Neil Gallagher (Donegal footballer)

Neil Gallagher
Personal information
Irish name Niall Ó Gallchobhair
Sport Gaelic football
Position Midfield
Born Letterkenny, Ireland
Height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Nickname Big Neil
Occupation Technician
Club(s)
Years Club
Glenswilly
Club titles
Donegal titles 2
Inter-county(ies)
Years County
2004-2017 Donegal
Inter-county titles
Ulster titles 3
All-Irelands 1
NFL 1
All Stars 2

Neil Gallagher (born 1982/1983) is a Gaelic football player. He plies his trade with Glenswilly and played inter-county for Donegal, usually at midfield from 2004 until his retirement in 2017.[1]

Among other accolades, he has two All Stars to his name (2012 and 2014), one All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (2012), three Ulster Senior Football Championships (2011, 2012 and 2014) and one National Football League (2007). He captained Donegal to the National Football League title in 2007.

Playing career

Youth

Educated at Saint Eunan's College in Letterkenny, he warmed the bench during the College's 2000 McLarnon Cup victory.[2][3]

Club

Gallagher was part of the Glenswilly team that won the 2011 Donegal Senior Football Championship (his team's first County Championship at senior level). Glenswilly defeated Naomh Mícheál by 1-8 to 0-9 in the final.[4] He won his second Donegal Senior Football Championship with Glenswilly in 2013, scoring a goal in the final against Killybegs.[5] The team had a successful Ulster campaign, advancing to the final of the 2013 Ulster Senior Club Football Championship, where they lost to Ballinderry.[6][7]

Inter-county

Gallagher was first called up to the senior team by Brian McEniff for winter training in 2003.[8] He made his senior debut for Donegal in 2004. That year his team made it to the Ulster final but were defeated by Armagh. 2005 was unsuccessful. Donegal reached the 2006 Ulster Senior Football Championship Final and he played in that match at Croke Park.[9]

In 2007, he was part of the Donegal team that won the county's first National Football League title. They defeated Mayo in the final.[10] He was the caption that day.[11]

Alongside Glenswilly teammate Ciaran Bonner, he was dropped by manager John Joe Doherty over a breach of discipline ahead of the 2009 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship qualifier game against Carlow.[12]

He became a linchpin of the Donegal midfield during the Jim McGuinness managerial era, winning his first Ulster title in 2011. He won his second in 2012. He was then part of the Donegal team that reached the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final. He scored a point against Mayo at Croke Park as Donegal claimed the Sam Maguire Cup.[13]

He also started for Donegal in the 2014 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final.

Injuries prompted him to announce his retirement from inter-county football at the age of 33 on 20 February 2017.[14]

Business venture

In conjunction with teammate Michael Murphy, Gallagher opened the sports store "Michael Murphy Sports and Leisure" in Letterkenny in August 2014.[15]

Personal life

Gallagher's aloof demeanour has led to a certain amount of personal criticism from his teammates. According to Michael Murphy, Gallagher is the worst dressed player in the Donegal squad. He considers him to be "a wee bit old school".[16] Karl Lacey also agrees saying that Neil is the only man he has ever seen wearing skinny chinos with ASICS footwear. Lacey also considers him the worst trainer in the squad.[17]

Less than a week after the 2014 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, Gallagher attended the 2014 Ryder Cup in Perthshire, Scotland.[18]

Honours

Team
Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Gallagher retirement a 'sad day' for Donegal". Irish Independent. 20 January 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  2. ↑ "Twitter feed". Saint Eunan's College. EunansFootball Best of luck 2our past pupils who r in Donegal panel v Cork in All Ire Semi-Final on Sun @neilgerardgalla @murphm95 @AntoinMcFadden @Tommyk_91 @BrickMolloy @123kav @kevin_raff @gmacfadden14 @mdboyler24 +Mr McFadden #TheCollege
  3. ↑ Foley, Alan (11 September 2012). "Forward thinking McFadden". Donegal Democrat. Johnston Press. Retrieved 11 September 2012. When McFadden was a Leaving Cert student in 2000, no St Eunan's team had won the competition, which is considered the undercard to the MacRory Cup in Ulster, since 1979. “It was always a massive thing in the school and they hadn't won it for years,” he recalls. “Rory Kavanagh was on that team and Neil Gallagher was a sub. Looking back, it was strange that it was even B football as the standard was very good.
  4. ↑ "Murphy magic proves key as Glenswilly secure first Donegal crown". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. 3 October 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
  5. ↑ "Murphy follows up Ireland heroics by firing Glenswilly to county glory". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. 21 October 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  6. ↑ "Ballinderry 1-13 Glenswilly 2-06". RTÉ Sport. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 1 December 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  7. ↑ "Live: Glenswilly v Ballinderry Shamrocks Ulster senior club final". Donegal Now. 1 December 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  8. ↑ Keys, Colm (5 November 2003). "Royals' seal of approval puts pressure on Boylan". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. Retrieved 5 November 2003.
  9. ↑ "Donegal 0-09 1-09 Armagh". BBC Sport. BBC. 9 July 2006. Retrieved 9 July 2006.
  10. ↑ "Donegal win National League title". BBC Sport. BBC. 22 April 2007. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  11. ↑ "Donegal achieve historic win - First national league title comes to county after victory over Mayo". Donegal Times. 25 April 2007. Retrieved 25 April 2007.
  12. ↑ "Donegal duo dropped for discipline breach". RTÉ Sport. RTÉ. 2 July 2009. Retrieved 2 July 2009. Ciaran Bonner and Neil Gallagher have been dropped from the Donegal football panel for a breach of discipline ahead of Saturday’s All-Ireland qualifier against Carlow in Ballybofey.
  13. ↑ "Live updates from the All-Ireland finals at Croke Park". RTÉ Sport. RTÉ. 23 September 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  14. ↑ "Donegal Midfielder Neil Gallagher to retire from inter-county football". 20 February 2017. Archived from the original on 20 February 2017.
  15. ↑ Foley, Alan (15 August 2014). "Michael Murphy Sports and Leisure opens its doors in Letterkenny". Donegal Democrat. Johnston Press. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  16. ↑ "Sitting down with Michael Murphy". Eircom GAA. Eircom. 11 September 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  17. ↑ "Karl Lacey Spills The Beans On Donegal". Official GAA. GAA. 12 September 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  18. ↑ "Jimmy's still swinging matches at the Ryder Cup!". Donegal Daily. 26 September 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  19. ↑ McNulty, Chris. "Neil Gallagher – August 2012 Donegal News Sports Personality winner". Donegal News.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Christy Toye		 Donegal Senior Captain
2007 - 2008 		Succeeded by
Kevin Cassidy
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