Is it DJ or Ring? Or Peter Canavan or Mikey Sheehy or maybe it's Micheal Duksie Walshe who has won endless medals in handball or maybe even one of the Downey sisters from Kilkenny who won Camogie medals
I know it's hard to compare the players but who in your mind is the best or most iconic figure of our gaelic games past or present
Frank McGuigan
Sean Purcell
Maurice Fitzgerald
Kerian McGeeney
Sean O'Neill
Quote from: Take Your Points on March 23, 2007, 09:20:51 PM
I think Frank McGuigan may have been eclipsed by another Tyrone player from an earlier generation. An elderly gent at the MacRory final told me that the late Frankie Donnelly from Carrickmore was the greatest Tyrone player and greatest scorer in a single game.
I'm too young to know what the great Frankie Donnelly was like, but from my own experience I'll stick with Frank ;)
Cork's Jack Lynch 5 AI in a row mixing Football and Hurling. Other players were good at one decipline but Jack was good at Gaelic Games!
This one is too easy ............ Me ;)
It's not just football i mean all Gaelic sports
Who best represents our Gaelic Games who has given more than anyone to this great tradition we have...
In my opionion the best Gaelic sportsman we ever had was DJ Carey and thats not easy for me to say as i grew up on the Kilkenny/Laois border and am the biggest ABK fan there is.
I think he excelled at Hurling more than any footballer excelled at football
Niall Patterson
Quote from: Pangurban on March 23, 2007, 09:17:22 PM
Sean Purcell
From what i've heard from those older and wiser than me I think so.
Tributes have been paid to the Galway Gaelic footballer, Sean Purcell, who died last night at the age of 76.
He was recognised by many football enthusiasts as the greatest player of all time.
Purcell was picked at centre-forward on the GAA/An Post 'Team of the Millennium' and the 'Team of the Century'.
AdvertisementHis name was inextricably linked to that of his team-mate Frank Stockwell, and they became known as the Terrible Twins.
His achievements included winning ten Galway Senior Football Championship titles, an All-Ireland Senior Football medal with Galway and three Railway Cup medals with Connacht.
Recently, he was awarded an honorary degree at a ceremony at NUI Galway.
In a tribute, the RTÉ broadcaster, Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh, said Sean Purcell was known as 'The Master' and his performance on the pitch and kind deeds off it were always executed with a certain grace and elegance.
Sean Purcell's extradordinary career will be remembered at GAA events throughout the country today.
He died after a short illness, and is survived by his two sons and four daughters.
Quote from: The Real Laoislad on March 24, 2007, 02:10:48 AM
It's not just football i mean all Gaelic sports
Who best represents our Gaelic Games who has given more than anyone to this great tradition we have...
In my opionion the best Gaelic sportsman we ever had was DJ Carey and thats not easy for me to say as i grew up on the Kilkenny/Laois border and am the biggest ABK fan there is.
I think he excelled at Hurling more than any footballer excelled at football
DJ is a wonderful player but the hurling heads on here could name three or four that were better than DJ in hurling alone, in terms of him excelling more tha any footballer I would say that is balls as well, Maurice Fitzgerald and Peter Canavan are two modern day footballers that were as good as DJ was in his chosen sport, nevermind the men like McAlarney and Jacko from the past.
Christy Ring is one name bandied about as the greatest ever hurler but these things are subjective. In footballing terms for me the best player I ever saw was Johnny Corvan, he was sublime but does not have the longevity the likes of Canavan has so Canavan would get the nod with Fitzgerald a close second, both men killed us over the course of their illustrious careers. :'(
Quote from: The Real Laoislad on March 24, 2007, 02:10:48 AM
It's not just football i mean all Gaelic sports
Who best represents our Gaelic Games who has given more than anyone to this great tradition we have...
In my opionion the best Gaelic sportsman we ever had was DJ Carey and thats not easy for me to say as i grew up on the Kilkenny/Laois border and am the biggest ABK fan there is.
I think he excelled at Hurling more than any footballer excelled at football
DJ is a wonderful player but the hurling heads on here could name three or four that were better than DJ in hurling alone, in terms of him excelling more tha any footballer I would say that is balls as well, Maurice Fitzgerald and Peter Canavan are two modern day footballers that were as good as DJ was in his chosen sport, nevermind the men like McAlarney and Jacko from the past.
Christy Ring is one name bandied about as the greatest ever hurler but these things are subjective. In footballing terms for me the best player I ever saw was Johnny Corvan, he was sublime but does not have the longevity the likes of Canavan has so Canavan would get the nod with Fitzgerald a close second, both men killed us over the course of their illustrious careers. :'(
'So good he says it twice' :)
Ziggy what age are you? Frank Mc Guigan stopped playing in Winter 84. From meory that makes you three. Some judge of talent boy for a three year old.
IMHO FRANKIE DONNELLY aside, I cant comment and having listened to the reasoned analysis of Stew, ie Longevity and committment becomes a big factor too, PTG over Mc Guigan anyday. Big FRank might be the best Gaelic player to have spent most of his career in the USA, but Canavan committed more to Tyrone GAA than Big Frank ever did. nO comparison except for the rose tinted spec brigade
Can't think of anyone who was better than DJ myself,seen him in enough county and club matches over the years and he won more games on his own than i care to remember,the man was a genuis suppose it comes down to the age old question which is more skillfull Football or Hurling?
I wouldn't like to say myself as i come from a big hurling family but am more interested in football.
Quote from: ziggysego on March 23, 2007, 10:06:53 PM
Quote from: Take Your Points on March 23, 2007, 09:20:51 PM
I think Frank McGuigan may have been eclipsed by another Tyrone player from an earlier generation. An elderly gent at the MacRory final told me that the late Frankie Donnelly from Carrickmore was the greatest Tyrone player and greatest scorer in a single game.
I'm too young to know what the great Frankie Donnelly was like, but from my own experience I'll stick with Frank ;)
Mmm, are you actually double the age you claim you are? Maybe you're Art?
Its a tough question, but of the players ive seen with my own eyes, and not on TV, the ones who have epitomised what a Gaelic and Hurling player for me would have to be Jack O'Shea in football and Nicky English in Hurling. They may not be the greatest of all time but from what I saw in my lifetime they were great players
Nicky was a great player alright i always remember the goal he scored when he kicked the ball into the net think it was around '89
Was unfortunate to have a run in with him one day,i was in Junior Cert year i think and worked in a petrol station part time and i think Nicky worked for Esso at the time,He had a account at the station which i didn't know about and when he said to me i'll sign for that petrol i was all like yeah right who the hell are you,i actually made him pay for the petrol in cash not beliving he had an account there as i didn't recognise him,He wasn't happy and rang my boss the next day complaining
Quote from: The Real Laoislad on March 24, 2007, 09:32:14 AM
Nicky was a great player alright i always remember the goal he scored when he kicked the ball into the net think it was around '89
Was unfortunate to have a run in with him one day,i was in Junior Cert year i think and worked in a petrol station part time and i think Nicky worked for Esso at the time,He had a account at the station which i didn't know about and when he said to me i'll sign for that petrol i was all like yeah right who the hell are you,i actually made him pay for the petrol in cash not beliving he had an account there as i didn't recognise him,He wasn't happy and rang my boss the next day complaining
Thanks hilarious, I can imagine I would be fairly pissed off too, "ye little shite ye"
considering his size and the fact that he was virtually unsupported physically by his even smaller team-mates i have to say ptg by a country mile, the punishment meated out to him by guys who just were not able to mark him would have put most men off, having said that where does that leave enda mc nulty who could mark him. this is a dumb thread
davy fitz ? ?
You cant say ever, only in your own memory. On that basis I'd have Jack O'Shea.
In hurling it would be Shefflin. Don't know any handball, camogie or ladies football players.
QuoteDon't know any ...........ladies football players.
I do.......but in fairness, I was extremely drunk.
yea dirty hur ya.... did they mark there men tight ? ?
Paddy Prendergast who played for Mayo was pretty special as was Mickey Kearns from Sligo,But Sean Purcell was no.1 in my book.
As for hurling it has to be King Henry,he is so consisent at both club and county. Ahead of D.J in my book.
In the current era ie last 40 yrs it has to be DJ. Remember when he started the cats were an average side, poor by Kilkenny standards. Henry has joined an ongoing steamroller of a side which is always there or there abouts. Also the original question was about all gaelic games and unless I am mistaken DJ has a load of handball all irelands
DJ has to be the greatest GAA person ever. Various league, leinster and all-irelands for killkenny. leinsters and all irelands for st kierans in handball and hurling. Various underage leinsters and all irelands in handball including 40x20 minor if im not mistaken. A few all ireland doubles with duxie walsh, 1 world 17&under and 2 world under 23's. O aye throw in a few hurling allstars and player of the year, month etc.
Beat that!
Of the current crop, here's Paul Brady's 2006 GAA achievements (just one year mind)
Handball
All ireland senior singles
All ireland senior doubles
World senior singles
US senior singles
US senior doubles
Football
Played and scored in the Ulster SFC
Represented Ulster in the Railway Cup
Won county senior championship with his club
Probably the best of the lot at the minute, considering he's only 27
The best player on the unbeaten cavan team this season by a mile too, and just today qualified for the All Ireland senior singles final next Saturday
PB's achievements this year are impressive and there is no doubt that he could be ranked along with Naty Alvarado Sr when he finishes. At the minute he's the best player in the world no doubt about that and brought a new level of dedication and professionalism to Irish handball anyway.
BUT although his football achievements would be very good for any normal intercounty player i feel DJ's hurling honours outweigh PB's football ones. DJ came along as a young player and became the best exponant of forward play during his time playing the game and became a world champion a few times over in handball. Rumor has it that he had the potential to be the best but just couldn't dedicate enough time to training with his hurling committments.
You could say the same with PB and his handball committments but in weighing the two up DJ has more success overall.
I'd approach the question of best player this way...I'm captaining a team in heaven, and I've got first pick.
I'll take Jack O'Shea .
Quote from: Ball Hopper on March 25, 2007, 03:53:09 AM
I'd approach the question of best player this way...I'm captaining a team in heaven, and I've got first pick.
I'll take Jack O'Shea .
That is an interesting way to look at it and he was a great player, however as great as he was I remember well that John McGeary from lowly collegeland in Armagh absolutely abused him in the League the year before Jacko quit and despite watching Jacko play some incredible football for well over a decade that day for some reason sticks out in my mind because I saw first hand how far one of the greatest players ever had fallen, that never happened to Canavan and is yet another reason why i would hold him up as the best player ever and before you all start, I know they all have bad games, even the great one's but this was different, it was the first time I had ever saw a legend get old before my eyes and it actually made you sad to have experienced it, Jack would be my Vice captain on my All Heaven team with Geezer as the main man ;D,
QuoteI'd approach the question of best player this way...I'm captaining a team in heaven, and I've got first pick
But Jacko's not dead...
i may be biased but it has to be peter canavan - absolute legend!! Think the fact that he stayed on top of his game for so long makes him the best gaelic games player ever!
Quote from: The Bottom Brick on March 25, 2007, 10:52:31 PM
QuoteI'd approach the question of best player this way...I'm captaining a team in heaven, and I've got first pick
But Jacko's not dead...
So what, the player didnt have to be in Heaven, the captain was in Heaven, didnt you everhear of a non playing captain????? ;)
Still in heaven...second pick to Canavan just ahead of Maurice Fitzgerald.
Need a defender with the next pick...now I'm in trouble.
Refreshing our memories with the Team of the Millenium:
1 Danno Keeffe (Kerry)
2 Enda Colleran (Galway)
3 Joe Keohane (Kerry)
4 Sean Flanagan (Mayo)
5 Sean Murphy (Kerry)
6 John Joe Reilly (Cavan)
7 Martin O'Connell (Meath)
8 Mick O'Connell (Kerry)
9 Tommy Murphy (Laois)
10 Sean O'Neill (Down)
11 Sean Purcell (Galway)
12 Pat Spillane (Kerry)
13 Mike Sheehy (Kerry)
14 Tom Langan (Mayo)
15 Kevin Heffernan (Dublin)
Have to say I'm not inspired with that team....way before my time.
Most All-Star Awards since their inception in 1971 might give us a better roster to choose from:
9 Pat Spillane
7 Mike Sheehy
6 Peter Canavan, Jack O'Shea, Ger Power
5 John Egan, John O'Keeffe, John O'Leary, Paidi O'Se
Recent Footballer of the Year Awards:
2006 Kieran Donaghy Kerry
2005 Stephen O'Neill Tyrone
2004 Tomás Ó Sé Kerry
2003 Stephen McDonnell Armagh
2002 Kieran McGeeney Armagh
2001 Michael Donnellan Galway
2000 Johnny Crowley Kerry
1999 Trevor Giles Meath
1998 Michael Donnellan Galway
1997 Maurice Fitzgerald Kerry
1996 Martin O'Connell Meath
1995 Peter Canavan Tyrone
Good panel there...
lads did ye ever think we dont apprecoate enough of what we have now.
christy ring was a legend but sure sheff will probably be every bit as good but the auld lads would never admit it no matter what he does.
with the football too the names mentioned are all class but in general the players had no skill at all. did ya ever see a lad trying a solo in the 40's or 50's.
that being said it wasn't the thing to do then and the ball was as heavy as lead.
when i look for a great its looking for someone who looks ahead of his time. in the eighties even some of the best ballers looked awkward so ill put in my two cents and go with matt connors. he was doing stuff then maurice fitz was getting deified for years later. lovely player to watch.
ring was just used as an example there because as was pointed he gets bandied about all the time. o be honest i think he is in the same boat of pioneering new things in the game.
with gunner brady we should be appreciating him too NOW and not be harpin on when we are 70 to some poor unfortunate young lad.
camogie it's the downey sisters but ladies football is relatively young in terms of getting big. id say the likes of cora staunton and jliet murphy are already chaled down as legends in that code.
Does anyone else think that Stevie Mcs player of the year award in 2003 was an insult to Brian Dooher, canavan et all.
Quote from: realredhandfan on March 26, 2007, 02:10:08 PM
Does anyone else think that Stevie Mcs player of the year award in 2003 was an insult to Brian Dooher, canavan et all.
see where your coming from like either them two would have been worthy recipients of player of the year 2003. However they won the all-ireland and im sure stevie from killeavy would have swapped his player of the year for that!!
Quote from: realredhandfan on March 26, 2007, 02:10:08 PM
Does anyone else think that Stevie Mcs player of the year award in 2003 was an insult to Brian Dooher, canavan et all.
Only Tyrone fans!
From Bottom Brick
QuoteThe best player on the unbeaten cavan team this season by a mile too, and just today qualified for the All Ireland senior singles final next Saturday
Cavan 0-10 0-14 Tyrone in McKenna Cup!
If you're counting that match you may as well count training games as well... ;)
If by best Gaelic Games player you mean someone who was good at both then I'd say Ray Cummins followed by JBM.
For players who were brilliant at one it'd be between Christy Ring, Mick O'Connell and Maurice Fitzgerald.