Ciarán McDonald

[Lar Naparka]

All Ireland Final Club Final 2003 Cross v Nemo, McD was class, he roasted Martin Cronin in the 1st half, where could someone get a copy of that game???

the club have a video library which has most of the matches going back 20 years . greg burke and pj hughes are the lads who done all of the videos i'm sure they would have a copy give me a pm and i'll try and get it for you davitt man.

Tell me, DR, does any of your lads know how to upload to Youtube?
That might be a good way to let others see Ciaran at his best.

[outthecountry]

I wonder if he'll appear in Martin Breheny's top 25 players in saturday's Irish Indo.......an absolute travesty if he doesn't appear in the top 100 somewhere.................a pure genius...........never to see his likes again.........glad that he was around in our generation for us to see because they will be raving about him for years to come..!!

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

I wonder if he'll appear in Martin Breheny's top 25 players in saturday's Irish Indo.......an absolute travesty if he doesn't appear in the top 100 somewhere.................a pure genius...........never to see his likes again.........glad that he was around in our generation for us to see because they will be raving about him for years to come..!!

No Ciaran Mac, he wore the wrong County Jersey for Martin Breheny.

[mylestheslasher]

Undoubtably a player of huge ability but I have to ask how many seasons (or part seasons) did he opt out of playing for his county (and club) over his career?

[RedandGreenSniper]

Undoubtably a player of huge ability but I have to ask how many seasons (or part seasons) did he opt out of playing for his county (and club) over his career?

1996 is the only year I'd be upset about him missing - he  chose to go to America for the summer. There were a combination of factors involved in other years. There's no doubt though that it is a pity we didn't see more of him in the green and red, no matter what way you look at it.

[small white mayoman]

Undoubtably a player of huge ability but I have to ask how many seasons (or part seasons) did he opt out of playing for his county (and club) over his career?

one thing that can not be questioned was his commintment to is club. he has been playing senior with them since he was 16 and played every since bar 1996 when he went to america thats nearly 20 years of senior club football. yep he had he up and downs with the mayo set up but he seemed to put his work first and who can blame him .

[Farrandeelin]

Undoubtably a player of huge ability but I have to ask how many seasons (or part seasons) did he opt out of playing for his county (and club) over his career?

one thing that can not be questioned was his commintment to is club. he has been playing senior with them since he was 16 and played every since bar 1996 when he went to america thats nearly 20 years of senior club football. yep he had he up and downs with the mayo set up but he seemed to put his work first and who can blame him .

Far from blaming Ciarán McDonald, I'd blame the County board for allowing him to be made work all over the country. FFS, if he was in any other county he'd be kept working in that county.

[mountainboii]

What does he work at? Always pictured him running some surf school up in the arsehole of nowhere or something cool like that.

[Farrandeelin]

Laying pipes for companies all over Ireland I believe, Deel Rover could correct me on this one. Could be placed anywhere at any time too. Spent a fair bit of time in Meath.

[Lar Naparka]

Undoubtably a player of huge ability but I have to ask how many seasons (or part seasons) did he opt out of playing for his county (and club) over his career?

Just one, I believe and far too much has been written into that absence. In 1996, when he was about 21, he went to the US for the summer. At the time of going, he was not an established member of the Mayo team that in any event appeared to be going nowhere. Thereafter, Ciaran’s commitment to Mayo was unquestionable and one can only make a guess at the amount of money he lost through loss of earnings and on medical expenses.
John Maughan was to give him the height of praise for his devotion to the Mayo cause, when interviewed by Keith Duggan (“House of Pain”). Maughan put most of Ciaran’s recurring back problems down to the long hours he spent driving to and from games and training from wherever his work was to where he was wanted.
The player himself stated, after learning that he had been shafted, that he never asked for a cent in expenses from the county board in all the thirteen years he spent playing for Mayo.

[stephenite]

As far as I know there were plenty of job offers from the county board

[randomtask]

sounds like a humble hard working dedicated GAA man, who i hope we will see more of at some stage, absolute ledgend of the GAA

[JimStynes]

Used to love watching him in action, just such natural ability. Always remember him playing in the international rules, the aussies for some reason had him as public enemy number 1 and tried to knock the shite out of him. But Ciaran didnt take any shit and give the aussies all the wanted. One of the only Irish fellas who stood up to the aussies that day. Did he play soccer or anything? Looks like hes one of those fellas who would be good at any sport he played.

[RedandGreenSniper]

Used to love watching him in action, just such natural ability. Always remember him playing in the international rules, the aussies for some reason had him as public enemy number 1 and tried to knock the shite out of him. But Ciaran didnt take any shit and give the aussies all the wanted. One of the only Irish fellas who stood up to the aussies that day. Did he play soccer or anything? Looks like hes one of those fellas who would be good at any sport he played.

Played an occasional but with Crossmolina and then signed for Ballyheane in the local Super League. He actually scored four goals against the club I play in goal for in one FAI Junior Cup game, three from 40 yards or so! But I wasn't playing thankfully!
Another day we were playing against Ballyheane and McD was meant to be making his debut for them. But he ended up making his comeback for Mayo that day in 2004 against Kildare in a challenge. And he ended up with an All-Star. Soccer came very easy to him.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

Ballyheane Bluebombers, class name.