Denis Donnelly (1937 – 27 October 2008) was an Irish

Gaelic football Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...

er and hurler who played for club sides

Skryne Skryne or Skreen (), is a village situated on and around a hill between the N2 and N3 national primary roads in County Meath, Ireland. It is situated on the far side of the Gabhra valley from the Hill of Tara. This valley is sometimes referre ...

and

Kilmessan Kilmessan () is a village in County Meath, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is situated 10/15 minutes away from Dunshaughlin, Trim, County Meath, Trim and Navan, 6 km from the M3 motorway. The village has a primary school, shop, post office ...

and at inter-county level with the Meath senior teams in both codes. He usually lined out as a full-back.

Career

Donnelly lined out for the Meath senior teams as a

dual player Dual player or dual star is a term used in Hiberno-English to describe someone who competes in multiple sports — for example, in Victorian Ireland, cricket and hurling. The term today in Gaelic games typically describes a male player who plays ...

. He was

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

of the senior football team that won the Leinster Championship in 1964. Donnelly also filled the right corner-back position on the Meath team that was beaten by

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...

in the 1966 All-Ireland final. He also won two Leinster Junior Championships with the Meath senior hurling team. At club level, Donnelly was a member of the

team that won the Meath SFC title in 1965. He also won four Meath SHC titles with sister club Kilmeassan. Donnelly was the joint-winner of the

All-Ireland Poc Fada Championship The All-Ireland Poc Fada Hurling & Camogie Championships is an annual tournament testing the skills of Ireland's best hurling, hurlers and camogie players. ''Poc Fada'' is Irish language, Irish for "long puck". The championships are sponsored by M ...

in 1963.

Personal life and death

Donnelly spent his entire working life as a farmer. His son, David Donnelly, also lined out with the Meath senior hurling team. Donnelly died after a period of illness at Our Lady's Hospital in

Navan Navan ( ; , meaning "the Cave") is the county town of County Meath, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In 2016, it had a population of 30,173, making it the List of urban areas in the Republic of Ireland by population, tenth largest settlement in ...

on 27 October 2008.

Honours

;Kilmessan *

Meath Senior Hurling Championship The Meath Senior Hurling Championship is an annual Gaelic Athletic Association competition organised by Meath GAA among the top hurling clubs in County Meath, Ireland. The winner qualifies to represent the county in the Leinster Intermediate Clu ...

: 1961, 1962, 1965, 1969 ;Skryne *

Meath Senior Football Championship The Meath Senior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic Athletic Association club competition between the top Gaelic football clubs in Meath, Ireland. Qualification for subsequent competitions The winners of the Meath Senior Football Champi ...

: 1965 ;Meath *

Leinster Senior Football Championship The Leinster Senior Football Championship, known simply as the Leinster Championship and shortened to Leinster SFC, is an annual inter-county Gaelic football competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA ...

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...

(c),

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

Leinster Junior Hurling Championship The Leinster Junior Hurling Championship is a junior "knockout" competition in the game of Hurling played in the province of Leinster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Leinster Council. The winners of the Leinster Junior Hur ...

: 1961, 1972

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Donnelly, Dinny 1937 births 2008 deaths Kilmessan hurlers Skryne Gaelic footballers Meath inter-county Gaelic footballers Meath inter-county hurlers