Joe Brolly

] ) 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. [cite news |first=Joe |last=Brolly |authorlink=Joe Brolly |coauthors= |title=R-E-S-P-E-C-T (find out what it means to me) |url= |work=Gaelic Life |publisher= |date=2008-04-18 |accessdate=2008-04-19 ]

In recent times he has worked as a journalist [ [http://www.nwipp-newspapers.com/GL/free/291035125440180.php "Gaelic Life" " It's a young man's game!" February 19 2008] ] , barrister and radio [cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/radio1/drivetimesport/|title= Drivetime Sport|accessdate=2008-03-08] and television punditcite web|url=http://www.laoistalk.com/?p=599|title= RTÉ unveil Championship coverage|accessdate=2008-03-08] .

Background

Brolly is the son of Sinn Féin councillors Ann Brolly and Francie Brolly MLA. He is also the cousin of Derry player Liam Hinphey and Monaghan player Vincent Corey.

Brolly was a boarder in Saint Patrick's Grammar School, Armagh where he was under the tutelage of the Br. Larry Ennis.Fact|date=March 2008 He played basketball for Ireland as a schoolboy. After school he went to Trinity College, Dublin, before doing a postgraduate course at Queen's University Belfast. He was a prominent member of the Dublin University Central Athletic Club (DUCAC) in his Trinity days, and became a member of the student executive.Fact|date=August 2008

As a barrister Brolly defended Irish republicans in court. [cite web |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/3579937.stm|title= IRA membership charges dropped|accessdate=2008-03-16 |format= |work=BBC ] [cite web |url= http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2006/1115/breaking57.htm|title= Court hears of Real IRA bomb plot|accessdate=2008-03-17 |format= |work=The Irish Times ] [cite web |url= http://u.tv/newsroom/indepth.asp?pt=n&id=32728|title=Two Belfast men bailed on gun charges|accessdate=2008-03-17 |format= |work=UTV]

He currently works as a Gaelic football pundit on the RTÉ television Gaelic Athletic Association show, The Sunday Game. Brolly writes for the Gaelic Life and Ireland Mail on Sunday. He is married and has five children.

Playing career

County

Brolly made his Derry Senior debut against Cavan in the 1990 National League. 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 [cite web|url=http://gaa.ie/page/football_all_stars_90s.html|title= Football All Stars 90's|accessdate=2008-03-08] . He was top scorer in the 1997 Ulster Championship with 3-15 (24 points). [ citation | publisher = R & S Printers Ltd, Monaghan| date = 31st May 1998 | journal = 1998 Ulster Championship Quarter Final Programme | title= Facts and Figures ] Brolly added a second Ulster Senior Football Championship in 1998, in the final of which he scored the clinching goal in the last minutecite web|url=http://quis.qub.ac.uk/gaelicfc/halloffame/ulster.htm|title= Queen's Hall of Fame|accessdate=2008-03-08] . 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. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Lyons' pride pass tough test of character to land League |url=http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/1998/04/27/shead.htm |work=Irish Examiner |publisher= |date=1998-04-27 |accessdate=2008-04-06 ]

Club

As a 21 year-old Brolly was part of Dungiven's Derry Senior Football Championship success in 1991.Fact|date=March 2008 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, where he won the Antrim Intermediate Football Championship. As well as on the pitch, Brolly is seen as mentor for several players off itFact|date=March 2008. In 2006 St. Brigid's became the first GAA club to play against the Police Service of Northern Ireland Gaelic football team. [cite web |url=http://irishaires.blogspot.com/2006/08/board-rules-sean-ocealleagh-can-be.html |title=PSNI Could Join GAA League |accessdate=2008-08-03 |work=Irish Aires News |publisher= |date=2006-09-01 ]

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.

Coaching career

Brolly helped out with the coaching of the Antrim team that finshed runners-up in the 2007 Tommy Murphy Cup and winners of the 2008 competition. [Said by Michael Lyster and Brolly during the RTÉ Sunday Game Live coverage of the All-Ireland Qualifiers Round 3 games. Down vs Wexford & Tyrone vs Mayo. (The Tommy Murphy Cup final had preceded the two games) - 2 August 2008]

Honours

County

*All-Ireland Senior Football Championship - Winner (1): 1993
*National Football League - Winner (4): 1992, 1995, 1996, 2000
*National Football League - Runner up: 1998
*Ulster Senior Football Championship - Winner (2): 1993, 1998
*Ulster Senior Football Championship - Runner up: 1992, 1997, 2000
*Dr. McKenna Cup - Winner (2): 1993, 1999

Club

*Ulster Senior Club Football Championship - Winner (1): 1997
*Derry Senior Football Championship - Winner (2): 1991, 1997
*Derry Senior Football Championship - Runner up: 1996
*Derry Senior Football League - Winner (1/2?): 1990?, 1991
*Antrim Intermediate Football Championship - Winner (1?): Year?
*Underage awards

College

*Ryan Cup - Winner (1): 1992

Individual

*All Star - Winner (2): 1996, 1997
*All Star - Nominated (runner up): ?

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

References

External links

* [http://derry.gaa.ie/ Derry GAA official site]
* [http://www.hoganstand.com Latest GAA news]
* [http://www.gaa.ie GAA website]
* [http://www.clubgaa.ie List of clubs by county and club websites]