Neil McGee

Neil McGee
Personal information
Irish name Níall Mac Aoidh
Sport Gaelic football
Position Full Back
Born (1985-11-13) 13 November 1985
Letterkenny, Ireland
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Club(s)
Years Club
2002–present Ghaoth Dobhair
Club titles
Donegal titles 2
Inter-county(ies)
Years County Apps (scores)
2005–present Donegal 100 (0–0)
Inter-county titles
Ulster titles 3
All-Irelands 1
NFL 1
All Stars 3

Neil McGee (born 13 November 1985) is an Irish Gaelic footballer from Gweedore, County Donegal. He plies his trade with the Ghaoth Dobhair club and plays inter-county for Donegal.

Among other accolades, he has three All Stars to his name (2011, 2012, 2014), one All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (2012), three Ulster Senior Football Championships (2011, 2012 and 2014 Ulster Senior Football Championship 2014, three International Rules Series (2011, 2013, 2014) International Rules Series and one National Football League (2007).

Playing career

Club

In 2006, his club were back in the final of the Donegal Senior Football Championship. He played as his team won their 14th County Championship in one of the worst Donegal county finals ever.[1]

Inter-county

Brian McEniff gave McGee his Donegal senior debut against Fermanagh in the 2005 Dr. McKenna Cup on 2 January 2005.[2] He played in the 2006 Ulster Senior Football Championship Final at Croke Park.[3]

McGee was part of the Donegal senior team that won the county's first National Football League against Mayo in 2007.[4] It was the first piece of silverware the county senior team had lifted since 1992.

In Jim McGuinness's first game in charge of Donegal, a drab 2011 National Football League draw with the perennially underachieving Sligo, McGee pulled a hamstring, was moved to the full-forward line and scored a goal in the latest manifestation of Sligo's notorious inability to succeed. McGee was out injured for four weeks after that game but when he returned he established himself as Donegal's first-choice full-back in the team's march towards the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final.[5]

In 2011, McGee won his first All Star award.[6] He added another in 2012.

In 2013, McGee made his 100th appearance for Donegal in the county's opening National Football League against Kildare at Croke Park, becoming the sixth footballer then playing for the team to reach that mark following Christy Toye, Colm McFadden, Rory Kavanagh, Karl Lacey and McGee's own brother Eamon (they were also the first set of brothers to ever reach 100 Donegal appearances).[2]

On 26 May 2013, Stephen O'Neill clattered into McGee in the 24th minute of Tyrone's Ulster Championship match against All-Ireland champions Donegal. O'Neill crumpled in a heap on his backside while McGee stood steady with the ball in his hands.[7][8]

He thinks about Kevin Cassidy after every game.[9]

Inter-provincial

McGee has played for Ulster in the Inter-Provincial Series.[10]

International rules

McGee has twice represented Ireland against Australia in the International Rules Series: in 2011 and 2013. Ireland won both.[11][12]

Honours

Team
Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Gweedore cash in as smash and grab raid sinks Eunan's". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. 16 October 2006. Retrieved 16 October 2006.
  2. 1 2 McNulty, Chris (1 February 2013). "Neil McGee set for 100th game". Donegal News. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  3. ↑ "Donegal 0-09 1-09 Armagh". BBC Sport. BBC. 9 July 2006. Retrieved 9 July 2006.
  4. ↑ "Donegal win National League title". BBC Sport. BBC. 22 April 2007. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  5. ↑ Bogue, Declan (19 September 2012). "McGee primed for hard marking to pass Donegal's final test". The Belfast Telegraph. Independent News & Media. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  6. ↑ "Donegal trio named in All Star Football selection". BBC Sport. BBC. 21 October 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
  7. ↑ Browne, PJ (26 May 2013). "Stephen O'Neill Just Ran into A Brick Wall". Balls.ie. Archived from the original on 29 March 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  8. ↑ McNulty, Chris (May 2013). "Report: Donegal deliver emphatic message". Donegal News. Retrieved May 2013. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  9. ↑ "Donegal's Neil McGee talks of thoughts for exiled Kevin Cassidy". BBC Sport. BBC. 18 September 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  10. ↑ "Murphy to spearhead Ulster challenge". Hogan Stand. 13 February 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  11. ↑ "Australia 36–80 Ireland". RTÉ Sport. RTÉ. 28 October 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  12. ↑ "Ireland 116–37 Australia". RTÉ Sport. RTÉ. 26 October 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  13. ↑ "Donegal team clean up on Sunday Game Team of the Year". Donegal Daily. 23 September 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
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