Joe Brolly

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Joe Brolly
Personal information
Sport Gaelic football
Irish Name Seosamh Ó Brollaigh
Date of birth June 25, 1969 (1969-06-25) (age 38)
Place of birth County Londonderry , Northern Ireland
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Occupation Barrister, Journalist, Television Pundit
Club information
Club Dungiven
Position Corner Forward
Club(s)*
Club Years Apps (scores)
St Brigid's GAC
Dungiven		 ?-?
?-?		 ?
?
Club Titles
Derry Titles 2
Ulster Titles 1
Inter-County
County Derry
Position Corner Forward
Inter-County(ies)**
County Years Apps (scores)
Derry 1990-? ?
Senior Inter-County Titles
Ulster Titles 2
All-Ireland 1
NFL 4
All Stars 2

* club appearances and scores
correct as of .
**Inter County team apps and scores correct
as of .

Joe Brolly (Irish: Seosamh Ó Brollaigh[1]; born 25 June 1969[2]) is an Irish Gaelic footballer who played for Derry. He was part of Derry's 1993 All-Ireland Championship winning side. He played his club football for St. Canice's GAC Dungiven for the vast majority of career, before transferring to St. Brigid's GAC in the twilight of his career. Known for his celebration of blowing kisses to the crowd, he had his nose broken twice during his career immediately after scoring goals.[3]

In recent times he has worked as a journalist [4], barrister[2] and radio[5] and television pundit[6].

Contents

[edit] Background

He is the son of well-known folksingers, has provided entertainment of a different sort over the years. He became a boarder in Saint Patrick's Grammar School, Armagh, where he was under the tutelage of the great Br. Larry Ennis[citation needed]. After school he went to Trinity College, Dublin, before doing a postgraduate course at Queen's University Belfast. He was a prominent member of DUCAC in his Trinity days, becoming a member of the student executive. His father is Sinn Féin counciller and MLA, Francie Brolly. His mother Ann Brolly is a Sinn Féin counciller as well.

A barrister, Joe played basketball for Ireland as a schoolboy. He currently works as a Gaelic football pundit on the RTÉ television Gaelic Athletic Association show, The Sunday Game[6]. Brolly writes for the Gaelic Life and Ireland Mail on Sunday.

As a barrister Joe has defended Irish republicans in court.[7][8][9]

He is married to His wife Emma and have four children together.

[edit] Playing career

[edit] County

Brolly made his Derry Senior debut against Cavan in the 1990 National League[2]. In 1993 he was part of the Derry side that won the Ulster Championship and the county's first All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. His GAA All Stars Awards recognition surprisingly came in the relatively barren years of 1996 and 1997[10]. He was top scorer in the 1997 Ulster Championship with 3-15 (24 points).[11] Brolly added a second Ulster Senior Football Championship in 1998, in the final of which he scored the clinching goal in the last minute[12]. Derry won the National Football League four times in a nine year period from 1992 to 2000 (1992, 1995, 1996, 2000), with Brolly being part of all four. Brolly and Derry finished runners-up to Offaly in the 1998 National League decider.[13]

[edit] Club

As a 21 year-old Brolly was part of Dungiven's Derry Senior Football Championship success in 1991.[citation needed] Brolly won another Derry Championship medal in 1997, and also won the Ulster Club Championship. He was top scorer in that year's Derry Championship with 1-25 (28 points) and was man of the match in the final at Celtic Park.

He currently plays for St. Brigids GAC situated in Belfast. On winning the Antrim Intermediate Football Championship he broke down in tears hugging anyone in sight[citation needed]. As well as on the pitch, Brolly is seen as mentor for several players off it[citation needed].

[edit] College

It was in the Sigerson Cup that Joe Brolly made his first burst onto the national stage. He won his only inter-varsity medal in 1992, as a member of Queen's victorious Ryan Cup team[12].

[edit] Honours

[edit] County

[edit] Club

[edit] College

  • Ryan Cup - Winner (1): 1992

[edit] Individual

Note: The above lists may be incomplete. Please add any other honours you know of.

[edit] References

  1. ^ “Teams”, 1994 Ulster Championship Quarter Final Programme, 29th May 1994 
  2. ^ a b c “Derry Pen Pics”, 1994 Ulster Championship Quarter Final Programme, 29th May 1994 
  3. ^ Brolly, Joe. "R-E-S-P-E-C-T (find out what it means to me)", Gaelic Life, 2008-04-18. Retrieved on 2008-04-19. 
  4. ^ Gaelic Life " It's a young man's game!" February 19 2008
  5. ^ Drivetime Sport. Retrieved on 2008-03-08.
  6. ^ a b RTÉ unveil Championship coverage. Retrieved on 2008-03-08.
  7. ^ IRA membership charges dropped. BBC. Retrieved on 2008-03-16.
  8. ^ Court hears of Real IRA bomb plot. The Irish Times. Retrieved on 2008-03-17.
  9. ^ Two Belfast men bailed on gun charges. UTV. Retrieved on 2008-03-17.
  10. ^ Football All Stars 90's. Retrieved on 2008-03-08.
  11. ^ “Facts and Figures”, 1998 Ulster Championship Quarter Final Programme (R & S Printers Ltd, Monaghan), 31st May 1998 
  12. ^ a b Queen's Hall of Fame. Retrieved on 2008-03-08.
  13. ^ "Lyons' pride pass tough test of character to land League", Irish Examiner, 1998-04-27. Retrieved on 2008-04-06. 

[edit] External links


v • d • e
Derry Panel: 1993 All-Ireland Final

1 D McCusker | 2 K McKeever | 3 T Scullion | 4 F McCusker | 5 J McGurk | 6 H Downey | 7 G Coleman | 8 A Tohill | 9 B McGilligan | 10 D Heaney | 11 D Barton | 12 D Cassidy | 13 J Brolly | 14 S Downey  | 15 E Gormley |
Subs: D McNicholl for D Cassidy | É Burns for S Downey
Manager:É Coleman 
(Team as of September 1993 versus Cork)