Kevin McCloy

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Kevin McCloy (Irish: Caoimhín Mac Luaidh) is an Irish Gaelic footballer who plays for Derry, with whom he has won the National League. He plays his club football for Erin's Own's GAC Lavey. He is seen as a tough, old-fashioned full-back, who is also very competent with the ball in his hands going forward and is a good reader of the game.^[1] He is renowned for playing through the pain barrier whilst injured.^[2] Although full-back is his usual position, he has said he prefers to play at centre half-back and has done so on occasion for Derry under Mickey Moran and recently Paddy Crozier and sometimes for Lavey.^[3] He said in an interview with the Gaelic Life "I feel more comfortable playing number six to be honest".^[3] On 19 October 2007 McCloy was named at full back on the 2007 All Star team. McCloy is the current captain of the Derry team.

[edit] Playing career

Derry manager Paddy Crozier and Kevin McCloy celebrate winning the 2008 National League

McCloy much like legendary Derry full back Tony Scullion before him matured late in football terms and he never played at Minor or U21 level for Derry^[4]. He joined the senior team during the 2000/2001 National Football League^[5] and made his Championship debut in 2001.^[1]

McCloy missed the 2004 Championship through injury,^[1] but had an exceptional year in 2005. Despite being nominated for an All Star^[6], he missed out on the actual award, much to the surprise of many experts and journalists around the country.

However he did win an All Star for the 2007 Championship for his performances in that year's Championship. He achieved the rare feat that year of being man of the match in the quarter-final against Dublin, despite finishing on the losing side^[7]. The award is the fifth All Star from the Lavey club, following in the footsteps of Anthony McGurk (twice), Johnny McGurk and Henry Downey. In the Qualifiers Round 2 against Mayo he shattered his little finger in three places while getting an accidental kick from Conor Mortimer while blocking the ball. He displaced the bones so bad that they were pushed up beyond his knuckle. While knowing the damage was serious, he played on and played against Laois two weeks later. Nine days before the All-Ireland quarter-final meeting with Dublin, he had an operation on the finger. The surgeon told him not to play contact sport for 10 weeks and if he did he would risk never having the full use of his finger again. He contacted 10 doctors to see if any would administer a painkilling injection, but they all refused. McCloy played the game anyway.^[1]

During that match against Dublin, he hit Mark Vaughan with a great shoulder tackle, however the tackle left with whiplash, hurtin his other shoulder and also giving him groin problems which limited his appearances in the 2008 National League.^[2]

The start of McCloy's 2008 season was an injury hit one^[8] - making just two substitute appearance in the Dr. McKenna Cup. He played seven games in the National League, three coming as a substitute. One of these substitute appearances came in the final, where he broke down in the warm-up, but came on later in the game.^[8] He aggravated the finger injury in the League final and it is now permanently bent like the letter 'c', but he still completed the match.^[2] He was captain of the Derry team that won the 2008 National League where Derry beat Kerry in the final.^[9][10]

[edit] Hurling

McCloy (left) and Fergal Doherty try to dispossess Donegal's Colm McFadden during the the 2008 National League

McCloy's first taste of inter-county action was with the Derry hurling team. McCloy won the 2000 Ulster Senior Hurling Championship with Derry hurlers, the county's first Ulster hurling title in 92 years. He quit the hurling team when the footballers called him up the next season.^[1]

[edit] External links

• Erin's Own GAC website
• Official Derry GAA Wbsite

[edit] References

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