Barry McGowan

Barry McGowan (born January 1967)[1] is an Irish former Gaelic footballer who played for Na Cealla Beaga and the Donegal county team.

Barry McGowan
Personal information
Sport Gaelic football
Position Corner back
Born January 1967
Occupation ESB worker
Club(s)
Years Club
?–?
 Na Cealla Beaga
Inter-county(ies)
Years County
1989–1998
 Donegal
Inter-county titles
Ulster titles 2
All-Irelands 1

As of 2009, he was working for the ESB.[2]

Inter-county

McGowan won the 1987 All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship with Donegal.[2][3]

He fell out with manager Tom Conaghan during the 1980s.[4] Brian McEniff restored him to the team in time for the 1990 Ulster SFC.[4] McGowan made a late substitute appearance for Declan Bonner against Armagh in the 1990 Ulster Senior Football Championship final, won by Donegal.[4]

He was a member of Donegal's 1992 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship winning team. Deployed as a defender, he started at right corner back in the 1992 All-Ireland Final as Donegal defeated Dublin by a scoreline of 0–18 to 0–14.

His last Championship game for Donegal was the 1998 Ulster Senior Football Championship final loss to Derry.[2] He gave away his final county jersey — he thinks — to a "young fella" from Derry.[1] Himself and Manus Boyle (who had just also played his last game for Donegal) went "down the town" (Clones) and got left behind, missing the Donegal team bus but later catching the Killybegs bus.[1] Boyle and McGowan remain close friends.[1]

Former Derry player Joe Brolly holds McGowan in high regard.[5]

In May 2012, the Irish Independent named him in its selection of Donegal's "greatest team" spanning the previous 50 years.[6]

The Donegal News has described him as "probably the most reclusive or quietest member" of Donegal's 1992 team and noted it was rare to encounter him in print or on the airwaves.[7]

Club

At club level McGowan played for Na Cealla Beaga. He co-managed the team with Manus Boyle until 2008.[2] He also played association football for St Catherine's.[8]

References
  1. Crowe, Dermot (6 October 2019). "The last day". Sunday Independent. p. 10 (Sport). McGowan is described as "slightly younger than Boyle". Boyle's age is given as 32 in 1998. In order to have been playing Under 21 in 1987, McGowan could not have been born in 1965.
  2. Foley, Alan (8 January 2009). "The heroes of '92 — Where are they now?". Donegal Democrat. Archived from the original on 18 December 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  3. McNulty, Chris (20 July 2018). "Declan Bonner yearning for repeat of the long-term rewards from the golden age". Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  4. McNulty, Chris (18 July 2015). "Donegal's 1990 Ulster winners will be honoured tomorrow — here is their story". Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  5. Duggan, Keith (14 February 2013). "'It is funny the stir it can cause when you say what you think'". The Irish Times. Irish Times Trust. Retrieved 14 February 2013. When he recalls the bitter rivalry between his Derry team and the neighbouring Donegal side, his thoughts turn not to the big names but to a former Donegal corner back who was as understated as he was classy. 'Barry McGowan', he says out of the blue, 'Now he was an example of a really great footballer who was totally unheralded. For me, he was as good as Tony Scullion. He was in that mould'. This conversation took place early yesterday morning: Brolly was at once talking on the phone, trying to park his car in a lock-up in Belfast and rushing for court but he was completely enthused by his memories of the Killybegs man. 'Och, he knows what I think of him — I've said it before'.
  6. "GAA: Donegal's greatest team of the past 50 years named". 14 May 2012. Retrieved 14 May 2012.
  7. Craig, Frank (15 September 2022). "Breakout helped breakthrough — Jon 'Ban'". Donegal News. p. 67. However, Barry McGowan is probably the most reclusive or quietest member of the lenedary 1992 All-Ireland winning side. You rarely, if ever, see the former defender giving his opinion in print or on the airwaves.
  8. Foley, Alan (25 June 2015). "Hugh McFadden takes scenic route to Donegal set-up". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
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