Noel McGinley
Noel McGinley is an Irish former Gaelic footballer who played for Naomh Columba and the Donegal county team.
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Sport | Gaelic football | ||
Position | Back | ||
Club(s) | |||
Years | Club | ||
19??–? | Naomh Columba | ||
Inter-county(ies) | |||
Years | County | ||
199?–200? | Donegal |
He played at the back.[1]
McGinley played in the final of the 1998 Ulster Senior Football Championship.[2][3] Late in that game, McGinley was involved in the game's crucial moment when Geoffrey McGonagle committed an apparent foul on him (which was ignored) and Joe Brolly scored the decisive goal.[2][3][4]
He started Mickey Moran's first game in charge of Donegal, a league win at home to Offaly in October 2000.[5]
He also played in the 2002 Ulster SFC final but never won the competition as a player.[4] He played against Dublin in the 2002 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship quarter-final.[4]
He started the first game of Brian McEniff's last spell as Donegal manager, a league defeat to Galway in Tuam in February 2003.[6]
McGinley's 2003 inter-county season ended when he was banned for three months over a kicking offence incurred while playing for his club ahead of the Donegal's All-Ireland semi-final against Armagh.[1][7] He had previously been troubled by a hamstring injury and manager Brian McEniff had sent him back to his club to play one half of a game so as have sufficient match practice ahead of the All-Ireland semi-final.[1][7][8] The ban was unexpected.[9]
References
- "McGinley ban upheld". BBC Sport. 23 August 2003.
- McNulty, Chris (19 July 2013). "Ulster final: Murphy aims to sieze[sic] the day". Donegal News. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
His earliest Ulster final memory still makes him wince. 'It'd have to be Clones in '98 and Joe Brolly blowing his kisses', Murphy remembers. 'I remember exactly where I was sitting in the Gerry Arthurs Stand, watching out and seeing Geoffrey McGonagle's infamous dunt on Noel McGinley and all the dreams went'.
- "Nathan Mullins not content to give up on Donegal dream". The Irish News. 17 April 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
When Geoffrey McGonagle leaned on Noel McGinley's back and then nearly broke Joe Brolly's in celebration...
- Nulty, Chris (22 July 2011). "1992–2011: The best XV not to win Ulster…". Donegal News. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
The Naomh Columba man is remembered as being on the receiving end of a barge from Derry's Geoffrey McGonagle in the build-up to Joe Brolly's winning goal in the Ulster final of '98.
- "Donegal make light of conditions to give Moran the ideal start". The Irish Times. 30 October 2000.
- Duggan, Keith (3 February 2003). "Meehan adds spark to Galway attack". The Irish Times.
- Breheny, Martin (16 August 2003). "McGinley banned". Irish Independent.
- "McGinley suspended". The Irish Times. 16 August 2003.
- "McGinley given 12-week ban". BBC Sport. 16 August 2003.