Inside Track: Several club players have been rewarded for their versatility

Danny from Dundalk has come through with another text. Last week he wanted to know if a player, other than Kerry’s Séamus Murphy, had won an All-Ireland as a goalkeeper and outfield player.

A search showed that there was another – Owensie Hoare, who was outfield when he won his first medal with Roscommon in 1943 and in goals when The Rossies retained the title.

Remaining on the same theme, Danny now wants to know if i hast happened in the Louth senior championship.

It has, on a number of occasions, the most recent in the first two decades of this century, with St Patrick’s Seán Connor making the transition.

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This is something Inside Track has researched in the in the past – not very successfully, it must be admitted. It was said before that there were just three other ‘dual’ players, all of them from the Ardee St Mary’s club. But on a more thorough search, several others were spotted, going back to when the competition was first played.

Those Ardee players: Arthur McMullan, Aidan Magennis and Tom Rice. On the day Magennis wore the No 1 jersey, McMullan was outfield; and when Mary’s won the title in 1955, beating their great rivals at the time, Stabannon Parnells, the roles were reversed. Rice was in goals in 1968 and outfield six years later.

When Young Irelands won the first ever championship in 1887, beating Dowdallshill in the final, Edward Feely was in goals with Michael J Carroll outfield. Irelands retained the title, and this time Carroll, also team captain, was between the posts.

On to the mid-1920s for Clan na Gaels’ two-in-a-row. ‘Jem’ Garland was goalkeeper for the Castletown club’s first win in ’23, but the following year was outfield.

His replacement in goals was none other than Séamus Flood, who would go on to serve the county with distinction as a legislator. His son, Seán Óg, was goalkeeper for Louth’s 1957 All-Ireland win.

Bob McDonnell was on the right win for Newtown Blues’ 1932 win, but took over in goals for the Drogheda club’s win the following year.

So that’s it, we think. Make it easier the next time, Danny from Dundalk.