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Greatest Lost Talents In Your County

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From Monaghan :

Mark Connolly, Aaron McCarey and Jonathan Douglas were all excellent county minor's before going off to play soccer professionally.

Douglas and Connolly played midfield on their respective minor teams and both were exceptional talents. McCarey was a powerful forward before becoming a soccer goalie with Wolves. The latter is back in Ireland with Dundalk. Doubtful we'll see him back playing GAA with Monaghan, though he was on the bench for Scotstown defeat in Monaghan SFC final. Connolly is still playing with Dundee United I think.

sleater (Monaghan) - Posts: 178 - 15/11/2019 11:40:38    2249733

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Back in the 1960s Larry Kiely was a bouble AI winner with Tipp in 64 & 65. He join the Irish army and was a member of the showjumping team and representing his country on many occasions winning several events. At one stage he held the world puissance record with Raimondo D'Inzeo of Italy (7 feet 2 inches). He represented Ireland in Individual Showjumping at the 1968 Mexico Olympics.

Coopers_Helmet (Tipperary) - Posts: 154 - 15/11/2019 13:45:24    2249751

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Replying To sleater:  "From Monaghan :

Mark Connolly, Aaron McCarey and Jonathan Douglas were all excellent county minor's before going off to play soccer professionally.

Douglas and Connolly played midfield on their respective minor teams and both were exceptional talents. McCarey was a powerful forward before becoming a soccer goalie with Wolves. The latter is back in Ireland with Dundalk. Doubtful we'll see him back playing GAA with Monaghan, though he was on the bench for Scotstown defeat in Monaghan SFC final. Connolly is still playing with Dundee United I think."
McCarey was one of the most impressive players on our minor side that got to the Ulster final in '08 - a quality side which included several current senior players such as K Hughes and Walshe - and McCarey was only 16 I believe. He'd have been a big player if he didn't focus on the football and went to Wolves. Think Connolly might have been on that minor team too actually.

Tommy Bowe was another, think he was on the minor team at 16 aswell, before he quit Gaelic to focus on the rugby. Didn't work out too bad for him to be fair. He'd have been a fair asset to our midfield in an alternative timeline.

patk (Monaghan) - Posts: 938 - 15/11/2019 13:57:33    2249755

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Replying To DuhallowRed:  "Darren Sweetnam, good hurler, but also a rugby player and signed for Munster, I guess between the two it's a no brainier which to choose, since one pays and the other doesn't"
Tomás O'Leary (son of 70s/80s hurling star Seanie) captained Cork to win the minor hurling AI in 2001 by the back door (Tipp won the MF). He played a prominent role in Munster's Heineken Cup winning campaigns in 2005/06 and 2007/08, especially in the knockout stages of the 2007/08 tournament.

Coopers_Helmet (Tipperary) - Posts: 154 - 15/11/2019 14:35:22    2249759

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Probably mentioned already but I am sure Seamie Coleman would have played Gaelic at a high level if he hadn't gone across the water to play soccer. Watch this space though, I can definitely see him donning the red and white of Na Cealla Beaga again in the coming years when his pro soccer career comes to an end.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9751 - 15/11/2019 14:37:17    2249760

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Replying To Lockjaw:  "I always felt that Ciaran Bonner would have been brilliant in the McGuinness era for Donegal if the required discipline was there. He played a good bit of ball in county colours around the mid 00's up until 2009 but drifted away from the scene then. He still had a great club career with Glenswilly though, and maybe he was just as happy with that.

Sincerely hope Kieran Gillespie can overcome the injuries which have blighted his young career so far too. Huge potential there if only he could get a sustained injury free run at it."
Brick Molloy. He drifted off the scene after early promise. He looked good when he came on v Castlerahan in Breffni. Why is not starting for Glenties?

FoolsGold (Cavan) - Posts: 2874 - 15/11/2019 14:48:02    2249761

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Replying To Royalace:  "Cian McBride off to the AFL also now I see, on a two year contract. Another big prospect lost for now anyway. Can't blame lads though, you would have to give it a go."
Yeah very true huge loss. But as you say. Who can blame him.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 15/11/2019 21:40:11    2249803

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Replying To FoolsGold:  "Brick Molloy. He drifted off the scene after early promise. He looked good when he came on v Castlerahan in Breffni. Why is not starting for Glenties?"
Brick is an inside forward and was always up against it when he had the likes of Murphy, McBrearty & McFadden ahead of him in the pecking order. A very capable player for sure though. I'm not sure why he doesn't start for Glenties, maybe at this stage of his career they just seeing as being a better impact player coming on rather than starting.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9751 - 15/11/2019 22:21:33    2249806

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Replying To SaffronDon:  "A bit before my time but I remember watching a young lad for Kerry on the football year 91. He was straight out of minor and scored a crucial goal against a very strong Cork side to break their dominance of that time. Cronin I think his surname was. Ger Canning was waxing lyrical about him at the time. What ever happened him do you know?"
John Cronin. Went off the scene fast

johnocarroll17 (Limerick) - Posts: 408 - 15/11/2019 22:26:22    2249808

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Any number of the Limerick three in a row under 21 hurling teams from the early noughties.

johnocarroll17 (Limerick) - Posts: 408 - 15/11/2019 22:27:30    2249809

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Replying To pidge:  "From a cork perspective

Ciaran Sheehan to AFL..cork may not have slumped down to the lows of the lads few years If Sheehan was available during his supposed peak years...he's back from Australia and has played club football and maybe just maybe could play intercounty again and hopefully would add something to the panel

Setanta o hailpin...this man was a superstar in cork in 2003 and who knows what he may have achieved if he had stayed in the country to play for cork..lost to AFL

Darren sweetnam...had a great season playing midfield in 2012 even scoring a goal in an all ireland semi final vs Galway..was offered a contract by Munster rugby and is going well with the rugby but wonder what he may have done if he stuck out the hurling."
Aisake as well

johnocarroll17 (Limerick) - Posts: 408 - 15/11/2019 22:31:21    2249811

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Replying To johnocarroll17:  "John Cronin. Went off the scene fast"
He also scored their only goal V Limerick in the '91 Munster Final.

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4490 - 15/11/2019 22:32:48    2249812

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Replying To macruiskeen:  "I'll start with Kerry and probably go with Paddy Curran from Waterville. 8 points in All Ireland minor final and three years at minor but knee injuries ruined the lad.

From outside Kerry, was such a shame that Colm O'Neill didn't get a chance to show his full range of talents. An unbelievable player on his day before the injuries took so much from him."
What a player he could have been. I'll always remember his performance in the minor final in 06 in Croke Park. He absolutely tormented our defense, an exceptional display. Such a shame injury prevented him of going further in the game. Great, great player.

Douglas_44 (Roscommon) - Posts: 225 - 16/11/2019 09:49:36    2249830

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Long before Declan Browne became known as Tipps best modern day footballer with 2 time All Star '98 and '03 he was an also an accomplished hurler also in the forwards. He was part of the 1996 AI minor winning setup. He also won an U21 MHF in '99 and 2 Fitzgibbon Cups with WIT. After his U21 days the dual star concentrated on football. He would have being a great addition to the senior hurlers with the likes of Eoin Kelly and Lar Corbett who were the new kids on the block in AI win of 2001.

Coopers_Helmet (Tipperary) - Posts: 154 - 16/11/2019 11:58:41    2249850

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Dermot Bannon from Athlone had a great season in 2008 until a collision with Barry Cahill in Leinster semi final resulted in a broken collarbone. Never really came back after that.

The_Fonz (Westmeath) - Posts: 214 - 16/11/2019 12:10:00    2249852

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Replying To The_Fonz:  "Dermot Bannon from Athlone had a great season in 2008 until a collision with Barry Cahill in Leinster semi final resulted in a broken collarbone. Never really came back after that."
I remember him. He was good back then and I always felt he had room to improve.



I'll get my coat!

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5245 - 16/11/2019 12:44:31    2249855

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Replying To Douglas_44:  "What a player he could have been. I'll always remember his performance in the minor final in 06 in Croke Park. He absolutely tormented our defense, an exceptional display. Such a shame injury prevented him of going further in the game. Great, great player."
Saw him playing this year in Division 8 for Garda not even good enough for their first team who are Division 4. Some fall due to injuries

dubshurling7 (Dublin) - Posts: 1017 - 16/11/2019 15:54:03    2249873

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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...

liam500 (Wicklow) - Posts: 200 - 16/11/2019 17:53:21    2249886

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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..."
Put it another way, if you didn't go you would always wonder what might have been.
He may well not make it but sure it doesn't mean you can't come back and play at a decent level if you're good enough.

catch22 (USA) - Posts: 2148 - 16/11/2019 18:03:32    2249888

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From a Limerick point of view
Hurling
- Mark Keane great underage hurler in the 00's i think he scored 2 10 in a u21 Munster final vs cork in 2000 as good as Gary Kirby on frees but he never made it at senior for Limerick . Also he was very talented local soccer player.
- Peter Lawlor in fairness he did play well for Limerick but had the potential to do more.
- Andrew O'Shaughnessy great player for Limerick but illness took away his peak years.
- Mike Fitzgerald seemed to sort out our problems in the half forward line and had a good year in 2007 but didn't follow it up and disappeared off the panel.
- Denis Moloney a very talented corner back or half back 2 separate cruciate knee injuries in 2006 and 2007 ruined what could have being a very promising inter county career.
- Bryan O'Sullivan a talented hurler could play anywhere in the half forward/ half back line or in midfield was captain under Justin McCarthy in 2010 and refused to go on strike when pressured by a right up-start. Justin also shouldn't have made do a tv interview after the Cork defeat in the Munster Championship that year. He concentrated on his studies after that season and was a big loss to Limerick hurling.
- Damien Moloney seem to be Damien Reale's long term replacement in 2011 but seemed to disappear from the scene in 2012.
- At the present I hope Ronan Lynch will get another chance with the Limerick hurlers and reach his potential.

Football
- Tom McLaughlin was the best senior club footballer in Limerick during the 00's but never played county.
- Jason Stokes talented footballer injuries hampered a promising inter county career.
- Jeremy Staunton very good minor footballer for Limerick lost to rugby had a good career in England with Harlequins and Leicester tigers.
- Cormac Joyce Power talented young footballer for Limerick also a very good schools rugby player emigrated to the USA I think.
- Eoghan O'Connor a very good forward for a few seasons left the panel after 2013 and never returned
- Eoin Hanrahan played 2 seasons for Limerick was a serious free taker was lost to junior soccer in Limerick City.
- Derry O'Connor had the makings of a top class forward very accurate that could kick from distance with both feet, lost to rugby played senior rugby with Young Munsters.

DUALSUPPORT (Limerick) - Posts: 1038 - 16/11/2019 19:19:59    2249897

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