GAA Hard men (all counties)

[Hardy]

My definition of a hard man is someone who will go through, rather than around, with no regard for his own safety and who will put his body in potentially painful situations in the contest for possession. He is now a redundant species.

What exactly is a hard man in 2010 sanitised Duffyball, in which players can't even accidentally brush against each other without one of them being penalised and probably yellow carded and in which honest competition for possession has been eradicated?

[Master Yoda]

Always loved watching Glen Ryan, hard as f**k.

[Master Yoda]

Micky John Forbes, Ardboe and Tyrone.

[Lar Naparka]

Another Cavan player of that generation told me too that possibly the filthiest footballer, in the sneaky sense, that he ever encountered on the pitch was a guy called Red Collier of Meath. Never heard much about this guy but some of the Meath lads might be able to fill us in...although I'd say the history in Meath might be told in a different light to that in Cavan!

Red Collier was a St.Pat's man from Stamullen, a legend in his time....never though a meath man would be filthy, such accusations.......

The Red wasn't a hard man. He was dirty and devious but as windy as hell.
By contrast, the man beside him, Bertie Cunningham, was as tough as nails but he played the ball, not the man. The same could be said about the Quinns from the same era.

[Owenbeg]

Mc Gilligan hands down!! i think the aussies nick named him the 'hulk' in the 80's

Club level has to be Emmett McKeever!!

Eugene Lynch- defiently deserve a mention

Rest of derry is soft as s***e 

[Hardy]

Another Cavan player of that generation told me too that possibly the filthiest footballer, in the sneaky sense, that he ever encountered on the pitch was a guy called Red Collier of Meath. Never heard much about this guy but some of the Meath lads might be able to fill us in...although I'd say the history in Meath might be told in a different light to that in Cavan!

Red Collier was a St.Pat's man from Stamullen, a legend in his time....never though a meath man would be filthy, such accusations.......

The Red wasn't a hard man. He was dirty and devious but as windy as hell.
By contrast, the man beside him, Bertie Cunningham, was as tough as nails but he played the ball, not the man. The same could be said about the Quinns from the same era.

I have to take issue with you there, Lar. The Red was a hard man by my definition - willing to put his body on the line. Where you got the impression he was windy I have no idea. He also had the reputation of being dirty, but like many of similar reputation, it wasn't deserved and was more of a media invention than anything, probably not based on anything more substantial than his red hair and the lazy consequent assumption of a fiery temper. In reality he was a very placid individual but a fierce competitor.

Bertie Cunningham was probably the toughest player I ever saw and also not the ball-playing angel you portray. Certainly Cyril Dunne of Galway would have experienced one of Bertie's deviations from always playing the ball. The two big Quinns, Martin and Jack were also more "robust" than the ideal of the clean-cut ball-playing gentleman footballer. Jack would tell you that himself.

[lynchbhoy]

Another Cavan player of that generation told me too that possibly the filthiest footballer, in the sneaky sense, that he ever encountered on the pitch was a guy called Red Collier of Meath. Never heard much about this guy but some of the Meath lads might be able to fill us in...although I'd say the history in Meath might be told in a different light to that in Cavan!

Red Collier was a St.Pat's man from Stamullen, a legend in his time....never though a meath man would be filthy, such accusations.......

The Red wasn't a hard man. He was dirty and devious but as windy as hell.
By contrast, the man beside him, Bertie Cunningham, was as tough as nails but he played the ball, not the man. The same could be said about the Quinns from the same era.

I have to take issue with you there, Lar. The Red was a hard man by my definition - willing to put his body on the line. Where you got the impression he was windy I have no idea. He also had the reputation of being dirty, but like many of similar reputation, it wasn't deserved and was more of a media invention than anything, probably not based on anything more substantial than his red hair and the lazy consequent assumption of a fiery temper. In reality he was a very placid individual but a fierce competitor.

Bertie Cunningham was probably the toughest player I ever saw and also not the ball-playing angel you portray. Certainly Cyril Dunne of Galway would have experienced one of Bertie's deviations from always playing the ball. The two big Quinns, Martin and Jack were also more "robust" than the ideal of the clean-cut ball-playing gentleman footballer. Jack would tell you that himself.

thought I had written about Bertie before !!
He was a big hard bustard. He and Matie kerrigan both told me that Red was a tough enough hoor but was more dirty than anything else !
Mattie told Red one day not to hit his direct opponent because 'they are bound to have someone better in the subs' !

[Club Rossa]

Screenmachine,ask your source what happened to Barney og in Forbes club on the night Ardboe beat Moortown in the 1983 championship final

I suspect you will hear a different version of events from what actually happened

[Club Rossa]

That should read championship semi final,just so there is no confusion about the story

[cornafean]

Micky John Forbes, Ardboe and Tyrone.

The self-proclaimed 'hardest wee mon in Ulster' according to a story Brian Mullins has told more than once 

[Mickeys beard]

What about Francie?
Mick Cushnahan Derrylaughan and Tyrone was a hardy boy.

[stew]

I doubt if there is much or anythnig that would scare those Grimleys. I was working in a place they ate in one day and was afraid we'd run out of food and they'd eat me!

Them boys were and are afraid of feck all.

For me Mark was one of the best midfielders in football for about three years, he was absolutely sublime for a spell and he took no prisoners, he was and probably still is a hard man, to me he was the better footballer of the two.

John played various positions and was an integral part of the harps team, as was his brother and he too was a very good Armagh player, these boys did an awful lot of dirty work for the county and for the club and I nust have watched them play in a couple of hundred games, not once did I see either one of them back down.

It is sad that players that gave their all for club and county must be protrayed as cowards by a clown that has been affiliated with multiple clubs across Armagh and Tyrone.

[Farrandeelin]

From what i can remember knockmore's hardest man

Hard, or just filthy ? Knockmore have had far harder men over the years than this fella

Name one? I'd have him ahead of stanton, peter butler, eugene mchale, liam o'neill, liam mchale

From what I've heard, Michael Molloy was a hard player in his day.

[Donnellys Hollow]

Always loved watching Glen Ryan, hard as f**k.

I marked Glenn in a county league match a few months back. He absolutely cut me in half with a shoulder. Twas like being hit by a f**king train!

[Armaghgeddon]

I doubt if there is much or anythnig that would scare those Grimleys. I was working in a place they ate in one day and was afraid we'd run out of food and they'd eat me!

Them boys were and are afraid of feck all.

For me Mark was one of the best midfielders in football for about three years, he was absolutely sublime for a spell and he took no prisoners, he was and probably still is a hard man, to me he was the better footballer of the two.

John played various positions and was an integral part of the harps team, as was his brother and he too was a very good Armagh player, these boys did an awful lot of dirty work for the county and for the club and I nust have watched them play in a couple of hundred games, not once did I see either one of them back down.

It is sad that players that gave their all for club and county must be protrayed as cowards by a clown that has been affiliated with multiple clubs across Armagh and Tyrone.

I met one of the Grimley's [think it was John] in McKenna's. Nicest fella you could possibly meet. Although he almost crushed my hand when we met.