Oisín McConville

Oisín McConville

Personal information
Irish name	Oisín Mac Conmhaoil
Sport	Gaelic football
Position	Left half forward
Born	13 October 1975 (1975-10-13) (age 36) Crossmaglen, County Armagh, Northern Ireland
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Club(s)
Years	Club
1993-Present	Crossmaglen
Club Titles
Armagh titles	15
Ulster titles	8
All-Ireland Titles	5
Inter-county(ies)**
Years	County	Apps (scores)
1994-2008	Armagh	52 (11-197 (230))
Inter-county titles
Ulster titles	7
All Irelands	1
NFL	1
All Stars	2
**Inter County team apps and scores correct as of 23:27, 7 April 2009 (UTC) Championship games only.

Oisín McConville (Irish: Oisín Mac Conmhaoil; born 13 October 1975) is an Irish Gaelic footballer who played for Armagh in the 1990s and 2000s. He has won an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship medal, seven Ulster Championships and a National League title with the county. He has also been awarded two All Stars.

McConville plays club football for Crossmaglen Rangers and has won Five All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championships, *8 Ulster Senior Club Football Championships and 13 Armagh Senior Football Championships with the club.

McConville plays as forward. He is one the game's best point-scorers and is an expert free-taker.^[1] He has consistently been a high scorer for Armagh and is the all-time top Ulster scorer in Championship football^[2] with a tally of 11-197 (230). He is known as one of Armagh's best ever players.^[3] In 2009 to mark the 125th anniversary of the Gaelic Athletic Association he was named by The Irish News as one of the all-time best 125 footballers from Ulster.^[1]

Despite being a success on the field McConville's personal life has been plagued by gambling problems ^[4]

Background

McConville was born in Crossmaglen, South Armagh. His uncle Gene Morgan played for Armagh and played in the 1953 All-Ireland final.^[3] McConville's brother Jim is also regarded as one of Armagh's best ever footballers.^[3] He has recently made headlines in Ireland for starring in a New Year's Eve Celebrity Jigs n' Reels special.

Playing career

Inter-county

McConville made his Armagh Senior in the Dr. McKenna Cup final at Clones on 25 September 1994.

Oisín played in the half forward line for Armagh in their 2002 All-Ireland winning year. In the 2002 All Ireland Final against Kerry, Oisín overcame the setback of having his first half penalty saved, to step up and score the vital second half goal that was instrumental in Armagh winning a tight contest. As well as his All Ireland Senior medal, Oisín also holds two All Star awards (2000 and 2002), seven Ulster Senior Championship medals (1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008) and a National League Winners medal (2005). Oisín also holds the record for the highest individual score in an Ulster Final, when he notched 2-07 against Down in the 1999 Ulster Final. Oisín has also won Under 12, Under 14, Under 16, Minor League and Championship, two U-21 Championships. During his schooldays at Abbey CBS, Newry he won D’Alton, Corn na nÓg, and Rannafast Cups and was a MacRory Cup runner up whilst at Saint Patrick's Grammar School, Armagh.

He has also won 5 All-Ireland Club titles with Crossmaglen in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2007 and 2011 in which he was top scorer 3 times.

McConville retired from inter-county football after the 2008 season.

Club

McConville is part of the Crossmaglen team that has won 13 Armagh Senior Football Championships in a row between 1996 and 2008.^[5] This equals the national record for consecutive county football championships set by Ballina Stephenites of Mayo between 1904 and 1916. He has also won the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship seven times (1996, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008) and the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship four times (1997, 1999, 2000 and 2007) with the club. McConville, along with Paul Hearty, John McEntee, Tony McEntee, Francie Bellew and Cathal Short is one of six Cross players to have shared in all these successes since 1996.^[5] When McConville missed the 2008 Armagh Championship semi-final against Armagh Harps through injury, it ended a run of 103 consecutive Championship games for Crossmaglen.

Province

School

McConville attended both the Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar School, Newry and studied for his A levels at St. Patrick's Grammar School, Armagh. It was in St. Patrick's that Oisin was a member of the MacRory panel.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Ulster's 125 - The province's 125 best footballers since 1884". The Irish News. 20 March 2009. http://www.irishnews.com/125/125flip.html. Retrieved 8 April 2009. 
2. ^ "Ulster's hot-shots". BBC Sport Online. 31 July 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/northern_ireland/the_championship/7535488.stm. Retrieved 8 April 2009. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} "Ulster's 125 - Armagh shortlist". The Irish News. 10 February 2009. http://irishnews125.blogspot.com/2009/02/125-armagh-player-list.html. Retrieved 8 April 2009. 
4. ^ "McConville's life and times". BBC News. 26 November 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/northern_ireland/season_ticket/8380260.stm. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Archer, Kenny (2008-10-21). "Thirteen on the trot for six of the best". The Irish News: p. 42. http://www.irishnews.com/searchlog.asp?reason=denied_empty&script_name=/pageacc.asp&path_info=/pageacc.asp&tser1=ser&sid=600712. Retrieved 2008-10-22. 

External links

• Details on Oisín McConville

Teams

Persondata
Name	Macconville, Oisin
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	13 October 1975
Place of birth	Crossmaglen, County Armagh
Date of death
Place of death