www.uibhfhaili.com

We all have them. The hero who dragged you up from Junior A or the inspiration who kept you from crashing out of Senior.
Who is your most influential club player of the last 20 years?

I'll make a stab at it and feel free to enlighten us as to the reasons behind your most personal of decisions.

Edenderry- Peter Brady
Rhode- Niall McNamee
St. Brigids- Mick Casey
Clara- Willie Reynolds
Tullamore- Cathal Daly
Ferbane- Brendan Lowry
Gracefield- Karol Slattery
Daingean- John Greene
Doon- Vinny Claffey
Shannonbridge- Mick Devine
Erin Rovers- Sonny Lynam
St. Rynaghs- Paudie Mulhare
Shamrocks- Neville Coughlan
Ballycumber- Colm Quinn
Tubber- Ciarán McManus
Walsh Island- Richie Connor

Bracknagh Frank Weir.

What about the following??:

Ballinamere
Durrow
Clonbullogue
Ballyfore
Kilclonfert
KK
Birr
Cappincur
Ballycommon
Raheen

Edenderry- Peter brady and you have to include Finbar Cullen as well

Oceans 15 wrote:What about the following??:

Ballinamere
Durrow
Clonbullogue
Ballyfore
Kilclonfert
KK
Birr
Cappincur
Ballycommon
Raheen

I would be stumped or out of my depth to be honest. Suggestions?

Barry Whelehan has put in a good innings now with Birr in the big ball game.

True Red wrote:Edenderry- Peter brady and you have to include Finbar Cullen as well

Of course Finbar is a hero. Just had to pick one.

Ballycommon - Ollie Scally

Archangel wrote:Ballycommon - Ollie Scally

Agreed Declan Todd gave great service too.

It's an interesting concept in the sense that some clubs would have an obvious hero, yet if you asked me to pick just one in Ferbane, I'd be a little bit at a loss. Brendan Lowry is obviously one of the more celebrated, but someone like James Grennan who has soldiered on through pretty much most of that twenty year spell and gone through bad times and good would have to be there or thereabouts too, while the start of that era would have had plenty of lads who will long be remembered as legends in the town. Dinny Kelly, Pat Doyle, Paul Mollen and several others and it would be very hard to separate one from the other.

It's certainly a bit easier for the likes of Tubber or Doon where the obvious candidate jumps out at you!

As for your others, I'd have maybe gone for Barry Mooney over Neville and James Stewart as opposed to Willie Reynolds, but it'd take Clara and Shamrocks clubmen to give you the inside track there.

Clonbullogue - Darren Quinn
Ballyfore - Connor Evans

This is an intriguing one. It really depends on what is meant by influential? The most influential player in key games? Or perhaps the most influential in terms of training, dedication and showing example?

20 years is a long time.

I think you've opted for more recent footballers in a few clubs here, but as LS has pointed out, it's easy to forget some of the older generation, who really are legends.

In Ferbane, Jasper Doyle might not have single-handedly won County Finals, but as far as I'm aware, he holds the record for Dowling Cup medals (8?). I think Sean Grennan deserves a big mention here too.

In Edenderry, it's hard to look past Brady, but Cullen was arguably the Fulcrum for the glory years of the middle and later 90s. Again, if you're looking for the better club-man, in terms of all round influence, I know who I'd be picking.

Ballycumber, Tullamore, Rynaghs, Doon, Bridge, Pullagh, Rhode - no real argument.

Tubber is interesting. Didn't they graduate from Junior to Senior in a very short space of time long before Ciaran McManus came along? One of the Morans might figure here?

As for Shamrocks, that too is difficult. When were Rahan and Mucklagh amalgamated? And did they break up for a while? If it's just the Shamrocks club (since early/mid 90s), I'd go for Ronan Mooney.

Finally to Clara. I better not give this too much thought, as I'd be here all day! I don't think it's Willie - but then, I'm not quite sure who it is. After a great start to his club career (good year in 91), Willie didn't play any part in the victory in 93 (due to a very bad back injury). Things stalled for a while and then he moved to full-back and had an enormous year in 2003 when Clara last won a Championship.
Padraig Moran won man-of-the-match in both the 91 and 93 county finals, but didn't play in the 2003 county final (unless he came on as a late sub?). He also had somewhat of a sabbatical in the mid/late 90s when he was in Belarus. So, maybe it's not him either? For sheer influence in key games though, maybe it is.

Jimmy Stewart is definitely there or thereabouts - in terms of consistency, presence, attitude, etc.

I need to think a little more before I bestow such a compliment.

As for the rest of the clubs, they haven't been omitted deliberately. I don't feel qualified to comment - over 20 years at least!

St. Carthage's contested the 1993 Intermediate hurling final. The following year's IHC final was won by St. Carthage's/Mucklagh. The Shamrocks name was adapted either the next year or the year after, though the underage section had used the Shamrocks name for a few years before that.

The Magpie wrote:As for Shamrocks, that too is difficult. When were Rahan and Mucklagh amalgamated? And did they break up for a while? If it's just the Shamrocks club (since early/mid 90s), I'd go for Ronan Mooney.

Silken Thomas wrote:We all have them. The hero who dragged you up from Junior A or the inspiration who kept you from crashing out of Senior.
Who is your most influential club player of the last 20 years?

I'll make a stab at it and feel free to enlighten us as to the reasons behind your most personal of decisions.

Edenderry- Peter Brady
Rhode- Niall McNamee
St. Brigids- Mick Casey
Clara- Willie Reynolds
Tullamore- Cathal Daly
Ferbane- Brendan Lowry
Gracefield- Karol Slattery
Daingean- John Greene
Doon- Vinny Claffey
Shannonbridge- Mick Devine
Erin Rovers- Sonny Lynam
St. Rynaghs- Paudie Mulhare
Shamrocks- Neville Coughlan
Ballycumber- Colm Quinn
Tubber- Ciarán McManus
Walsh Island- Richie Connor

I agree with about 90% of Silken Thomas's selection. I know that some people from the clubs listed would not agree with him. There is 1 or 2 players listed that while been propably been their best players might not have been the best " Club Men". I'll give some alternatives to Silken Thomas's selection but this dosen't necessarily mean I don't agree with his selections...


Edenderry- Peter Brady Finbarr Cullen
Rhode- Niall McNamee In Fairness his brother Alan has been a great Clubman too
St. Brigids- Mick Casey The 2 Kennedys
Clara- Willie Reynolds Ginger
Tullamore- Cathal Daly Agreed Joe Hughes was immense for a few years too
Ferbane- Brendan Lowry 2 Grennans
Gracefield- Karol Slattery No Contest
Daingean- John Greene Stephen Burns
Doon- Vinny Claffey No Contest
Shannonbridge- [/b] Mick Devine Don't really know enough to comment, his rugby commitments might take from him!!
Erin Rovers- Sonny Lynam No Contest
St. Rynaghs- Paudie Mulhare No Contest
Shamrocks- Neville Coughlan Don't agree The Mooneys/Pauric Kelly
Ballycumber- Colm Quinn No Contest
Tubber- Ciarán McManus No Contest
Walsh Island- Richie Connor Not sure on this one
Balinamere Barney O'Brien
Durrow Can't remeber his surname Martin someone used to play full forward
Clonbullogue Darren Quinn
Ballyfore Tom Coffey/Finbarr Killaly
Kilclonfert
KK
Birr
Cappincur
Ballycommon Declan Todd/Ollie Scally
Raheen

Any comments

Walsh Island- Richie Connor Not sure on this one

Id say Alan Comerford was the player that dragged WI up from Junior to Intermediate and without him in the 90's before going to America, WI would have been Junior for a long time after.

The Magpie wrote: In Ferbane, Jasper Doyle might not have single-handedly won County Finals, but as far as I'm aware, he holds the record for Dowling Cup medals (8?).

9 I thought?

swiftpost wrote:

The Magpie wrote: In Ferbane, Jasper Doyle might not have single-handedly won County Finals, but as far as I'm aware, he holds the record for Dowling Cup medals (8?).

9 I thought?

9 Senior County medals it was.