Raymond Sweeney

Raymond Sweeney is an Irish former Gaelic footballer who played for An Clochán Liath and the Donegal county team.

Raymond Sweeney
Personal information
Sport Gaelic football
Position Full Back
Born County Donegal
Club(s)
Years Club
?–?
 An Clochán Liath
Inter-county(ies)
Years County Apps (scores)
1997–2010
 Donegal 96 (0–0)
Inter-county titles
Ulster titles 0
All-Irelands 0
NFL 0
All Stars 0

He started the first game of Brian McEniff's last spell as Donegal manager, a league defeat to Galway in Tuam in February 2003.[1]

Sweeney was sent off in Donegal's 2003 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final against Armagh at Croke Park, in an incident later described as "one of the great injustices in Donegal football" history.[2][3][4]

He had also started Mickey Moran's first game in charge of Donegal, a league win at home to Offaly in October 2000.[5]

Sweeney made his championship debut against Antrim in 1998. He missed Donegal's National Football League in 2007 after leaving the squad at the end of the previous season due to a disagreement with the then manager Brian McIver. He also never won the Ulster Senior Football Championship during his career. However, he did win the 2009 Dr McKenna Cup with Donegal and the 2004 Railway Cup with Ulster. Sweeney retired from playing for Donegal in 2010 after more than a decade and 96 games.[6]

His brother Adrian also played for An Clochán Liath and Donegal.[7]

Honours
Donegal
Ulster

References
  1. Duggan, Keith (3 February 2003). "Meehan adds spark to Galway attack". The Irish Times.
  2. Nulty, Chris (22 July 2011). "1992–2011: The best XV not to win Ulster…". Donegal News. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  3. Foley, Alan (11 September 2012). "Forward thinking McFadden". Donegal Democrat. Retrieved 11 September 2012. In the semi-final, 14-man Donegal, who had Raymond Sweeney harshly sent off for a second booking three minutes into the second half, led reigning champions Armagh until the dying embers, before losing 2–10 to 1–9. Oisin McConville's last minute penalty eventually buried brave Donegal.
  4. "Armagh's double still alive". Irish Independent. 1 September 2003.
  5. "Donegal make light of conditions to give Moran the ideal start". The Irish Times. 30 October 2000.
  6. "Raymond Sweeney calls time on county career". Donegal Democrat. 20 January 2010. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
  7. "Veteran Boyle stars for Dungloe". BBC Sport. 24 June 2002. Retrieved 24 June 2002. Brothers Adrian and Raymond Sweeney also impressed for Dungloe.
  8. Bonner, Declan (28 May 2020). "Champions dethroned". Donegal News. p. 55. Our Vocational School team won the All-Ireland title against Leitrim in the curtain raiser [to the NFL final in 1995 which, in reference to the column title, was played one week before Donegal knocked out Down in the Ulster SFC preliminary round, 25 years before the column was written]. Brian McLaughlin, Eamon Reddin, Barry Monaghan and Ray Sweeney were all on that team and would go on to represent the county at senior level.
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