Diarmuid Connolly
Diarmuid Connolly (born 7 July 1987) is an Irish Gaelic footballer. His league and championship career as a forward with the Dublin senior football team spanned 11 seasons from 2007 until 2018 when he left the panel after appearing in a league game vs Mayo in February 2018.[1] Dublin GAA Senior Football Manager Jim Gavin confirmed in an interview with Dubs TV that Diarmuid Connolly is back training with the Dublin panel for the 2019 Championship season.[2]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish name | Diarmuid Ó Conghaile | ||
| Sport | Gaelic Football | ||
| Position | Centre / Wing Forward | ||
| Born |
7 July 1987 Dublin, Ireland | ||
| Height | 1.85m (6ft1) | ||
| Nickname | Dermo | ||
| Occupation | National Sales Manager | ||
| Club(s) | |||
| Years | Club | ||
2005-2017 2018 2019 – present |
St Vincents Donegal GFC Boston St Vincents | ||
| Club titles | |||
| Dublin titles | 5 | ||
| Leinster titles | 4 | ||
| All-Ireland Titles | 3 | ||
| Colleges(s) | |||
| Years | College | ||
2008- 2010 | Dublin Institute of Technology | ||
| College titles | |||
| Sigerson titles | 0 | ||
| Inter-county(ies)* | |||
| Years | County | Apps (scores) | |
2007-2018 2019 – present |
Dublin Dublin |
50 (12-74) 0 (0-00) | |
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Leinster titles | 11 | ||
| All-Irelands | 6 | ||
| NFL | 5 | ||
| All Stars | 2 | ||
| *Inter County team apps and scores correct as of 14:55, 17 July 2019. | |||
Born in Dublin, Connolly inherited a passion for sport from his Kilkenny-born father and Clare-born mother. He was educated at Ardscoil Rís where he played competitive Gaelic football and hurling, while he also played soccer with Belvedere F.C. and Home Farm F.C..[3]
Career
Connolly first came to prominence as a Gaelic footballer and hurler at juvenile and underage levels with St. Vincent's. He made his debut with the club's senior team in 2004. Since then Connolly has two All-Ireland Club Football medals. He has also won four Leinster medals and fours county championship medals.
Connolly made his debut on the inter-county scene when he was selected for the Dublin minor team in 2005. After an unsuccessful minor tenure, he later joined the Dublin under-21 teams as a dual player and won a Leinster medal as a hurler. Connolly made his senior debut during the 2007 O'Byrne Cup. Since then he has won five All-Ireland medals, beginning with lone triumphs in 2011 and 2013, and followed by three successive championships from 2015 to 2017. Connolly has also won ten Leinster medals and four National League medals. He is also a recipient of All Star awards in 2014 and 2016.
In June 2017, Connolly received a 12-week ban after physical interference against linesman Ciaran Branagan during Dublin's win against Carlow in the quarterfinals of the 2017 Leinster Senior Football Championship.[4][5]
In March 2018, Connolly left the Dublin senior football panel to spend the summer in Boston playing for Donegal Boston. He subsequently won the championship with the Boston club. [6]
In July 2019, Dublin GAA Senior Football Manager Jim Gavin confirmed in an interview with Dubs TV that Diarmuid Connolly is back training with the Dublin panel for the 2019 Championship season.[2]
Peil Star Film
In 2016, Diarmuid Connolly appeared in a Street Gaelic Football film created by Peil Star with Dublin teammate Shane Carthy and New York footballer C. J. Molloy. In the video, Connolly kicks a Gaelic football across the River Liffey in Dublin. [7]
Career statistics
- As of rejoining Dublin GAA Senior Football panel 14 July 2019.
| Team | Season | National League | Leinster | All-Ireland | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | ||
| Dublin | 2007 | Division 1A | 6 | 1-06 | 3 | 0-00 | 2 | 0-04 | 11 | 1-10 |
| 2008 | Division 2 | 3 | 1-06 | 2 | 1-05 | 1 | 0-00 | 6 | 2-11 | |
| 2009 | Division 1 | 5 | 0-10 | 3 | 0-01 | 1 | 0-00 | 9 | 0-11 | |
| 2010 | 1 | 0-00 | 0 | 0-00 | 0 | 0-00 | 1 | 0-00 | ||
| 2011 | 8 | 4-11 | 3 | 1-03 | 3 | 0-07 | 14 | 5-21 | ||
| 2012 | 7 | 4-21 | 2 | 1-04 | 2 | 0-02 | 11 | 5-27 | ||
| 2013 | 8 | 1-20 | 3 | 1-04 | 3 | 0-05 | 14 | 2-29 | ||
| 2014 | 5 | 2-11 | 3 | 1-04 | 2 | 1-07 | 10 | 4-22 | ||
| 2015 | 5 | 1-05 | 3 | 3-06 | 4 | 1-04 | 12 | 5-15 | ||
| 2016 | 6 | 3-05 | 3 | 1-09 | 4 | 1-07 | 13 | 5-21 | ||
| 2017 | 3 | 0-02 | 1 | 0-01 | 2 | 0-01 | 6 | 0-04 | ||
| 2018 | 0 | 0-00 | 0 | 0-00 | 0 | 0-00 | 0 | 0-00 | ||
| 2019 | 0 | 0-00 | 0 | 0-00 | 0 | 0-00 | 0 | 0-00 | ||
| Total | 57 | 17-97 | 26 | 9-37 | 24 | 3-37 | 107 | 29-171 | ||
Honours
St Vincents GAA
- Dublin Senior Football Championship (5): 2007, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017
- Leinster Senior Club Football Championship (4): 2007, 2013, 2014, 2016
- All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship (2): 2008, 2014
Dublin
- All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (6): 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019
- Leinster Senior Football Championship (10): 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
- National Football League (4): 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
- O'Byrne Cup (4): 2007, 2008, 2015, 2017
- Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship (1): 2007
- Individual
- GAA GPA All-Star Award (2): 2014, 2016
- In May 2020, a public poll conducted by RTÉ.ie named Connolly in the half-forward line alongside Peter Canavan and Pat Spillane in a team of footballers who had won All Stars during the era of The Sunday Game.[8]
References
- "Keeping up with Diarmuid Connolly: The Dublin star talks family, hurling and MMA". The 42. 20 July 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
- "Jim Gavin confirms Diarmuid Connolly return to Dublin camp". Dublin GAA. 14 July 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
- Keys, Colm (20 July 2016). "I didn't really follow the footballers when I was growing up - Connolly". The 42. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
- "Diarmuid Connolly LOSES CHC appeal against 12-week ban for linesman push". Irish Independent. 14 June 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
- "Life without Diarmuid - Dublin set to start without Connolly for first time after 28-game run". The 42. 21 June 2017. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
- "Dublin leave door open for Diarmuid Connolly return ahead of five in-a-row bid". Irish Independent. 4 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
- "Diarmuid Connolly's wheelie bin trick shot and kick across the Liffey are damn impressive".
- "The final XV". RTÉ Sport. 29 May 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.