Simply put one of the best. Will be sorely missed.

#letthehatershate

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 01/10/2020 07:17:32    2294967

A real maverick. Too few of them in the modern game. He will be sorely missed from the county game. For me, he was the prototype Gaelic footballer. A big strong man who could cover the ground. But that only tells half the story. His skill set was sublime - left foot, right foot, vision, technique, passing.....

Hopefully we'll still see him occasionally on TV with the club.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9104 - 01/10/2020 09:52:48    2294980

Thanks for the super memories Diarmuid.

superbluedub (Dublin) - Posts: 2837 - 01/10/2020 09:54:10    2294982

A class footballer, brilliant to watch when he was in his pomp. Enjoy your retirement Diarmuid.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7324 - 01/10/2020 10:17:13    2294987

All the best to Diarmuid on his retirement.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 01/10/2020 10:18:50    2294988

Simply put, the most naturally gifted footballer I've ever ever seen play the game.

ConnollyDub (Dublin) - Posts: 2007 - 01/10/2020 10:23:31    2294994

Rolls Royce player. Top top player. Won the 2017 final for Dublin off the bench. Really enjoyed the battles between him and Keegan. All the best to him in his retirement.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11225 - 01/10/2020 10:24:29    2294995

Hopefully the CCCC or DRA can overturn his retirement.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13703 - 01/10/2020 10:28:13    2294996

Legend. Thanks for the great memories Dermo.

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4700 - 01/10/2020 10:28:24    2294997

A bitter sweet day for those raised on songs and stories.

If ever a man earned & deserved a warm send and appreciation in the next phase of his life its Dermo Connolly. Simply put he was the most talented and highest quality player, on the most successful and in my opinion greatest team ever to play to the game. When you have witnessed and enjoyed a player of his caliber for such as long time its impossible not to feel the grief of knowing you wont see him in a Dublin jersey again, can honestly say i was gutted and left lumpy throated when i heard the news last night.

So many brilliant memories though. From the very start he was own man and maverick falling out with his own club man Giller after 2009 and coming back in 2011, to announce to the world that a star was born. One of the best and most com0plete performers i have ever seen was the quarter final thumping of Tyrone in 2011 in a monsoon, Dermo caught air planes and pointed from everywhere and difficult angles, ill always remember Micky Hart saying we had a plan for the Brogans but we never saw Connolly coming. The 2013 semi final against Kerry, perhaps one of the greatest games of football ever player he was genius some of the points he took of that day were genius and with great players on the pitch they all looked at him with awe. From that point on he went onto be a massive part of the pursuit of the sports most elusive unicorn of an achievement - the five in a row, those battles with Keegan, those moments of drama, the sublime skills, that pass that disected the Kerry blanket in the second game last year into Klkenny, how we all wish he had scored that goal in the final, would have been such a fitting tribute to the man and his contribution.

He was always a Vincents man at heart, no matter what was ever going on for him he would always tog out for Vincents, 3 All Ireland Club titles over the space of his career, the appex being the 2014 All Ireland Final were he put in the single greatest club preference of all time in my opinion, it was a pleasure to watch. You suspect that Dublins loss is going to Vinnies gain in the years ahead.

Dermo was maverick and Dublin Gaa will always be a home for mavericks, he is and will be adored by Dubs now and into the future. He gave so much pleasure and joy to the game. Yet i cant help but feel the game at times wasnt kind to him. We will hear loads in the future about quality players being targeted, while he often did himself no favors the authorities let him down with no protection, which often led to the flash points that made leave the game for a time and probably influenced his decision last night. Simply he put i think he gave more to the game then the game gave to him.

Regardless though he has peerless career of well rounded achievement:

Club:

5 Dublin Senior Titles
4 Leinster Titles
3 All Ireland Club titles

Intercounty:

5 NFL Titles
11 Leinster Titles
6 All Ireland Titles.

Hurling
Leinster U21 title

A remarkable career at the highest level that many will never equal.

As for the Dubs we will look in the our own its our way, but it will be a while before we see Dermos like again.

Thankyou to Marino Magician a life time of memories, will be remembered and revered wherever blue is worn.

Diarmuid Connolly, Laochra Gael.

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 01/10/2020 10:45:40    2295002

Lots of great players retiring now on the eve of championship - Colm Cavanagh, Adrian Marren and Connolly to name but a few. Strange timing, if you hung in there this long you'd be mad not to see out the compressed championship.

Given the timing I'd imagine these men were willing to give it another lash but told they were surplus to requirements. Best of luck to them, they have provided us with some serious entertainment over the years.

tomhealycork (Cork) - Posts: 80 - 01/10/2020 11:00:25    2295007

Firstly, It seems to be very in vogue at the minute that GAA amateur sportsmen and women release retirement statements.. Its not for me I must say.

Anyway...… Connolly

Lets start with the praise - Ultimately, when it comes down to the playing ability, DC is/was.... ridiculous. He would do things with a ball that would make you laugh and have your jaw on the floor. He was that good. By far and away the most talented Dublin player ive seen and im very lucky to have seen him live in the flesh as much as I have. There are so many good memories of him. In terms of a 70 minute performance, I don't think you can look beyond the 7 points he got v Tyrone in 2011. For me, the greatest individual scoring performance from a Dublin player in terms of the quality of scores, but the one moment that stood out was the 2013 semi final against Kerry. Dublin won a free kick in front of the hill approaching the 70th min out on the Cusack stand side of the field, difficult angle, game in the balance, losing by a point. Watching it back on the tele there is a close up of a ginger kid praying beside his Da, Derm just saunters over, uses his weaker left foot, bam, straight over the black spot. Insanely calm when the rest of us were sh***ing bricks. Classy customer

However, You cant get away from the fact that although he was a genius. He was flawed on the pitch. I don't know the man personally, But he was incredibly frustrating. A liability If you will. As a fan, you were almost certain that if he was available, he would start, but you could never trust him to see a game out, You always felt once he stepped on the pitch he was as likely to lose the head and lash out, as he was to put on a masterful display. There were times his teammates had to dig deep to get themselves out of Diarmuid Connolly dug hole and personally, I detested that. He came in for rough treatment and he never learned his lesson. If we on the Hill could predict the treatment, so could he and the management team, and he just couldn't hack it like Bernard Brogan could for example. Like Colm Cooper could. Like Peter Canavan could and he got extremely lucky that him teammates dug him out of them holes cause if they didn't, he probably wouldn't be remembered as fondly by the vast majority who will laud him because hed have cost us something massive.

As for him going now ? Well..... id like to say im disappointed and sad, but to be honest, he has played a handful of minutes for Dublin since March 2018. So, It kinda feels like he has been gone a while anyway. After winning the 5, retirements were inevitable, Even more so now with Covid. Im not glad he is gone, but I wont be losing sleep over it either.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 01/10/2020 11:05:31    2295010

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5009 - 01/10/2020 11:25:09    2295017

Best of luck to Diarmuid in his retirement. A lovely player to watch (when not playing against your County). Had it all in term of skills and moved so gracefully. A big loss. One of the most skilful players I've ever seen.

CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 3665 - 01/10/2020 11:56:02    2295025

Connolly has had an amazing career - certainly one of the best this century. Surprised, though, that he "only" won two all-star awards. Given the influence he's had on the game over the past decade, surely he deserved a few more?

football first (None) - Posts: 1259 - 01/10/2020 12:31:25    2295034

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13703 - 01/10/2020 12:56:41    2295041

Worth paying in to see alone, he was something else..best of luck in retirement diarmuid

achara (Monaghan) - Posts: 561 - 01/10/2020 13:02:09    2295042

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 01/10/2020 13:10:00    2295045

Brilliant player.

Got so much abuse on the pitch its no wonder he lost the rag a few times. I remember Lee Keegan ripping the jersey off him and I think (not sure) both were booked or else it was ignored. It seemed to be allowed to rough him up. When u think of the fouls Cooper got sent off for (rightly sent off) it is no wonder the Dubs were angry with the lack of consistency.

Here's hoping Shane Walsh can reach and surpass Connollys level.

Gaillimh abú!

Mayonman (Galway) - Posts: 1825 - 01/10/2020 13:17:06    2295049

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 1895 - 01/10/2020 13:19:38    2295051