the North West, neglected by Dublin and the only reason it's not part of the UK is because the land wasn't good enough.

No wonder you all have big chips on your shoulders.

AfricanGael (UK) - Posts: 1947 - 21/08/2021 14:59:21    2373584

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Replying To BaldyBadger:  "For me there were two players I always revelled in, even though they didn't win an all ireland, being James Masters and Colm Corkery. However my favourite as a kid was not one of the biggest names on the great cork team of the 80s/90s, but I loved the late Mick McCarthy. The Skibbereen Eagle.
Hurling for me, was Joe Deane or Tomas Mulcahy. I missed JBM really as I was very young when he was finishing his career, so I never saw him live in the flesh."
Where would Graham Canty feature for you Baldy? There was a time where he was arguably the best footballer in the country.

GeniusGerry (Kerry) - Posts: 2113 - 21/08/2021 15:10:51    2373589

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Replying To ONdeDITCH:  "Did you ever see Jimmy Barry Murphy play?...both codes!"
Yes, but only on tv. I think the 1st poster wanted our views on men we saw in the flesh. But fair point all the same.

St.Mologga (Cork) - Posts: 121 - 21/08/2021 15:26:56    2373599

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Replying To Greengrass:  "Yes Ollie. He certainly would."
Lordships finest son.

Ollie2 (Louth) - Posts: 1043 - 21/08/2021 15:36:39    2373603

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Replying To GeniusGerry:  "Where would Graham Canty feature for you Baldy? There was a time where he was arguably the best footballer in the country."
Canty was a superb player and the go to player for Cork for 10 years. I always loved Nicholas Murphy as a midfielder also and Anthony Lynch. I suppose forwards and players able to create often get more plaudits, rightly or wrongly.
Ironically though saying that. My favourite player outside of Cork was always Seamus Moynihan. I loved watching him as a footballing general, unless against Cork.
I played against him once. Unsurprisingly I didn't lay a glove on him but he was some player.

BaldyBadger (Cork) - Posts: 313 - 21/08/2021 15:54:28    2373610

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It has to be Connor Mc Manus, others to like Nudie Hughes, Kevin Treanor, and Jap Finlay. In our neighbouring counties it would have to be Peter Cannavan, Stevie O Neill, Gormley, Jordan. The list goes on there and in Armagh it was Stevie Mac and Ronan Clarke, Mc Conville and kieran Mc Geeney and the famous FrancieBellew.

border Gael (Monaghan) - Posts: 910 - 21/08/2021 16:22:54    2373615

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It's probably the wrong demographic because people who would have seen players from 50 odd years ago will most likely not be writing about them on hoganstand but I'd love to hear from people who seen the players of years ago and how they compare to nowadays. Was Paddy Doherty, Sean Purcell, Tommy Langan, Mick O'Connell all that?? Or was darragh o'se just as good…??

leitrim4sam (Leitrim) - Posts: 699 - 21/08/2021 16:48:18    2373623

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This is always a hard one because different great players bring different attributes to the games. Did not see John Keane. A little bit of Philly Grimes a man who could catch a ball behind his back will running for goal. The vastly under rated Pat McGrath. It would be hard not to pick John Mullane or Ken McGrath and for shear skill Paul Flynn was off the charts but questionable application. If having to nail it down to one I a going to have to say Mullane because the memory is more vivid and recent.

Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 3046 - 21/08/2021 16:56:51    2373624

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Replying To leitrim4sam:  "It's probably the wrong demographic because people who would have seen players from 50 odd years ago will most likely not be writing about them on hoganstand but I'd love to hear from people who seen the players of years ago and how they compare to nowadays. Was Paddy Doherty, Sean Purcell, Tommy Langan, Mick O'Connell all that?? Or was darragh o'se just as good…??"
I can sort of help. My Uncle died a few years ago in linearly 90s. He'd rarely have missed an all Ireland final since he was a young man. He played county minor football and was a good judge of football, and someone whose opinions were hard headed. And his opinion on the greatest Kerry player was clear - Mick O'Connell. "A mighty man" was his summary of him, and, as far as he was concerned, even the greatest of the rest from Kerry would not surpass the man from Valentia. Bear in mind we all watched the great Kerry 70s and 80s team, plus Gooch, and we were in awe of those lads too. But, for my late Uncle, MOC above them all.

essmac (Tyrone) - Posts: 1141 - 21/08/2021 17:25:14    2373635

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