Kieran McGeeney

Kieran McGeeney (born 18 October 1971) is an Irish former Gaelic football player and manager, who managed the Kildare senior football team from 2007 to 2013 and is the current manager of the Armagh senior football team.

McGeeney played football with his local club Mullaghbawn Cúchullain's in Armagh and also for Na Fianna club in Dublin. He was a member of the Armagh senior football team from 1992 until 2007, captaining the county to the 2002 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, their first and only title.

Playing career

Club

Born at Mullaghbawn, County Armagh, McGeeney was a member of Mullaghbawn's 1995 Armagh Senior Football Championship and Ulster Senior Club Football Championship winning side.^[1] He later moved to Na Fianna on the northside of Dublin. With them he won the 1999 Leinster Senior Club Football Championship and three Dublin Senior Football Championships.

Inter-county

McGeeney captained Armagh to a historic first and only All-Ireland title in 2002. He won three All Stars Awards (1999, 2000 and 2002) and six Ulster Senior Football Championship medals (1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006). He also received the 2002 Texaco Footballer of the Year award.

McGeeney retired from inter-county football in 2007 but returned to the game as the manager of the Kildare footballers later that year. He led the county to a Leinster final appearance in 2009. Kildare have reached the All- Ireland quarter finals in each year he has been manager and they also reached the All- Ireland semi final in 2010 where they narrowly lost to Down. In 2013, McGeeney managed the Kildare U21's to the Leinster title.

International rules

McGeeney represented Ireland on a number of occasions against Australia, captaining his country in the 2006 International Rules Series. He led the Irish team who faced Australia in the first test at Pearse Stadium and in the second test at Croke Park. He has currently made twelve appearances for his country, making his debut back in 1998.

Management

McGeeney managed the Kildare senior football team from 2007 until 2013.^[2][3] He was axed after losing a ballot by county delegates by one vote, 29 to 28 in September 2013.^[4][5] In October 2013, McGeeney joined the management team of the Armagh football team under Paul Grimley .^[6]

In November 2013, it was announced that McGeeney would be involved with the Tipperary hurling team for 2014 as a member of the back room team.^[7]

McGeeney took over from Paul Grimley as manager of his native Armagh in 2015.

References