Paul McComiskey

Paul McComiskey is a Gaelic footballer from County Down, Northern Ireland. He plays for the Down senior inter-county football team and with his local club Dundrum GAA.

He started at corner forward and scored three points in the 2010 All-Ireland Football Final where Down were defeated 0-15 to 0-16 by Cork.^[1] McComiskey turned down a contract with Brisbane Lions in Australian rules football. McComiskey is 1 of six Down players offered contracts in Aussie rules teams James Colgan, Martin Clarke Jamie O'Reilly Caolan Mooney and Connor Gough.

Minor & Under 21

McComiskey first was a member of the Down Minor team in 2005. Down made it the Ulster Minor Football Championship final in 2005 and they played a good Armagh team it was a close game but at the end Armagh won 0-11 to 0-10. Down were not out and made it to the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship Final Down player Mayo it was close early on but in the end Down won easily 1-15 to 0-08 McComiskey scoring 1-3 giving McComiskey a first All-Ireland medal. Down were beat in 2006 by Cavan in the first round of Ulster. He joined the Under-21 team in 2007. Down were beat by Fermanagh. In 2008, Down won the Ulster Under-21 Football Championship, beating Derry in the final 3-11 to 1-14. McComiskey scoring 1-4 and getting the man of the match and a first Ulster medal Down lost the All-Ireland semi-final to Kildare. Down won back to back Ulster Under-21 Championship this time beating Armagh it was a close game but Peter Fitzpatrick and Michael Magee on top in midfield Down won thanks to a late goal scored by Mark Poland's younger brother Conor Paul scoring 4 points giving him a second Ulster medal. Down player Mayo 3 days after in the semi-final winning 1-15 to 2-09. Saw play Cork in the All-Ireland Final but lost a Cork goal in the last minutes of the game. Paul was named in the best Under-21 from 2005-2010.

Senior

McComiskey joined the Down senior team in 2007 under Ross Carr he came on in the first round of the Ulster Senior Football Championship versus Cavan that was a draw 3-8 to 2-11 scoring a point Down won the replay 0-15 to 0-11 Paul came on and scored 2 points Down were beat by Monaghan 2-15 to 1-15 Paul came on and scored a point Down were beat by Meath in the back door 1-10 to 0-08. In 2008 he played in 5 League games starting in 1 scoring a point he scored 4 points in the league Down Played Tyrone first round of the championship in was a draw 2.8 to 2.8 Paul scoring the last score point Down won the replay 1.19 to 0-21 Down lost to Armagh in the semi-final 1.12 to 11 points.in 2009 McComiskey made his first championship start verus Fermanagh Down where beat 0-13 to 0-10 Paul scoring 2 points Down played London in Newry Down won 1-16 to 1-07 Paul hit 3 points Down then played Laois Down won 2-9 to 0-7 points McComiskey scored 1 of the goals Down then played Wicklow Down lost 1-15 to 0-17 points McComiskey scoring 4. In 2010 it was different for Down beat Donegal 1-15 to 2-10 then played Tyrone Down lost 0-14 to 0-10 points .Down had a good back door with 3 wins from 3 over Longford, Offaly and Sligo.Then Down played Kerry in the All Ireland Quarter-Final Down were outstanding and they shocked Kerry 1-16 to 1-10 Paul chipping 2 points.Then Down played Kildare in the semi-final in was a grate game with down coming out on the right side with a 2-point win 1-16 to 1-14 Paul scoring a point. Down played Cork in the 2010 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final. Cork won 0-16 to 0-15 points Paul scoring 3 points. McComiskey has scored 1 goal and 31 points for Down. A back injury has ruled McComiskey out of Down's championship campaign.

Club

After giving up his first job as a professional Snake Charmer, McComiskey has enjoyed some silverware with club winning the Down Junior Football Championship in 2005 as well as doing the double that year by winning Division 4 and in 2007 he won the Division 3 League. In 2011, he made it to the Down Intermediate semi-final where they played Ballymartin it was a close game early on Ballymartin won 0-15 to 0-10 McComiskey scoring 0-07. McComiskey won his second Division 4 title in 2012 he was the caption of the team and also won the Junior Championship.

Honours

County

• Ulster Under-21 Football Championship (2): 2008 2009
• All-Ireland Minor Football Championship (1): 2005
• All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (1): Runner-Up 2010
• Peadar Martin Memorial Cup (1): 2003

Collages

• Sigerson Cup (1): 2007
• Ryan Cup (1): 2007
• Ulster Fresher's Sevens (1): 2007

Club

• Down Junior Football Championship (2): 2005 2012 (c)
• Down Division 4 League (2): 2005 2012 (c)
• Down Division 3 League (1): 2007
• Ulster Fresher's Sevens (1): 2007

Ulster

• Railway Cup (1): 2013

Awards

• Ulster College All Star (1) 2006
• Ulster Under 21 Man of the Match 2008

References