There are a lot of very good players who are not even getting a mention, with the likes of Tom Burke (hollywood) Brendan o hAnnaidh (Bray) Tom Harney (Dunlavin) Fergus Daly (bless) Nick o Neill (Stratford) Tommy Murphy(Baltinglass) Phillip McGillycuddy (An Tochar) Keith Byrne(Shillelagh) Billy Kenny (Baltinglass) Brendan Brady (An Tochar) only to mention a few and i have a feeling o lot more of the current team will be making this team if their run continues, with players like McWalter, Stafford, Walsh, Hannon and McGrath really making a name for themselves. It is very difficult when there are so many great players who have givin great dedication for the county but here is my team:
1. John Walsh
2. Ciaran Hyland
3. Hugh Kenny
4. Tom Burke
5. B o hAnnaidh
6. P McGillycuddy
7. M Murtagh
8. F Daly
9. P Baker
10. T Harney
11. T Doyle
12. L Glynn
13. T Gill
14. K Byrne
15. K o Brien

canas (Wicklow) - Posts: 131 - 16/07/2009 09:32:20    347969

1- M.Travers
2- C.Hyland
3- H.Kenny
4- A.Byrne
5- M.Murtagh
6- B. O'Donovan
7- B. O' hAnnaiddh
8- P. O'Byrne
9- F.Daly
10- C.Daye
11- P.Baker
12- L.Glynn
13- T.Gill
14- K.O'Brien
15- Trevor Doyle (couldnt fit him anywhere else so I've put him here)

honourable mentions to T.Harney, J.Stafford, P.Dalton, W. O'Gorman and Ronan and Mark Coffey.

Southern Dandy (Wicklow) - Posts: 789 - 16/07/2009 10:36:13    348030

I'm really glad I started this thread on here. It helps us remember that we in Wicklow have always had great footballers, yet our current team is our best since the early to mid-1990s. The intervening years were problematic especially under John O'Leary and Dave Foran. Niall Rennicks and Moses Coffey acquitted themselves with distinction as did Hugh Kenny for much of his reign. O'Dwyer has his knockers (Mustard etc..) and we are still in the country's basement league, but boy God he has turned a Division 4 luckless outfit into such a feared outfit that Ross Carr has stated he'd rather play Kerry in Newry than Wicklow in Aughrim. Now that's a testament to the progress made albeit not in the league.

Wicklowman (Wicklow) - Posts: 1142 - 16/07/2009 12:00:18    348141

Canas, Pat Baker at midfield??? That's an odd one. Do people remember the goal he got against Meath in the Croke Park replay with Meath in 1991. An absolute scorcher. Unfortunately we played 60 minutes of that game with 14 men when Hugh Kenny got sent off. That was our best chance at a Leinster title ever. Meath were wrecked after the 4 game saga, then we drew with them and we lost the replay 1-12 to 1-9 due to the above incident. Meath went onto hammer a poor Offaly side in the Semi-Final and easily overpowered an emerging Laois side in the Leinster Final. That should have been our breakthrough year!! Alas, it was not to be.

Wicklowman (Wicklow) - Posts: 1142 - 16/07/2009 12:08:20    348151

canas, no red pat ???with o brien pat was a true great

curnew (Wicklow) - Posts: 449 - 16/07/2009 13:26:25    348304

I remember it well Wicklow man, i thought the ref was conned by a little corner forward called Bernard Flynn who did the same in the Leinster Final when he got George Doyle sent off.I think Pat Murphy of Baltinglass should get a mention for best team was a terrific centre back for County though his best years might have been pre 1990.

pistelero (Wicklow) - Posts: 1719 - 16/07/2009 14:01:16    348371

Pistelero, I remember it well, Bernard Flynn grabbed Hugh by a certain body part and Hugh Kenny decked him. That was after 7 minutes.

Wicklowman (Wicklow) - Posts: 1142 - 17/07/2009 10:49:45    349436

This is a great thread and yes there have been some outstanding footballers to grace the county. So where does it keep going wrong??

CavanWicklow (Wicklow) - Posts: 9 - 17/07/2009 22:24:00    350302

CavanWicklow that's great question and is well documented. There are several reasons for Wicklow's lack of success in the GAA, in no particular order and I'm not making excuses for the lack the said success - the follow are factors contributing to our lack of breakthrough in GAA, with the one exception of 1974 when Wicklow won the Leinster Minor Football Title.

1) Our club scene has always been strong - there's an attitude of good players being happy to win a county title and not bother with the county side, though this has really improved under O'Dwyer.
2) The geography of our county doesn't help. The middle of our county is mountainous and would have been difficult to cross years ago - which in opinion would have meant that in years gone by Wicklow teams would have met up for training less than other counties. Take Kildare for example, nice flat land, big centralised towns - Newbridge is ideal. All our main towns are on the East Coast, making it difficult for lads from the West of the county to get to training because of the mountains.
3) In-fighting, indiscipline, poor refereeing, an acceptance a few years that violence was part and parcel of the game in our county. This has improved immensely with the exception of the odd Glenealy-Carnew county final and that Stratford v Rathnew match recently. The East-West thing was pretty bad but seems to be improving.
4) Our main towns are soccer towns, especially Bray and Arklow. Wicklow Town doesn't even have a hurling team now. Disgraceful. Greystones is a rugby town, though things are really improving in all of those towns. Arklow's ladies GAA team has the largest membership of any ladies club in Ireland. 10-15 years ago Bray and Arklow dodn't even have Senior Football teams, never mind get a county player out of them. Now we have Travers, Hyland, O hAnnaidh and Walshe. It's great to see.
5) Lack of ambition, organisation, self-belief and confidence were the hallmark of every Wicklow team. This has improved vastly as evidenced in recent weeks.

I've plenty of other reasons why we're not successful..... but I'll let someone have a go.

Wicklowman (Wicklow) - Posts: 1142 - 18/07/2009 08:53:31    350448

Wicklowman,excellent analysis of our plight and well explained. One small quibble is that claiming that Walshe is a product of Brays underage system ( which is brilliant btw) doesnt do your reasoning any favours. Small point maybe, but just clouds overall analysis.

bandwagon09 (Wicklow) - Posts: 48 - 18/07/2009 10:57:06    350495

Bandwagon09, to be honest the only reason I threw Walshe's name in their at all is that he is listed as a Bray Emmett's player. I am of course aware that he is not a product of the Bray underage conveyor-belt or for that matter Wicklow's.

Wicklowman (Wicklow) - Posts: 1142 - 18/07/2009 15:14:36    350653

h could trevor or wayne o gorman not be on them teams look at the facts a goal ant a few oints every game from o gorman yedont see that from any one in the full forward line and trevor the best play maker ever to walk in wicklow get a grip lads

hurlingno2 (Wicklow) - Posts: 6 - 18/07/2009 19:13:54    350798

Wicklowman, are there no mountains in Kerry?

gardenmick (Wicklow) - Posts: 3 - 20/07/2009 13:02:53    353021

another reason is to many players fighting between themselves and then wont pass because they are from another town or village in wicklow ive seen it many times but looks like micko has got a hand on it now and ye can see a huge improvment in football now

delboydub (Dublin) - Posts: 665 - 20/07/2009 16:02:11    353474

Fergus daly was the greatest fielder of a ball ever seen in the game.I think Ronan Coffey was underated,was a serious footballer,Think people forget that Big Fergus daly got an all star nomination

brettlee (Wicklow) - Posts: 151 - 23/07/2009 12:07:46    358138