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Intercounty Players Who Had One Or Two Good Seasons And Then Just Disappeared..Both Codes

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Replying To TippRed:  "I can't say if there was a second Shane Moloney but the guy in 15 was very young, just out of minor I think and got a lot of airtime after his match winning point. I think Conor Whelan burst on the scene at this time too. Hard to believe that's 6 years ago. Shane Moloney must be around 24/5 now. I still picture him as a young player scoring a memorable point in a pressure cooker situation."
Marc Foley was a beast of a lad with the cork hurlers in the late 80s early 90s, seemed to drift away very soon after winning AI medal. Anyone know the story?

Monkeycatcher (Meath) - Posts: 155 - 26/05/2021 19:12:34    2345744

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Replying To TippRed:  "I can't say if there was a second Shane Moloney but the guy in 15 was very young, just out of minor I think and got a lot of airtime after his match winning point. I think Conor Whelan burst on the scene at this time too. Hard to believe that's 6 years ago. Shane Moloney must be around 24/5 now. I still picture him as a young player scoring a memorable point in a pressure cooker situation."
on mature reflection as they say, he is the Shane Moloney I am thinking of, and excellent minor and from memory had a MOM performance in either a minor semi final or possibly final..how I remember him is I remember him not being included in a Galway squad of a few years ago (it made the headlines) and I dont think he came back into the reckoning since under new management...I often wonder as a former player myself not of that standard let me add, does it be on their mind as they move up through their 20's and see maybe percieved lesser players making it..isnt sport strange and sad in ways...great to see the so called lessers make it but equally sad to see the likes of Shane Moloney etc. just drift away from all that might and could have been...

Fairplayalways (Offaly) - Posts: 1034 - 26/05/2021 19:24:15    2345746

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Replying To Monkeycatcher:  "Marc Foley was a beast of a lad with the cork hurlers in the late 80s early 90s, seemed to drift away very soon after winning AI medal. Anyone know the story?"
I think Mark was a dentist, so his early departure from the Cork team may have been career related.

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4321 - 26/05/2021 19:40:48    2345752

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Replying To Monkeycatcher:  "Marc Foley was a beast of a lad with the cork hurlers in the late 80s early 90s, seemed to drift away very soon after winning AI medal. Anyone know the story?"
was it the 1990 Munster final he had a whopper of a game...was it 2-06 or something from play...

Fairplayalways (Offaly) - Posts: 1034 - 26/05/2021 23:16:02    2345785

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Another great Kilkenny hurler of the early 00s was Sean Dowling at wing back. His peak was probably 03 when he was mentioned as an All Star contender. With JJ Delaney winning HOTY on the other wing, he was in fine company. Noted for being an attacking defender, he was highly regarded but had left the Kilkenny panel
by the end of 05, before the Cat's era of dominance. A hip injury may have hindered his development, but it was a surprise to see him drifting out of the panel so soon after his great year in 03j

TippRed (Tipperary) - Posts: 42 - 26/05/2021 23:36:58    2345790

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Replying To Fairplayalways:  "was it the 1990 Munster final he had a whopper of a game...was it 2-06 or something from play..."
Yes it was. Foley was that rarest breed, a West Cork hurler. West Cork being a football heartland, never produced many hurlers, but did manage to win a Cork county championship as a divisional side which featured Mark Foley. Being from Timoleague, he was a product of the Fr O'Brien hurling school. Fr O'Brien often said he lived working with West Cork lads and teaching them. He had a couple of great years after bursting on the scene. His departure from County Hurling coincided with a particular barren period for Cork in the mid 90s.

BaldyBadger (Cork) - Posts: 311 - 27/05/2021 11:44:16    2345847

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Padraig Breheny Galway

kerry4sam21 (Kerry) - Posts: 103 - 27/05/2021 17:52:14    2345961

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Zane Keenan of Laois

johnocarroll17 (Limerick) - Posts: 408 - 27/05/2021 19:11:29    2345979

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Replying To johnocarroll17:  "Zane Keenan of Laois"
I may be wrong, but something happend with him not long into his career...I remember a comentator bemoaning his absence in a Laois match one evening an quickly adding that "he has made up his mind and no point dwelling on those who are not involved or committed" was the line given (paraphrasing it here)..he opted out for some reason or other....

Fairplayalways (Offaly) - Posts: 1034 - 28/05/2021 17:28:40    2346118

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Replying To Fairplayalways:  "I may be wrong, but something happend with him not long into his career...I remember a comentator bemoaning his absence in a Laois match one evening an quickly adding that "he has made up his mind and no point dwelling on those who are not involved or committed" was the line given (paraphrasing it here)..he opted out for some reason or other...."
He broke his leg in a league game against Kerry around 09 and it was 3/4 years before he came back again from what I remember.

He may have had a falling out with management more than once.

oneoff (UK) - Posts: 1380 - 28/05/2021 18:04:14    2346122

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Brendan Ger O Sullivan from Cork looked good in the early 2000s but seemed to disappear soon after. Fionán Murray was another from around that time.

An interesting one are players who had a few good seasons but the way the game changed just didn't suit them.

Noel Kennelly and Aodán Mac Gearailt were the two wing forwards when Kerry won in 2000. Two very stylish players but both more or less done by 25.

oneoff (UK) - Posts: 1380 - 28/05/2021 18:10:35    2346125

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Donie Brennan was a flyer at corner forward for Laois in 2004 when they lost the Leinster Football final to Westmeath after a replay. I think he was only 17 then but was mature beyond his years chipping in with important scores off a trusty left foot. Didn't hear too much about him after that.

TippRed (Tipperary) - Posts: 42 - 28/05/2021 21:03:57    2346161

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Replying To oneoff:  "Brendan Ger O Sullivan from Cork looked good in the early 2000s but seemed to disappear soon after. Fionán Murray was another from around that time.

An interesting one are players who had a few good seasons but the way the game changed just didn't suit them.

Noel Kennelly and Aodán Mac Gearailt were the two wing forwards when Kerry won in 2000. Two very stylish players but both more or less done by 25."
and two good ones they were...very stylish too...McGerailt had alot going for him...what losses to the game..

Fairplayalways (Offaly) - Posts: 1034 - 28/05/2021 23:11:37    2346202

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Daithi Regan and Ciaran McLoughlin Meath, should have been mainstays of any meath team in 00s

dickie10 (UK) - Posts: 687 - 28/05/2021 23:23:23    2346204

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I dont recall ever seeing Padraig Craven of Kildare beyond '97 and '98 for Kildare.
Had a few lovely, but limited, moments from general play but was a massive part of the Kildare machine whacking frees over the bar with the left peg. I recall he rarely missed! Any idea what happened to him?

Kingroyal (Meath) - Posts: 34 - 29/05/2021 22:55:35    2346405

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I dont recall ever seeing Padraig Craven of Kildare beyond '97 and '98 for Kildare.
Had a few lovely, but limited, moments from general play but was a massive part of the Kildare machine whacking frees over the bar with the left peg. I recall he rarely missed! Any idea what happened to him?

Kingroyal (Meath) - Posts: 34 - 29/05/2021 22:56:57    2346407

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Replying To dickie10:  "Daithi Regan and Ciaran McLoughlin Meath, should have been mainstays of any meath team in 00s"
remember the names..what years are we talking and was it one season or so and gone yeah?

Fairplayalways (Offaly) - Posts: 1034 - 29/05/2021 23:48:12    2346419

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Replying To Kingroyal:  "I dont recall ever seeing Padraig Craven of Kildare beyond '97 and '98 for Kildare.
Had a few lovely, but limited, moments from general play but was a massive part of the Kildare machine whacking frees over the bar with the left peg. I recall he rarely missed! Any idea what happened to him?"
Craven was a very talented footballer indeed..I googled him there and he was playing in the league in 1999 V Clare and scored 4 points...not much jumping out after that so I am wondering if it was injury or something...Cathal Sheridan mentioned too, Martin Lynch and Declan Kerrigan who was a tasty footballer..Clare had Martin Daly playing corner forward, a great player with Clare back then along with a few other names below who were fine footballers for both sides..

SCORERS Clare: G Keane 1-0, C Considine 0-3, O O'Dwyer 0-1, M Daly 0-1 (f). Kildare: K O'Dwyer 0-3 (0-1f), P Craven 0-4f, C Sheridan 0-2, M Lynch 0-1.

CLARE J Hanrahan; A Malone, N Hawes, J Enright; B Keating, B Rouine, C Nagle; D Russell, D O'Sullivan; O O'Dwyer, D Divine, D O'Driscoll; P McMahon, C Considine, M Daly. Subs: G Keane for Divine (40), J Daly for M Daly (57), P Gallagher for O'Sullivan (58).

KILDARE C Byrne; B Lacey, E Mulhall, K Doyle; D Maher, J Finn, A Rainbow; N Buckley, W McCreery; P Craven, D Kerrigan, P McCormack; M Lynch, K O'Dwyer, C Sheridan. Subs: D Earley for McCormack (41), M Ryan for Maher (58).

Fairplayalways (Offaly) - Posts: 1034 - 05/06/2021 00:45:52    2348336

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Craven outside of taking frees was very limited player. In the run to the all ireland final in 98 he played corner forward and only managed a single score from play during all that. A single goal against laois. You can't carry a player just to kick frees.

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 1909 - 05/06/2021 11:24:10    2348376

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Replying To Fairplayalways:  "Craven was a very talented footballer indeed..I googled him there and he was playing in the league in 1999 V Clare and scored 4 points...not much jumping out after that so I am wondering if it was injury or something...Cathal Sheridan mentioned too, Martin Lynch and Declan Kerrigan who was a tasty footballer..Clare had Martin Daly playing corner forward, a great player with Clare back then along with a few other names below who were fine footballers for both sides..

SCORERS Clare: G Keane 1-0, C Considine 0-3, O O'Dwyer 0-1, M Daly 0-1 (f). Kildare: K O'Dwyer 0-3 (0-1f), P Craven 0-4f, C Sheridan 0-2, M Lynch 0-1.

CLARE J Hanrahan; A Malone, N Hawes, J Enright; B Keating, B Rouine, C Nagle; D Russell, D O'Sullivan; O O'Dwyer, D Divine, D O'Driscoll; P McMahon, C Considine, M Daly. Subs: G Keane for Divine (40), J Daly for M Daly (57), P Gallagher for O'Sullivan (58).

KILDARE C Byrne; B Lacey, E Mulhall, K Doyle; D Maher, J Finn, A Rainbow; N Buckley, W McCreery; P Craven, D Kerrigan, P McCormack; M Lynch, K O'Dwyer, C Sheridan. Subs: D Earley for McCormack (41), M Ryan for Maher (58)."
Not having a go here at Kildare but interesting that three of that starting team aren't Kildare men and played senior championship for other teams

Lacey Tipperary
O'Dwyer Kerry
Sheridan Meath

Dunno if Earley was always Kildare, but assume with Sr based in the Curragh he was born and raised there.

They also had
Brian Murphy Cork

And well known Micko tried enticing Declan Browne from Tipperary into the Kildare fold.

When micko moved to Laois he had a good few imports there too....

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1954 - 07/06/2021 00:37:37    2348750

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