Saw a thread like this over on gaaboard.com, so thought it would be a good idea to see who the posters on hoganstand would rate as the hard men of the GAA.

Looking for the type of people, who literally would take any blow and play on, would have no problem levelling fella's who were out of line and lads who literally would run through walls for the good of a team.

unstoppable (Mayo) - Posts: 38 - 18/10/2011 17:42:46    1054251

The Mort

JuanPeron (Westmeath) - Posts: 177 - 18/10/2011 17:51:33    1054260

Let me give you two players names of the past who were and always will be who Ol Snuffy aspired to be like:

Football Duff: Ciarain Duff (Dublin)
Hurling: Sylvie Linnane (Galway)

.........and I've played my own football and hurling just like them since I was a nipper cutting photos of them out of the Sunday World newspaper!!

These lads were hardy bucks and cannot be beat for it!!

Regards,

Snufalufagus....Laochra Gael

Snufalufagus (Dublin) - Posts: 8100 - 18/10/2011 17:53:05    1054261

The Iron Man from Rhode, Paddy McCormack, he once shouldered a Cavan man so hard he broke 3 of his ribs! Dont think the guy ever recovered or played county football again!!

offalyjim (Offaly) - Posts: 3 - 18/10/2011 17:53:49    1054264

Tommy Walsh - nearly decapitated by Benny Dunne but got straight back up. And he'd be fond of letting know his opponents and the odd ref that he was there.

John Power - god did he take some punishment.

Jackie tyrell - let's hope he is man of the match on Sunday.

Puddersthecat (Kilkenny) - Posts: 1692 - 18/10/2011 17:55:40    1054265

2 Meath men stand out for me Red Collier and Mick Lyons. These guys took no prisoners.

corkcelt (Cork) - Posts: 4388 - 18/10/2011 17:57:42    1054268

mike houlihan, steve mcdonagh, davey clarke, ciaran carey, clem smith -limerick!! oh and finty ryan!!

beaver (Limerick) - Posts: 108 - 18/10/2011 18:08:44    1054278

Offalyjim, not only did that man not play football again, but Cavan as a team never played football again. It shook the county to the core!
The current generation of minors were the first children born since Cavan was declared a fallout-free zone

OffalyBigBall (Offaly) - Posts: 635 - 18/10/2011 18:26:52    1054289

Liam Harnan! sure didnt he brake barney rocks shoulder with a shoulder!!!

royalstar09 (Meath) - Posts: 42 - 18/10/2011 18:28:08    1054291

Brian McGilligan of Derry was a horse of a player. Colm Coyle of Meath was another fearless character who always seemed to be in the thick of things. Plunkett Donaghy and Sean Lynch of Tyrone put themselves about as well.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9819 - 18/10/2011 18:29:48    1054293

Fergie caulfield and gerry mccarville from the 80,s monaghan team. Coyle wasnt hard. Now colm o,rourke could look after himself.

mickeylinden (Monaghan) - Posts: 587 - 18/10/2011 18:42:25    1054301

My old man tells me that lar foley was easily the hardest man to ever play gaa. I never seen him play so I would go for Brian mullins what an animal.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 18/10/2011 18:46:23    1054305

clondalkin, your da was right, Lar was even feared in Meath and I knew him personally as he was as hard until the day he died! Modern era? Mick Lyons, Eamonn Heery stand out!

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8785 - 18/10/2011 18:52:32    1054311

Coyle battered half the Mayo team on his own in the 96 final but then again it was ONLY Mayo I suppose.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9819 - 18/10/2011 18:55:10    1054312

Meath had their fair share of iron men who'd shake your hand before the game but leave you looking for your head afterwards.. Mick Lyons, Liam Harnan, John McDermott to name but a few..

RoyalClass (Meath) - Posts: 790 - 18/10/2011 18:59:17    1054315

Brian McGiligan,Sean Donnelly,Pat O,Byrne,Grimley twins.

orange and blue (Tyrone) - Posts: 1080 - 18/10/2011 18:59:56    1054317

Haha brilliant ulsterman. Jayus Lyons was hard as nails he took no prisoners, heery was a beast, Keith barr was tough aswell. Who else lads I like this thread. No kildare or Mayo players aloud cause we all know there wasn't any.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 18/10/2011 19:01:31    1054318

Yeah Coyle was fairly tough, most of that Meath team were, we should know, we felt the brunt of it on a regular basis!

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8785 - 18/10/2011 19:01:35    1054319

I remember an AI semi with Meath and Tyrone a good while back and at one stage there were four or five Tyrone lads on the deck all over the pitch, only one winner there!

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8785 - 18/10/2011 19:03:39    1054321

Definate distinction between a player who could be classed as hard, as opposed to being dirty or treacherous, and without going into personalities, a couple of those mentioned in some of the posts would fall into the latter category unfortunately.

glenhead (UK) - Posts: 117 - 18/10/2011 19:05:48    1054323