National Forum

Greatest Lost Talents In Your County

(Oldest Posts First) - Go To The Latest Post


Almost forgot Colm O'Rourke who's family moved from Leitrim to Meath when he was very young.

leitrim4sam (Leitrim) - Posts: 644 - 13/11/2019 21:31:51    2249545

Link

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 from Waterville, he scored the crucial goal agains Cork in Killarney in 1991, he played a few games after, I recall he playing a league game or two at corner back he was very versatile.

I remember seeing him playing either an intermediate or junior club final in Tralee few years after at full forarsfor his club, he had the knee heavily bandaged so take it injuries curtailed him.

One of ye mentioned Paddy Curran also from Waterville, I marked him in his comeback game after the firs knee operation and he was still lively but was watching himself, I was being a bit robust as they say and he was running a mile from it, still he took one ball around me and planed it over the black spot from 35 yards, still had that class above, I heard then that he did the knee again the following week, we were talking after the game and he appeared a right genuine old soul, I felt for him when I heard it.

Jack Ferriter was another one, was minor captain in 1994, and won an U21 in 1995 and 1996. Shoulder injuries ruled him out of further progression with Kerry and he ended up playing ball with Bishopstown.

Back or Curran he was full forward on the minor team that included Moran and Tommy Walsh in midfield. The next best player then was the centre back Adrain Greaney, he never fulfilled his underage potential, he captained Brendans U21's to a County Title and UCC to sigerson under Billy Morgan, Billy by all accounts had massive time for him. He played a bit with Nemo scoring a goal in a Munster final two or three years back.

Horsebox77 (Kerry) - Posts: 5491 - 13/11/2019 21:38:42    2249547

Link

Biggest ones Tompkins for us and Moran for Dublin he was some player

lilypad (Kildare) - Posts: 1363 - 13/11/2019 21:53:23    2249552

Link

I would concur with Pearse Hanley. Anyone who was at the Mayo v Cavan qualifier in 2007 would have seen him dominate the game as a centre half forward. He was only 18 at the time.

MayoDan (Mayo) - Posts: 420 - 13/11/2019 21:53:27    2249553

Link

Mark Keane
Brian Begley
Peter Lawlor
Patrick Kirby

hamsterdean (Limerick) - Posts: 223 - 13/11/2019 22:35:37    2249559

Link

In Wexford a guy called David Shannon was an absolutely exceptional footballer who never really played county. Played senior colleges A with Good Counsel College from the age of 13. Won several county titles as the main player with Horeswood. Several lads went down the soccer route too who'd have been excellent county footballers, lads like Kevin Doyle and Greg Bolger of Shamrock Rovers would have been very good forwards.

icehonesty (Wexford) - Posts: 2550 - 13/11/2019 22:55:22    2249560

Link

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

DuhallowRed (Cork) - Posts: 268 - 14/11/2019 00:40:57    2249566

Link

Replying To macruiskeen:  "Surely someone from Galway hurling will come in here and list the various future stars from the minor teams that didn't make it.

John Lee
Andrew Keary
Ger Mahon
Kerill Wade

Keith Hayes and Niall Donoghue as well who were taken before showing what they were capable of."
A couple you mention there (Lee , Mahon) were not good enough and got plenty of try outs. Correct with most of the rest

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1903 - 14/11/2019 01:18:17    2249568

Link

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.

pidge (Cork) - Posts: 543 - 14/11/2019 08:37:16    2249570

Link

A few other Good Counsel College guys, Kilkenny men, lost to county football are Thomas O'Connor who's currently at Southampton and Darragh Joyce currently at St Kilda. Both excellent footballers.

icehonesty (Wexford) - Posts: 2550 - 14/11/2019 10:28:14    2249582

Link

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."
Damien Delaney is another from Cork. Scored 2 goals against Mayo in a minor semi-final back in 1999!

MayoDan (Mayo) - Posts: 420 - 14/11/2019 11:04:25    2249584

Link

big losses to Gaelic Football were Kevin Moran Dublin and Gerry McElhinney Derry both to Soccer.

culmore (None) - Posts: 1398 - 14/11/2019 11:18:48    2249586

Link

Dublin lost Eric Miller and Ian Madigan to the rugby. They certainly could have done with Miller in the late 90's and 00's. I don't think Madigan would have been out of place in recent times either.

Kurt_Angle (Dublin) - Posts: 567 - 14/11/2019 11:44:38    2249590

Link

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."
Every county loses players to other codes and sometimes the loss is even between codes in the same organisation. Limerick failure to capitalise on U21 successes in hurling early in the last decade had much to do with the fact that many of the most promising hurlers of that era were also good footballers. The loss of Andrwe O'Shaughnessy due to long term illness was also a huge blow of course. How we could have done with him at full tilt in '13 and '14, when he would have been still in his late twenties.

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4318 - 14/11/2019 11:50:49    2249592

Link

Tadhg Furlong was a cracking footballer for Horsewood back in the day.

logger (Wexford) - Posts: 296 - 14/11/2019 12:13:59    2249596

Link

Matt Fitzpatrick has recently announced he will be leaving the intercounty scene to pursue a career in soccerball. We don't know how long this may last or even if it will be successful but a huge loss for Antrim in the mean time, probably been at his peak in recent seasons and the best footballer we have at the moment, this will definitely be a big blow for Antrim.

boman11 (Antrim) - Posts: 237 - 14/11/2019 13:49:03    2249604

Link

Conor mcKenna would be a huge loss in tyrone, would be a great addition at the moment.

Marty Clarke and Tadhg Kenelly are 2 other mentions , I know they both came back and played but there best days were behind them

conman1282 (Tyrone) - Posts: 88 - 14/11/2019 14:23:21    2249610

Link

jack guiney had potential.
i think how good Tadhg was as a footballer is overstated

perfect10 (Wexford) - Posts: 3929 - 14/11/2019 21:47:58    2249700

Link

Replying To jimbodub:  "
Replying To Breffni39:  "Niall Quinn

link"
Probably his greatest act of sheer skill ever lol

Outrageous score that haha.. class had never seen that

Although he gave his country plenty to be happy about scoring / creating some iconic goals at the highest levels"
He didn't lick it off a stone. He has strong Tipperary roots. His father Billy was a double AI minor hurling winner in '52 and had the honour as winning captain in '53. Billy played senior with Tipp winning a NHL (don't know the year) and with Dublin in1960. His uncle Liam Quinn was a minor in '52, 53, and captain in '54. But was unfortunate in losing the final to Dublin.

Coopers_Helmet (Tipperary) - Posts: 154 - 14/11/2019 21:55:27    2249702

Link

Replying To gaelicgab:  "Paul McComiskey and Marty Clarke both Down, Robbie Tasker Armagh, Kyle Coney Tyrone. Galway's terrible twins Michael Meehan and Sean Armstrong never fulfilled their potential at senior either."
Marty Clarke could have been one of the greats baced on his form in 2010.

oneoff (UK) - Posts: 1380 - 15/11/2019 08:33:10    2249715

Link