 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish name | Seán Mac Gafraidh | ||
| Sport | Gaelic football | ||
| Position | Left half back | ||
| Born | 19 October 1993 Dublin, Ireland | ||
| Height | 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Nickname | Dart from Clontarf [1] | ||
| Occupation | Doctor [1] | ||
| Club(s) | |||
| Years | Club | ||
| Clontarf | |||
| Inter-county(ies) | |||
| Years | County | Apps (scores) | |
2013–2020 | Dublin | 40 (4–17) | |
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Leinster titles | 7 | ||
| All-Irelands | 6 | ||
| NFL | 3 | ||
| All Stars | 4 | ||
Jack McCaffrey (born 19 October 1993) is a Gaelic footballer who plays for Clontarf.
His father Noel also represented Dublin in football. [2] McCaffrey attended Belvedere College private school and studied medicine at University College Dublin (UCD) and graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery & Bachelor in the Art of Obstetrics. His classmates included Mark English, considered by Jerry Kiernan to be the country's "greatest talent" ever in middle-distance running. [3] English issued a challenge to McCaffrey, himself considered football's fastest player, to take him on over 100 metres. [4]
McCaffrey is a qualified medical doctor. [1] He works in Temple Street Children's Hospital. [5]
He is an opponent of professionalism within the GAA. [6]
In April 2013, McCaffrey won a National Football League winners' medal as Dublin defeated Tyrone by 0–18 to 0–17 to win the 2013 National Football League. [7] [8] [9] [10] He made his championship debut against Westmeath in the 2013 Leinster Senior Football Championship. [11] He scored a solo goal in the 2013 All-Ireland quarter-final against Cork. [12] Still teenaged, he played in the 2013 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, the first such final he would play in. [1] McCaffrey, who was substituted at half-time, recalled how he "got roasted by Kevin McLoughlin". [1] He played twice and netted for Ireland against Australia in the 2013 International Rules Series. [13] [14] In November 2013, he was named as GAA/GPA Young Footballer of the Year. [15]
In November 2015, McCaffrey received the highest individual honour in the sport when he was named as GAA/GPA Footballer of the Year. [16] He did so in spite of contracting food poisoning "in around the Thursday" before the 2015 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, which left him unable to finish the game. "I couldn't keep any food or water down so I got a drip to stay hydrated. But that was actually great at the time because it completely distracted from the build-up to a final ... all you were worried about is, 'Am I going to be okay?' You're no thinking about the occasion itself. And then thankfully I pulled through and performed okay for the 50 minutes that I lasted". [1]
McCaffrey missed the 2016 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship due his travels abroad. [17] He travelled to Ethiopia, then Kenya, Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania. [1]
In December 2016, McCaffrey confirmed that he would be available again for selection in 2017. [18]
McCaffrey played in that year's All-Ireland final win but left the pitch early after sustaining what later proved to be an anterior cruciate ligament injury. [1] His antics later in the evening as Michael Lyster interviewed Jim Gavin and Stephen Cluxton were much remarked upon. [19] A month after the final, McCaffrey had surgery. [1]
McCaffrey returned for Dublin against Longford as a substitute in June 2018. [1] Another substitute appearance in the Leinster final against Laois followed, seeing him make two goal chances by himself. [1] However, he did not find the net in that game.
He is a former self-admitted "horrific tackler" but the 2018 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final proved to be when he "figured out I'm actually a defender as opposed to some loose attacking player". [1] His dispossession of Mattie Donnelly during injury time of that game offered evidence of this. [1]
McCaffrey was named Man of the Match after his team's 2018 final victory. While being interviewed by Lyster for The Sunday Game highlights programme, a leak through the ceiling of the Gibson Hotel caused Lyster, McCaffrey and GAA President John Horan to be drenched in water live on air. [19] [20]
Interviewed the following day by journalists, McCaffrey reminded them: "This was the first time I've been on the pitch when the final whistle blew in an All-Ireland final. Incredible. It was so satisfying, such a relief". [1]
Another All Star followed, as did a second Footballer of the Year nomination. [1]
McCaffrey won the man of the match award in the drawn 2019 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final as well; a second consecutive award, "RTÉ veterans" were reported to be finding it difficult to recall such an occurrence ever before. [1] He was top scorer (1–3) from open play. [1] This compared with the 3–14 from his previous 38 championship games. [1] The three points were also a classic hat-trick, sent over with fist and both feet. [1] Defensively, he forced eight turnovers of possession. [1]
McCaffrey left the Dublin panel ahead of the 2020 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. [21] He later described the drawn 2019 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final as the game that "broke me" but decided initially to remain when his former minor and under-21 manager Dessie Farrell was appointed as Jim Gavin's successor. [22] [23] [5]
Bryan Cullen is an Irish former Gaelic footballer who played as a left wing-forward at senior level for the Dublin county team. Cullen announced his retirement on 9 January 2015. He stated 'I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Dublin managers Tommy Lyons, Pillar Caffrey, Pat Gilroy and Jim Gavin and especially to all the Dublin players past and present that I had the pleasure of sharing the pitch with.'
Stephen Cluxton is an Irish Gaelic footballer who plays as a goalkeeper at senior level for the Dublin county team.
Barry Cahill is a former Gaelic footballer who played for the St Brigid's club in Castleknock, the Dublin county team and his province, Leinster, during his playing career. Cahill announced his retirement from Dublin football in February 2013. He retired from St Brigid's in December 2016.
Dessie Farrell is an Irish Gaelic football coach and former player. He has been manager of the Dublin county team since 2019.
Bernard Brogan is a Gaelic footballer from the St Oliver Plunketts/Eoghan Ruadh club who previously played for the Dublin county team. He is originally from the Battery Heights. From a famous footballing family, he is the son of former All-Ireland winning and All Star player Bernard Brogan Snr and is the brother of former Dublin players Alan and Paul. His uncle Jim was also an inter-county footballer for Dublin. Alongside most of his family, Brogan has attended St. Declan's College on Navan Road.
Jim Gavin is an Irish Gaelic football manager and former player. He was the manager of the senior Dublin county team from 2012 to 2019, becoming the county's most successful manager in terms of major titles won. Gavin is regarded as one of the best managers in the modern game.
Philip "Philly" McMahon is a Gaelic footballer who plays for the Ballymun Kickhams club and for the Dublin county team.
Michael Darragh MacAuley is a Gaelic footballer who plays club football for Ballyboden St Enda's and inter-county for Dublin county team from 2010 until 2020. He plays his club football with Ballyboden St Enda's, with whom he won the 2016 All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship. He also won the 2009 Dublin Senior Football Championship, 2015 Dublin Senior Football Championship and 2015 Leinster Senior Football Club championship. MacAuley was the 2013 GAA/GPA Footballer of the Year.
Ciarán Kilkenny is an Irish Gaelic footballer who plays for the Dublin county team and as a dual player for his club Castleknock. He was previously on the playing list of Australian rules football club Hawthorn, as a rookie.
Lee Keegan is a Gaelic footballer who plays as a defender for Westport and, formerly, for the Mayo county team. Many regard Keegan as his county's greatest ever footballer. He is also the highest scoring defender of all-time having clocked up 6–40 in 54 championship matches.
Dean Rock is an Irish Gaelic footballer who has been a senior member of the Dublin county team since 2013.
The 2015 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship was the 128th edition of the GAA's premier inter-county Gaelic football since its establishment in 1887. 33 teams took part − 31 counties of Ireland, London and New York.
Brian Fenton is a Gaelic footballer who plays for the Raheny club and for the Dublin county team. He was the 2018 and 2020 GAA/GPA Footballer of the Year.
Con O'Callaghan is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football for the Dublin county football team.
The 2018 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship was the 131st edition of the GAA's premier inter-county Gaelic football competition since its establishment in 1887.
The 2018 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final was the 131st final of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship and the culmination of the 2018 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in Gaelic football. The match was played at Croke Park in Dublin on 2 September 2018.
The 2019 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final was the 132nd final of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship and the culmination of the 2019 tournament, the top level of competition in Gaelic football. Reigning All-Ireland champions Dublin took on Munster champions Kerry, with Dublin bidding to become the first Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) male team to win five consecutive editions of the competition. The last time a football team had this chance was in 1982; however, Kerry failed, their own winning streak being brought to an end by a last-minute goal. By coincidence, Kerry provided the opposition for Dublin on this occasion.
The Dublin county football team represents Dublin in men's Gaelic football and is governed by Dublin GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the three major annual inter-county competitions; the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the Leinster Senior Football Championship and the National Football League.
The 2021 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship was the 134th edition of the Gaelic Athletic Association's premier inter-county Gaelic football tournament since its establishment in 1887.
Sean Hurson is a Gaelic football referee. He is a member of the Galbally Pearses club in County Tyrone. He was appointed to referee the 2022 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, becoming the first Tyrone man to do so since Paddy Devlin oversaw the 1974 final.
Having followed in his father Noel's footsteps to represent the Dubs, his inter-county stock has always been high but All-Ireland final day hasn't exactly been a happy hunting ground for McCaffrey.
No goals were conceded this time in the Leinster final clash with Meath as Dublin progressed comfortably before avenging previous setbacks to Cork in the All-Ireland quarter-final, Jack McCaffrey finishing a spectacular solo effort to the net.
Ireland squads | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
