Darragh Ó Sé - 81 championship games !

[Royalranter]

Darragh is a legend. Great servant to the sport and deserves all the medals he has. As a Meath man though, i'll be hoping he doesn't get one this year because i want to see Sam by the banks of the Boyne by the end of September!!!

[rrhf]

better chance of seeing Sammy Wilson there.

[comethekingdom]

better chance of seeing Sammy Wilson there.

[botman]

79 Championship games is some going. Think he's also made nealry 100 league apps.

Is 79 a record? Who else would be in the top ten?

Philip Jordan hasn't missed a Tyrone Championship game since his debut in 2001 AFAIK

[blanketattack]

79 Championship games is some going. Think he's also made nealry 100 league apps.

Is 79 a record? Who else would be in the top ten?

Philip Jordan hasn't missed a Tyrone Championship game since his debut in 2001 AFAIK

Was he in Australia for some games?

[The GAA]

should have given the quarter final against kildare a miss....

[orangeman]

How many games has Jayo played in his career ?

[omagh_gael]

79 Championship games is some going. Think he's also made nealry 100 league apps.

Is 79 a record? Who else would be in the top ten?

Philip Jordan hasn't missed a Tyrone Championship game since his debut in 2001 AFAIK

Was he in Australia for some games?

Think he only missed mc kenna cup games and a few national league games, hasn't been off the starting championship 15 since 2001

[heffo]

How many games has Jayo played in his career ?

62 Championship games.

[Croí na hÉireann]

O'Se has won 5 all ireland senior medals, 9 munster championships and four All Stars Awards for his performances, in 2000, 2002, 2006 and 2007.  He has also won the national football league title with Kerry on 3 occasions in 1997 and 2006 and 2009. Unreal and all in the number 8 jersey. Legend.

Should have won Player Of The Year in 06 as well...

[botman]

should have given the quarter final against kildare a miss....

Whatever.. it's just in response to the top 10 appearances question.

For that matter P. Joyce is bound to have a lot of games under his belt.

[blanketattack]

O'Se has won 5 all ireland senior medals, 9 munster championships and four All Stars Awards for his performances, in 2000, 2002, 2006 and 2007.  He has also won the national football league title with Kerry on 3 occasions in 1997 and 2006 and 2009. Unreal and all in the number 8 jersey. Legend.

Presumably he has a league medal from '04 as well.

[comethekingdom]

From today's Indo

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/80-not-out-1872961.html
80 not out
Darragh O Se, football's most enduring figure, continues his extraordinary record when he takes to the Croke Park pitch tomorrow, writes ColmKeys
Saturday August 29 2009

It will be 80 not out for Gaelic football's most enduring figure when Darragh O Se takes to Croke Park for tomorrow's All-Ireland semi-final against Meath.

O Se has long since surpassed Dublin goalkeeper John O'Leary's record of championship service and will become the first player to breach the 80 mark tomorrow.

From 1994 to the present day, O Se has rarely missed a Kerry championship match and with the introduction of the qualifiers and All-Ireland quarter-finals in 2001, his appearances have spiralled.

This All-Ireland semi-final is a significant milestone for the O Se family as, between Darragh, Tomas and Marc, they will have made 200 collective appearances for Kerry. Marc played his 50th game against Dublin, Tomas reached 68 appearances that day.

Here are some of the figures for Darragh's career:

5 An impressive collection of All-Ireland medals from eight finals (including the 2000 drawn game against Galway). He missed the 2004 final against Mayo because of injury. In every year this decade he has played in an All-Ireland semi-final, bringing his number of All-Ireland semi-final appearances to 14 in all (including the 2000 drawn game against Armagh). He also has nine Munster championship medals and four All Star awards (2000, '02, '06 and '07).

4 The number of managers Darragh has played under in 16 seasons with Kerry. Ogie Moran introduced him in 1994 and gave him his championship debut against Limerick but it was under his uncle Paidi that he took hold as the primary midfielder for the Kingdom. From 1996 up to 2003 Kerry built their team around Darragh. Since then Jack O'Connor (twice) and Pat O'Shea have been in charge.

12 The number of different midfield partners Darragh has started championship games with. Noel O'Mahony was the first in 1994 on a day that didn't go too well for the then 19-year-old O Se. Largely outplayed by a John Quane-inspired Limerick midfield, Darragh was replaced and didn't feature at all in the subsequent Munster semi-final defeat to Cork. Midfield partners varied over the next couple of seasons.

Liam O'Flaherty had a spell in '95 and Tarbert's John O'Connell was a surprise choice for the opening Munster championship game against Tipperary in 1996. By the end of the season Seamus Moynihan was in the engine room as Mayo ended their run. Tommy Griffin, William Kirby, Donal Daly, Seamus Scanlon, Micheal Quirke, Kieran Donaghy, Eoin Brosnan and Paddy Kelly were the other partners.

25 Darragh has started championship games with Donal Daly more than any other player, 25 in all. From 1998 to 2002, Daly was almost an ever-present beside O Se, their partnership broken only briefly by Moynihan and Scanlon in 2002. Daly's mobility and work-rate complemented Darragh's strength, fielding and vision for an alliance that had perfect harmony. Over the last three seasons, Scanlon has become a more permanent feature and is now up to 15 starting appearances alongside Darragh.

With William Kirby, Darragh enjoyed one of his most profitable alliances. They were together when Kerry won the 1997 All-Ireland title against Mayo and again when they landed the '04 title, again against Mayo, though Darragh was injured for the final. Every year they were together, Kerry reached an All-Ireland final (2005 included). They started 12 games together.

13 Losing has always been a difficult process for Darragh but 13 defeats from 79 championship games represents a high success rate. Six of the defeats have been to Cork, three have been against Tyrone, one of only two counties that Kerry have played during his time and have not beaten. Ironically, Darragh has reserved some of his best performances for Tyrone. Much is made of how he was suppressed in the 2003 All-Ireland semi-final but in the 2005 and 2008 finals he was one of Kerry's best players on each occasion.

The other county he has never beaten is Meath, courtesy of that All-Ireland semi-final defeat in 2001. The other defeats were to Mayo (1996), Kildare ('98) and Armagh ('02). The only counties that Darragh has lost to in this decade are Cork, Tyrone and Meath, the other three semi-finalists in 2009. His championship wins number 58 and he has been involved in 13 draws.

21 More than a quarter of Darragh's championship games have been against great rivals Cork and more than half of those games have come in the last four seasons.

Of the 21 games against Cork, five have been away from the suffocating atmosphere of their Munster championship rivalry. Four have been All-Ireland semi-finals (2002, '05, '06, '08 draw) with the All-Ireland final in 2007. Kerry have never lost any of these Croke Park games.

In Munster, the record is a lot tighter, with all six defeats in either Munster semi-finals or finals to Cork. Significantly, Darragh never won a Munster championship replay against Cork, losing the 2002 and '09 semi-finals and the '06 final.

In all, Darragh's record against Cork is 11 wins, four draws and six defeats. He didn't feature in the 1995 Munster final.

21 Also the total number of counties that Darragh has played championship football against. After Cork, Tipperary have been his most regular opponents with nine wins out of nine from 1995 to 2006. The closest any other Munster team got to beating a Kerry team that included O Se was Limerick in the drawn 2004 Munster final, when his goal-line clearances helped to preserve the Kingdom for another day.

The only counties he has not played against in 16 seasons of championship football are Leitrim, Donegal, Down, Louth, Westmeath, Offaly, Laois, Wexford, Carlow, London and New York.

1 The lowest number of appearances he made in any one season -- 1994 -- when he made his senior debut for the Kingdom against Limerick.

9 The most games he played in any one season was in 2002, including a Munster championship campaign against Limerick and Cork (twice), qualifier games against Wicklow, Fermanagh and Kildare and games in the All-Ireland series against Galway, Cork and Armagh. Darragh captained Kerry in the All-Ireland final that year, which they lost to Armagh.

4 Rarely has Darragh had to sit out a Kerry championship match, either through injury or suspension, which makes his length of service to the Kingdom all the more remarkable. Since making his debut in 1994, Darragh has missed just four championship games.

He wasn't used in the 1994 Munster final against Cork, an ankle injury prevented him from playing in the 2003 Munster final against Limerick. Twelve months on, he broke a bone in his foot, sustained in the semi-final against Derry, that made him miss out on the 2004 All-Ireland victory over Mayo.

The only game for which suspension ruled him out of was the 2008 All-Ireland semi-final replay against Cork after he had picked up a red card in the drawn encounter.

2 The red cards he has been shown in 79 championship games, both in 2008 against the same county for an altercation with the same opponent. Twice last year altercations with Cork's Pearse O'Neill led to dismissals, one in the Munster final on a second yellow card.

1 Goals have been rare for Darragh in championship games but he did get one in 2005 in an All-Ireland quarter-final against Mayo.

27 Points have a strong currency for O Se, given his kicking accuracy. His best scoring season was 2005, when he landed 1-3, but in 2000, '02 and '04 he scored 0-4 in each championship season. Only twice has he kicked more than one point in a game, the 2005 All-Ireland final against Tyrone and the Munster final replay defeat to Cork 12 months later when his normal contribution doubled. In all he has scored 1-27.

4 The number of times Darragh has been introduced as a substitute in 79 games. Early on his career he sat out a 1995 Munster quarter-final against Limerick, coming on in the second half. Limerick were the opponents again in 2002 when he came off the bench for a second time and in the 2007 All-Ireland semi-final he started, he was replaced because of a hip injury but returned for the last 20 minutes. Earlier this year he was left out of the starting 15 for the first game against Cork.

[Mid Down Gael]

From today's Indo

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/80-not-out-1872961.html
80 not out
Darragh O Se, football's most enduring figure, continues his extraordinary record when he takes to the Croke Park pitch tomorrow, writes ColmKeys
Saturday August 29 2009

It will be 80 not out for Gaelic football's most enduring figure when Darragh O Se takes to Croke Park for tomorrow's All-Ireland semi-final against Meath.

O Se has long since surpassed Dublin goalkeeper John O'Leary's record of championship service and will become the first player to breach the 80 mark tomorrow.

From 1994 to the present day, O Se has rarely missed a Kerry championship match and with the introduction of the qualifiers and All-Ireland quarter-finals in 2001, his appearances have spiralled.

This All-Ireland semi-final is a significant milestone for the O Se family as, between Darragh, Tomas and Marc, they will have made 200 collective appearances for Kerry. Marc played his 50th game against Dublin, Tomas reached 68 appearances that day.

Here are some of the figures for Darragh's career:

5 An impressive collection of All-Ireland medals from eight finals (including the 2000 drawn game against Galway). He missed the 2004 final against Mayo because of injury. In every year this decade he has played in an All-Ireland semi-final, bringing his number of All-Ireland semi-final appearances to 14 in all (including the 2000 drawn game against Armagh). He also has nine Munster championship medals and four All Star awards (2000, '02, '06 and '07).

4 The number of managers Darragh has played under in 16 seasons with Kerry. Ogie Moran introduced him in 1994 and gave him his championship debut against Limerick but it was under his uncle Paidi that he took hold as the primary midfielder for the Kingdom. From 1996 up to 2003 Kerry built their team around Darragh. Since then Jack O'Connor (twice) and Pat O'Shea have been in charge.

12 The number of different midfield partners Darragh has started championship games with. Noel O'Mahony was the first in 1994 on a day that didn't go too well for the then 19-year-old O Se. Largely outplayed by a John Quane-inspired Limerick midfield, Darragh was replaced and didn't feature at all in the subsequent Munster semi-final defeat to Cork. Midfield partners varied over the next couple of seasons.

Liam O'Flaherty had a spell in '95 and Tarbert's John O'Connell was a surprise choice for the opening Munster championship game against Tipperary in 1996. By the end of the season Seamus Moynihan was in the engine room as Mayo ended their run. Tommy Griffin, William Kirby, Donal Daly, Seamus Scanlon, Micheal Quirke, Kieran Donaghy, Eoin Brosnan and Paddy Kelly were the other partners.

25 Darragh has started championship games with Donal Daly more than any other player, 25 in all. From 1998 to 2002, Daly was almost an ever-present beside O Se, their partnership broken only briefly by Moynihan and Scanlon in 2002. Daly's mobility and work-rate complemented Darragh's strength, fielding and vision for an alliance that had perfect harmony. Over the last three seasons, Scanlon has become a more permanent feature and is now up to 15 starting appearances alongside Darragh.

With William Kirby, Darragh enjoyed one of his most profitable alliances. They were together when Kerry won the 1997 All-Ireland title against Mayo and again when they landed the '04 title, again against Mayo, though Darragh was injured for the final. Every year they were together, Kerry reached an All-Ireland final (2005 included). They started 12 games together.

13 Losing has always been a difficult process for Darragh but 13 defeats from 79 championship games represents a high success rate. Six of the defeats have been to Cork, three have been against Tyrone, one of only two counties that Kerry have played during his time and have not beaten. Ironically, Darragh has reserved some of his best performances for Tyrone. Much is made of how he was suppressed in the 2003 All-Ireland semi-final but in the 2005 and 2008 finals he was one of Kerry's best players on each occasion.

The other county he has never beaten is Meath, courtesy of that All-Ireland semi-final defeat in 2001. The other defeats were to Mayo (1996), Kildare ('98) and Armagh ('02). The only counties that Darragh has lost to in this decade are Cork, Tyrone and Meath, the other three semi-finalists in 2009. His championship wins number 58 and he has been involved in 13 draws.

21 More than a quarter of Darragh's championship games have been against great rivals Cork and more than half of those games have come in the last four seasons.

Of the 21 games against Cork, five have been away from the suffocating atmosphere of their Munster championship rivalry. Four have been All-Ireland semi-finals (2002, '05, '06, '08 draw) with the All-Ireland final in 2007. Kerry have never lost any of these Croke Park games.

In Munster, the record is a lot tighter, with all six defeats in either Munster semi-finals or finals to Cork. Significantly, Darragh never won a Munster championship replay against Cork, losing the 2002 and '09 semi-finals and the '06 final.

In all, Darragh's record against Cork is 11 wins, four draws and six defeats. He didn't feature in the 1995 Munster final.

21 Also the total number of counties that Darragh has played championship football against. After Cork, Tipperary have been his most regular opponents with nine wins out of nine from 1995 to 2006. The closest any other Munster team got to beating a Kerry team that included O Se was Limerick in the drawn 2004 Munster final, when his goal-line clearances helped to preserve the Kingdom for another day.

The only counties he has not played against in 16 seasons of championship football are Leitrim, Donegal, Down, Louth, Westmeath, Offaly, Laois, Wexford, Carlow, London and New York.

1 The lowest number of appearances he made in any one season -- 1994 -- when he made his senior debut for the Kingdom against Limerick.

9 The most games he played in any one season was in 2002, including a Munster championship campaign against Limerick and Cork (twice), qualifier games against Wicklow, Fermanagh and Kildare and games in the All-Ireland series against Galway, Cork and Armagh. Darragh captained Kerry in the All-Ireland final that year, which they lost to Armagh.

4 Rarely has Darragh had to sit out a Kerry championship match, either through injury or suspension, which makes his length of service to the Kingdom all the more remarkable. Since making his debut in 1994, Darragh has missed just four championship games.

He wasn't used in the 1994 Munster final against Cork, an ankle injury prevented him from playing in the 2003 Munster final against Limerick. Twelve months on, he broke a bone in his foot, sustained in the semi-final against Derry, that made him miss out on the 2004 All-Ireland victory over Mayo.

The only game for which suspension ruled him out of was the 2008 All-Ireland semi-final replay against Cork after he had picked up a red card in the drawn encounter.

2 The red cards he has been shown in 79 championship games, both in 2008 against the same county for an altercation with the same opponent. Twice last year altercations with Cork's Pearse O'Neill led to dismissals, one in the Munster final on a second yellow card.

1 Goals have been rare for Darragh in championship games but he did get one in 2005 in an All-Ireland quarter-final against Mayo.

27 Points have a strong currency for O Se, given his kicking accuracy. His best scoring season was 2005, when he landed 1-3, but in 2000, '02 and '04 he scored 0-4 in each championship season. Only twice has he kicked more than one point in a game, the 2005 All-Ireland final against Tyrone and the Munster final replay defeat to Cork 12 months later when his normal contribution doubled. In all he has scored 1-27.

4 The number of times Darragh has been introduced as a substitute in 79 games. Early on his career he sat out a 1995 Munster quarter-final against Limerick, coming on in the second half. Limerick were the opponents again in 2002 when he came off the bench for a second time and in the 2007 All-Ireland semi-final he started, he was replaced because of a hip injury but returned for the last 20 minutes. Earlier this year he was left out of the starting 15 for the first game against Cork.

What an absolute legend.

[orangeman]

Some record against the top teams in the country. 2 red cards out of 79 games as well. Not exactly the hallion some would make him out.