GAA Hard men (all counties)

[eireogatron]

i take it Ciaran McKeever isnt being mentioned in protest or something?

[J OGorman]

Brian 'The Hulk' McGilligan was the hardest hooer I've seen on a pitch...fierce hard

[Lar Naparka]

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.

I lived in Bective for more than ten years and in that time I got to know most of the football supporters and pint suppers in the locality. As there was a high crossover between the two categories, that meant most of the adult males in the general neighbourhood and an impressive number of the fairer gender also.
As this was during the 80s, where memories of Red and his colleagues were still fresh in our memories, I never had a problem in starting a row about his behaviour on the field of play and the same held true for most of his colleagues from of that time.
Naturally enough, he was held in high regard by all around me but I honestly can't recall anyone at any time claiming he played within the rules at all times--or indeed at any time unless it suited him to do so.
Now, I never saw him play at club level but I saw enough of him at intercounty games and on TV to feel he played to the gallery and his solo runs down the sideline with his wisps of hair billowing out behind him, were meant for show as his follow- on passes went to nowhere in particular. I felt he engaged in a lot of niggling and needling work, designed to provoke an opponent and draw a free. Despite his reputation for aggression and a quick temper, I can't saw I ever saw him standing his ground and eyeballing any opponent who objected to his latest alleged transgression.
Maybe my memory is playing tricks but I can't recall Bertie, or the Quinns for that matter, ever backing away from anyone who went to confront him man to man after any incident he was involved in.
I don't know what he may have done to Cyril Dunne but as the same Cyril wasn't the cleanest of players either, Bertie may well have had a good reason to 'interface' with him. I dunno.
My reason for meandering through my Bective memories is that when the talk got down to club level and there was no longer the need to defend the county's honour, most of my companions agreed with my assessment of Pat Collier's playing style.
We are talking (discussing?) here events that happened over 40 years ago when football was far tougher and rougher than it is today and games without a good number of punch ups and off the ball incidents were a rarity indeed. By the standards of their time, a good number of that Meath team could justifiably be regarded as hard men; you got what it said on the label with them. They stood their ground against all comers but I have my reservations about the 'Red' fella.

[small white mayoman]

can't believe larry reilly hasn't been mentioned

[Hardy]

Lar, there's no point, I suppose in comparing the accuracy of our memories of forty plus years ago. I'm going to trump you in one aspect, though. I played against The Red. He was well past his glory days and I was fruitlessly anticipating mine.

In any case, I just don't understand the "windy" accusation. I saw him play dozens of times for club and county and I honestly don't ever remember him showing the slightest sign of that. He was a great showman, as you say, and maybe people assume that goes with windiness. But, with the utmost respect, I can't take your assertion that you never saw him stand his ground and eyeball his opponent as corroboration of your assessment. It's not quite the same as giving instances of his backing down.

I think you've misunderstood me on Bertie and the Quinns. I said Bertie was the toughest I ever saw and that the Quinns were pretty robust and not the pure footballing paragons suggested. To say they never backed down would be a gross understatement of their approach. Generally their direct opponents were the ones backing down. (Sometimes lying down, unconscious).

As regards, Cyril Dunne, Bertie went to greet him as he ran down his right wing in the AIF of 1966 and halted him with a tackle in the Seán Doherty vs. Mickey Ned category.

I think you and I would have had fun in the pub in Bective.

[Onion Bag]

Martin O Connell and Mick Lyons of Meath, 2 hardy Hoors

[our_fella]

From Armagh :
Francie Bellew has to be at the top of the pile. Closely followed by Geezer and Paul McGrane. Of todays team has to be McKeever 

[stew]

Brian 'The Hulk' McGilligan was the hardest hooer I've seen on a pitch...fierce hard

Feck I forgot about him, he is the hardest, you are right. That man was an absolute beast.

[paco]

Great thread! Some of the stories are brilliant, keep them coming.

[Logan]

Dessie Mone of Monaghan

Dessie Mone isn't a hard man.

[Royalranter]

Darren Fay. I cant recall anybody getting the better of him in a physical battle. hard as nails!

[BallyhaiseMan]

Darren Fay. I cant recall anybody getting the better of him in a physical battle. hard as nails!

good call RR,
Fay as well as being probably the best full back of all time was an absolute animal.
I cant remember anyone ever starting anything with him,probably out of respect and fear! 

[anglocelt39]

How do you define the GAA hard man, the one for the sly off the ball stuff (no cowardly bastards in my book), the one who will up front take on and out the opposition in a fair (most of the time) fashion (closer to the mark) or the one who will throwh themselves into things without fear or favour, knowing in many cases that they are setting themselves up for cowardly/false blows (definitely the heroic hard men in my eyes). In the latter category none came close to Dublins Kevin Moran that I have seen, swashbuckling, fearless and left himself open to god knows how many cheap shots that he he got straight up from. On a local level Cavans Pat Faulkner and Damien O Reilly from the 1980's were no slouches. From the 1990's I will take a very local and biased view and give a mention to Bailieborough Shamrocks clubman John Donnellan, the great Geezer will remember him from his Sigerson exploits...........

[whiskeysteve]

Brian McGilligan. They need to do a Laochra Gael on this man.

[bannside]

Cant believe no one has mentioned Henry Downey. As hard as they came. Or James Devlin from Moortown.

Or Eddie Donnelly in hurling.