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Best Player From Your County You Ever Seen

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Replying To foreveryoung:  "I certainly mentioned Declan Browne. Just imagine if he (or Mattie Forde) got the same quality supply that Mikie Sheehy, Gooch, Bernard Brogan or so many players on the top teams got, what damage they'd do then. I saw Browne shoot the lights out, but so many times after winning his own tough ball first, and not after it being supply-lined onto his plate (or boot). Browne was a surreal forward."
Couldn't agree more with you. I'd actually say Declan Browne is the greatest forward I ever seen he had it everyday.

dubarra (Wicklow) - Posts: 541 - 24/08/2021 20:56:28    2374499

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Dessie Dolan. I agree with other Westmeath posters that Flanagan was a gifted player but we won a Leinster without him. I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have won a Leinster without Dessie.

Ban (Westmeath) - Posts: 1415 - 24/08/2021 21:10:42    2374501

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Replying To royaldunne:  "Graham Geraghty. While I could have picked numerous players. He along with Martin O'Connell were the best."
In fairness to Graham he is the only footballer (or hurler) mentioned here that had a cameo part in a martial arts film.

bdbuddah (Meath) - Posts: 1358 - 24/08/2021 21:48:30    2374510

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Replying To Ban:  "Dessie Dolan. I agree with other Westmeath posters that Flanagan was a gifted player but we won a Leinster without him. I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have won a Leinster without Dessie."
Yes, Dessie was central to nearly all of Westmeath's successes - Under 21 All-Ireland, two U 21 Leinsters and of course our only Leinster senior. He also played a key role in Westmeath's only Leinster senior club success with Garrycastle in 2011. None of those would have been achieved without him, in my opinion. Martin Flanagan was also a special player and it was a pity he wasn't involved in 2004.

midlands (Westmeath) - Posts: 545 - 24/08/2021 22:25:23    2374528

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Replying To foreveryoung:  "'Did' is the past tense of 'do' in America. Is it different in Ireland, or is that just in Kerry?"
You are right. Slight error by me there! Very rare that.

Aibrean (Kerry) - Posts: 263 - 24/08/2021 22:57:45    2374542

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Replying To foreveryoung:  "'Did' is the past tense of 'do' in America. Is it different in Ireland, or is that just in Kerry?"
While we're floating around the issue, why do tipp people say again, instead of against, as in "that time we played again kilkenny".
Bad grammar doesn't bother me too much, we all make mistakes, but the "again" thing makes no sense to me.

Galway9801 (Galway) - Posts: 1720 - 24/08/2021 23:17:43    2374548

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Replying To Galway9801:  "While we're floating around the issue, why do tipp people say again, instead of against, as in "that time we played again kilkenny".
Bad grammar doesn't bother me too much, we all make mistakes, but the "again" thing makes no sense to me."
From Longford... John 'Speedy' McCormack, Dessie Barry and Paul Barden. All three were all-star quality.

arcadia (Longford) - Posts: 221 - 25/08/2021 09:26:20    2374576

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Replying To midlands:  "Yes, Dessie was central to nearly all of Westmeath's successes - Under 21 All-Ireland, two U 21 Leinsters and of course our only Leinster senior. He also played a key role in Westmeath's only Leinster senior club success with Garrycastle in 2011. None of those would have been achieved without him, in my opinion. Martin Flanagan was also a special player and it was a pity he wasn't involved in 2004."
Do you know what happened Flanagan in 2004?

Ban (Westmeath) - Posts: 1415 - 25/08/2021 11:25:44    2374619

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Replying To bdbuddah:  "In fairness to Graham he is the only footballer (or hurler) mentioned here that had a cameo part in a martial arts film."
Geraghty was an athlete, Giles was a footballer. From the great Meath teams that I saw at Croker, I'd also put O'Rourke, Stafford, Flynn up there.

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4700 - 25/08/2021 12:07:30    2374633

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When I was a kid it was the Blue Panther. In later years it was Dermot Connolly. Two wizards with a football.

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4700 - 25/08/2021 12:09:33    2374634

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Replying To Joxer:  "When I was a kid it was the Blue Panther. In later years it was Dermot Connolly. Two wizards with a football."
Yes I loved watching the the Blue Panther and yes Dermo was class too. Meath yes Geraghty while dirty was so entertaini g to watch. I also loved watching Mick Lyons play. Hard but fair and had plenty of football too.

CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 3678 - 25/08/2021 16:46:02    2374721

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I find it very hard to pick one from my own county. I loved Sheehy and Egan and I only saw the very end of Micko Connell when I was very young. If put to the sword I'd pick Maurice Fitzgerald. He could play midfield or forwards and kick frees off the ground with both feet. I never saw any other player do that (although I'm told Offaly Tony McTague could also) but never saw him play. For Cork I loved watching JBM and Corkery and Canty. Mayo Ciarán Mcdonald Tyrone Canavan Armagh McConville Donegal Murphy Kildare Johnny Doyle Laois John Ó Loughlin Offaly Matt Connor Roscommon Tony McManus Sligo Mickey Kearns Tipp Dec Brown Clare Martin Daly Limerick John Galvin Wicklow Kev ó Brien Monaghan McManus Cavan Stephen King Westmeath Heslin Longford Paul Barden Waterford G. Hurney. Wexford Mattie Forde Louth Stefan White Carlow Brendan Murphy Fremanagh Peter McGinnity Derry Anthony Tohill Down Micky Linden

CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 3678 - 25/08/2021 16:58:12    2374728

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I was at a Clare game in Tullamore during the 90's. Martin Daly put on an exhibition. He score points from play from all angles. Francis McInerney was also a serious player from that famous 1992 team.

Ban (Westmeath) - Posts: 1415 - 25/08/2021 17:12:22    2374732

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Cillian O'Connor.

His arrival made us instantly better, more so than any other player.

MayoDan (Mayo) - Posts: 420 - 25/08/2021 17:22:34    2374736

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Replying To Galway9801:  "While we're floating around the issue, why do tipp people say again, instead of against, as in "that time we played again kilkenny".
Bad grammar doesn't bother me too much, we all make mistakes, but the "again" thing makes no sense to me."
I assure 'again' is used in that context throughout Munster and not just in Tipperary ie 'they were playing again the wind in the first half. I was once in a pub in old West Limerick, near an old hurler who had fallen on hard times, when out of the blue an old admirer sent him over a lovely flowing pint of plain for old time sake. He exulted in his his good luck, 'oh' he said 'that was a lovely pint again the breeze'.

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4338 - 25/08/2021 17:31:07    2374737

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Replying To Ban:  "I was at a Clare game in Tullamore during the 90's. Martin Daly put on an exhibition. He score points from play from all angles. Francis McInerney was also a serious player from that famous 1992 team."
True.! Daly scored a great point v Tipp in a munster championship once by back heeling it over the bar. Pure magic.

CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 3678 - 25/08/2021 17:34:37    2374740

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Replying To BreffniGael:  "Jim O'Reilly Cavan, a Rolls Royce of a player at a time when Cavan were more of a Ford Cortina"
yeah would have to agree.. Stephen King changed many a game but was more a Massey 188 Multipower. Damien Reilly when fit was outrageous too

ponger (Cavan) - Posts: 541 - 25/08/2021 19:14:16    2374760

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Replying To Joxer:  "Geraghty was an athlete, Giles was a footballer. From the great Meath teams that I saw at Croker, I'd also put O'Rourke, Stafford, Flynn up there."
Geraghty was some athlete but he was a top ball player to. At games there was always a buzz when the ball went near Geraghty more than other Meath player I remember, he was a joy to watch.
I put O'Rourke and Giles ahead of him only because they were more consistent over a full season.
Hadn't seen it in a long time but I got a good laugh during the week watching Fatal Deviation (mad martial arts film made in Trim in the 1990's) and Geraghty's brief cameo in it supposedly competing in the martial arts tournament.

bdbuddah (Meath) - Posts: 1358 - 25/08/2021 21:13:45    2374779

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Replying To CiarraiMick:  "Yes I loved watching the the Blue Panther and yes Dermo was class too. Meath yes Geraghty while dirty was so entertaini g to watch. I also loved watching Mick Lyons play. Hard but fair and had plenty of football too."
I never thought of Geraghty as dirty, he was able to look after himself. When Boylan moved him to the forwards he had to put up with constantly being pulled and dragged by defenders.
Lyons was a huge leader for Boylan's first great team, he was the player Meath supporters looked up to more than any other when the team made the breakthrough in Leinster in 86 and All Ireland in 87. People remember his toughness now but sometimes forget he was a top ball player as well. When he missed 89 the Meath defence were a shadow of what they were previously.
From what I have seen (mostly on TV but sometime live) I think your fellow Kerry man Jack O'Shea was greatest Gaelic football player of all time.

bdbuddah (Meath) - Posts: 1358 - 25/08/2021 21:38:49    2374782

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Paddy Quirke in hurling and Johnny Nevin in football.
On today's Carlow teams, Marty Mouse Kavanagh in hurling and Ross Dunphy in football.
In other counties, Mattie Forde Declan Browne Matt Connor, Jacko and in hurling, Pat Henderaon Ciaran Carey, Joe Cooney, DJ and today... too many to mention but all the Limerick team plus Tony Kelly and TJ ! Honourable mention to Ken .McGrath and Jamie Barron.

carlowman (Carlow) - Posts: 1821 - 25/08/2021 21:51:59    2374789

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