A rugby XV of GAA players

[Crete Boom]

I think Anthony Rainbow played for the Leinster u20s. Also Brian Lacey played on the same Clanwilliam team as Alan Quinlan. His brother John played on that great Shannon team about ten years ago.

Rainbow played Irish u/18s - he was in the Leinster system but Micko came calling and the rest as they say is history.

Michael Duignan won a Towns Cup Medal with Naas and played u/20 with Connacht.

Have never seen him play rugby but seemingly Joe Canning could have been a rugby super-star.

Ja Fallan and Ger Farragher recently went toe to toe in the recent Connacht J2 league final when Tuam beat OLBC with Ja scoring the winning try, OLBC had 7 Castlegar players..

Good man Dinny forgot about Ja who probably played his best rugby season for Galwegians at fullback in the winter of 98 before the All-Ireland , he also terrorised my own club in the Connacht league many times. Had the pleasure of seeing Joe Canning playing out-half for Portumna in the Connacht senior schools cup , I know Connacht made a huge effort to keep him playing. Michael Duigan won Connacht junior and senior cup medals with Garbally and he played against my own club Ballina at second row in a pre season tornament for Tullamore serious athlete. John Muldoon current Connacht and Ireland international who was captained Portuma CBS V St. Muredachs in a Connacht junior cup final(the first time no traditional rugby schools made the final) was a serious underage hurler for Portumna and Galway.
Thomas Loftus who soldered for years in midfield for Crossmolina Deel Rovers( and I think was on the side that won the club All-Ireland) was an excellent no 8 for Ballina and was a powerhouse in the pack of the team that won a Connacht senior league and he cut the great Neil Francis in half a few times in a AIL division 2 game for Ballina against Old Belvedere. John Horan brother of james and current Mayo water carrier played on the wing for Ballina for a few years and James played for a year too before becoming a starter for Mayo. The final rugby connections I can think of is Gordon Darcy's Dad and Uncle both played for Castlebar Mitchells with his Uncle winiing a county medal in the late 60's I think.

[ballymac]

Good thread for a bit of craic OP (doubt if most Ulster posters will agree though!)

Obviously there's more that I didn't think of. Rugby is of little use to Gaelic players skill wise (as opposed to vice versa), but its great to toughen young lads up and get them used to physical contact. Great for discipline too.

P.S: I can probably guess the answer, but have any GAA heads in Ulster tried their hand at rugby?

In days gone past rugby and gaelic did not mix, but that has changed very significantly. At our local rugby club in all the youth teams the majority of jerseys worn at training are gaa tops, but sadly this does not convert into the senior ranks. Now this is good for the GAA in that it keeps the majority of its young players.
I believe that every young fella should have a season or three training at underage rugby to toughen them up and teach them discipline, respect and dignity.
Rugby in the north is shooting itself in the foot when it comes to developing players from outside of the rugby playing grammar schools. That helps to keep the segretation of the two codes, and its good for the GAA, as you rightly state rugby is of little use skills wise. Also there is little opportunity for any young fella trying to make it into gaelic from a rugby background.
Also, I notice that the number of rugby clubs in comparison to GAA clubs is amazing. If you take the amount of rugby clubs in Ulster there are more gaa clubs in Tyrone alone, therefore it is very hard to make the breakthrough from a gaelic background into rugby and vice versa, leaving aside all the other issues.

[rrhf]

except for Big Oz

[Harold Disgracey]

My son goes to Armagh rugby club and it would be about 50-50, it's quite noticeable the number of GAA club bags the boys have with them, if only we could persuade those from 'the other side' to play GAA in the rugby off season. I certainly never would have considered playing with Portadown rugby club in my youth.

Nobody mention Bressie yet?

[LilySavage]

Geordan Murphy played for Kildare u16 and Leicester Tigers, Shane Byrne and Eric Miller both played club football once they gave up rugby. Padraig Marron played for Dublin minor and Leinster Lion.

[snoopdog]

Fook off to the aviva and stay there with your stupid thread.

[Crete Boom]

Fook off to the aviva and stay there with your stupid thread.

Have you no respect for the Tiger's game.  We've lost the property bubble , the banks , Fianna Fail , Bertie , the Grand slam , the Ryder Cup and Bulgarian property investments so all that's left of the BOOM is the beloved oval ball game! For shame.

[ross4life]

   The Rossies have a couple of the best young Connacht and Irish rugby prospects in Daniel Qualter and Shane Layden who both played minor football for their county. Nearly forgot Connor Finn, Connacht and Ireland U20 international ,

Jack Carty aswell all three if they continued playing football would been on our U21 panel now & TBH we could do with their physical presence (especially Qualter) vs the Dubs.

[snoopdog]

Fook off to the aviva and stay there with your stupid thread.

Have you no respect for the Tiger's game.  We've lost the property bubble , the banks , Fianna Fail , Bertie , the Grand slam , the Ryder Cup and Bulgarian property investments so all that's left of the BOOM is the beloved oval ball game! For shame.

Nail on the head boyo.
cant see the need for big chicken eggs to be honest

[heffo]

Didn't one of the Meath lads, David Beggy maybe, play rugby? Pushing on a bit now granted but you could see how he would have been effective as a speedy winger.

Beggy played a few years as a winger with Buccaneers in the late 90's and also played for Blackrock & Leinster earlier in his career.

[trileacman]

Geordan Murphy played for Kildare u16 and Leicester Tigers, Shane Byrne and Eric Miller both played club football once they gave up rugby. Padraig Marron played for Dublin minor and Leinster Lion.

Eric Miller played for Dublin seniors after his retirement from rugby. He was on the '06 panel for the pre-season. Don't think he made it to the League though.

[theticklemister]

Geordan Murphy played for Kildare u16 and Leicester Tigers, Shane Byrne and Eric Miller both played club football once they gave up rugby. Padraig Marron played for Dublin minor and Leinster Lion.

Eric Miller played for Dublin seniors after his retirement from rugby. He was on the '06 panel for the pre-season. Don't think he made it to the League though.

I think I mind that he was tried as an auxilary full forward in training matches.

Don't think there would be a more destructive GAA man played rugby that big Fergal Doherty.

[Jinxy]

'Big' Fergal Doherty isn't even particularly big.
I've spoken to you nordies about this before.

[theticklemister]

 

'Big' Fergal Doherty isn't even particularly big.
I've spoken to you nordies about this before.

I don't think I read about this............ Scriobh aris mo chara

[heffo]

Geordan Murphy played for Kildare u16 and Leicester Tigers, Shane Byrne and Eric Miller both played club football once they gave up rugby. Padraig Marron played for Dublin minor and Leinster Lion.

Eric Miller played for Dublin seniors after his retirement from rugby. He was on the '06 panel for the pre-season. Don't think he made it to the League though.

He played a game for a development team against Louth in a pre-Xmas friendly - I don't believe he was involved either before or after that and certainly didn't do a pre-season with them.