Football- 125 greatest stars of the GAA

**mossbags** Tue Nov 03, 2009 5:07 pm

The first of The Irish Independents five-part series to mark the
125th anniversary starts the search for the top footballer and hurler
of all-time

Quote:

Football
125 Jimmy Barry Murphy (Cork)

One of the GAA's greatest dual players, he carved a reputation as one
of football's deadliest finishers, scoring two of Cork's three goals in
their 1973 All-Ireland final win over Galway.

124 PJ Duke (Cavan)

Part of Cavan's magnificent half-back line of the 1940s, Duke would
also line out at midfield in the Polo Grounds final of 1947 and
corner-forward in the 1945 decider, underlining his great versatility
as a footballer. He died aged only 25.

123 Liam Hayes (Meath)

His partnership with Gerry McEntee endured for the best part of a
decade, during which time Meath contested four All-Ireland finals
(winning two) and won five Leinster titles. Hayes was 'man of the
match' in the 1987 All-Ireland final.

122 Gabriel Kelly (Cavan)

Kelly featured regularly on All Star teams selected in the 1960s and
was a permanent fixture on the all-conquering Ulster Railway Cup teams
of the 1960s. Renowned as one of the great corner-backs of his era, he
won four Ulster medals.

121 Peter McGinnity (Fermanagh)

An All Star in 1982, McGinnity spent many long and fruitless years with
Fermanagh (1971-'88) but had an imposing presence across a variety of
positions.

120 Joe Kernan (Armagh)

Kernan was effective at either midfield or centre-forward and has the
distinction of scoring two goals in an All-Ireland final and still
ending up on the losing side. Won All Stars in 1977 and '82.

119 Ray Carolan (Cavan)

Carolan forged a reputation in the tough environment of 1960s Ulster
football as being one of the dominant forces of Cavan football's last
great period, when they won four provincial titles.

118 Jack Higgins (Kildare)

An integral part of the Kildare team that claimed the first Sam Maguire
Cup in 1928, Higgins had a reputation as a masterful centre-back and
was chosen there on the Kildare 'team of the millennium'.

117 Gerry McEntee (Meath)

McEntee mixed a career as a specialist surgeon with playing his part on
a Meath team that took the baton from the great Kerry team in the
1980s. A great competitor and fielder, his partnership with Liam Hayes
was enduring.

116 Gerry O'Malley (Roscommon)

O'Malley's career spanned three decades and yielded four Connacht
championships but All-Ireland success eluded him in 1962 when he was
their 33-year-old captain against Kerry.

115 Eugene 'Nudie' Hughes (Monaghan)

To win three All Stars with Monaghan was quite an achievement. To win
one as a defender (1979) -- his previous two were in attack --
underlined the rounded footballer 'Nudie' was. Monaghan's most
inspiring player in a golden period.

114 Paddy Mackey (Wexford)

A throwback to the great Wexford team that completed four in a row from
1915-'18, Mackey was a renowned dual player who had previously won an
All-Ireland hurling medal in 1910.

113 Gay O'Driscoll (Dublin)

The word solid stuck to O'Driscoll throughout his career. He was
unspectacular but brought hardness and durability to a Dublin defence,
traits which earned him All Stars in 1975 and '77.

112 Martin Newell (Galway)

Class was written over everything Newell did. Left half-back on
Galway's three-in-a-row team of the 1960s, he was one of the team's
most stylish players and was 'footballer of the year' in 1965.

111 Paul Curran (Dublin)

One of the most elegant wing-backs of modern times, Curran could play
anywhere, but right half-back was his launch pad for an All-Ireland
title and four successive Leinster titles in the 1990s. 'Footballer of
the year' in 1995.

110 Kevin O'Brien (Wicklow)

The first Wicklow All Star in 1990, he ploughed a lone furrow for many
years but was always a creative and brave attacking force who used the
platforms of his club, province and even country to showcase his
skills.

109 Darren Fay (Meath)

Arguably the best full-back of the modern era, he was a cornerstone on
Sean Boylan's Meath teams of the 1990s and for a couple of seasons he
was just about unbeatable. Mixed size with great speed and agility.
Three times an All Star.

108 Eugene Mulligan (Offaly)

The first automatic All Star in 1971, the year he also picked up
'footballer of the year'. Mulligan was a dashing, stylish half-back and
key component of the great Offaly team of the 1970s.

107 Sean O'Connell (Derry)

A popular member of the greatest team never to win an All-Ireland medal
voted on in 1984, O'Connell's main stage was the Railway Cup, which he
won with Ulster on four occasions. An agile, intelligent forward.

106 Niall Cahalane (Cork)

The iron man of the Billy Morgan's defence in the late 1980s and early
1990s, All Star defender in 1987 and '88, Cahalane's determination was
one of the traits of this team.

105 Barney Rock (Dublin)

Rock cultivated an impressive kicking style that gave him wonderful
trajectory and was one of the great modern day place-kickers. An All
Star in 1983 -- when he won his only All-Ireland medal -- '84 and '85,
his goal in the 1983 final against Galway was real opportunism.

104 Paddy Moriarty (Armagh)

Moriarty won his first All Star in 1972 as a teenager and showed
immense versatility to win a second five years later at centre-back.
Renowned for the class and composure he had in possession.

103 Paddy Cullen (Dublin)

One of the game's great characters, Cullen brought reliability to
Dublin on his way to three All-Ireland medals and four All Stars (1974,
'76, '77 and '79).

102 Bernard Flynn (Meath)

Flynn gave one of the greatest displays on a losing team in an
All-Ireland final against Down in 1991, scoring six points. A lively
forward who was equally comfortable off either foot.

101 Paudie Lynch (Kerry)

Won his five All-Ireland medals as a midfielder, half-back and
corner-back, making him one of the Kingdom's most versatile performers
in the 1970s. Three All Stars (1974, '78 and '81) also came his way.