Diarmuid Connolly (born 7 July 1987) is an Irish Gaelic footballer. His National Football League (Ireland), league and All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, championship career at senior level as a forward playing for the Dublin county football team, Dublin county team initially spanned 11 seasons from 2007 until 2018 when he left the panel after appearing in a National Football League (Ireland), league game against Mayo GAA, Mayo in February 2018. In July 2019, Dublin senior football manager Jim Gavin (footballer), Jim Gavin confirmed in an interview with Dubs TV that Connolly was back training with the Dublin panel for the 2019 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, 2019 Championship. He went on to win 2019 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, sixth All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, All Ireland title in September 2019. In October 2020, Connolly announced his retirement from inter-county football.

Early life

Born in Dublin, Connolly inherited a passion for sport from his Kilkenny-born father and County Clare-born mother. He was educated at his secondary school Ardscoil Rís, Dublin, Ardscoil Rís where he played competitive Gaelic football and hurling, and attended Scoil Mhuire Marino for Primary School while he also played Association football, soccer with Belvedere F.C. and Home Farm F.C.

Career

Connolly first came to prominence as a Gaelic footballer and hurler at juvenile and underage levels with St Vincent's GAA, St Vincent's. He made his debut with the club's senior team in 2004. Since then Connolly has two All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship, All-Ireland Club Football medals. He has also won four Leinster Senior Club Football Championship, Leinster medals and four Dublin Senior Football Championship, county championship medals. Diarmuid has won 7 all irelands. Connolly made his debut on the inter-county scene when he was selected for the Dublin minor team in 2005. After an unsuccessful minor tenure, he later joined the Dublin under-21 teams as a dual player and won a Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship, Leinster medal as a hurler. Connolly made his senior debut during the 2007 O'Byrne Cup. He won five All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, All-Ireland medals, beginning with lone triumphs in 2011 and 2013, and followed by three successive championships from 2015 to 2017. Connolly also won ten Leinster Senior Football Championship, Leinster medals and four National Football League (Ireland), National League medals. He received two All Star awards in 2014 and 2016. In June 2017, Connolly received a 12-week ban after physical interference with linesman Ciaran Branagan during Dublin's win against Carlow GAA, Carlow in the quarter-final of the 2017 Leinster Senior Football Championship. In March 2018, Connolly left the Dublin senior football panel to spend the summer in Boston playing for Donegal Boston. He subsequently won the championship with the Boston club. In July 2019, Dublin senior football manager Jim Gavin (footballer), Jim Gavin confirmed in an interview with Dubs TV that Diarmuid Connolly was back training with the Dublin panel for the 2019 championship season.

Peil Star film

In 2016, Diarmuid Connolly appeared in a Street Gaelic Football film created by Peil Star with Dublin teammate Shane Carthy and New York footballer C. J. Molloy. In the video, Connolly kicks a Gaelic football across the River Liffey in Dublin.

Career statistics

Honours

St Vincents *Dublin Senior Football Championship (5): 2007, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 *Leinster Senior Club Football Championship (4): 2007, 2013, 2014, 2016 *All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship (2): 2007–08 All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship, 2008, 2013–14 All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship, 2014 Dublin * All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (6): 2011 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, 2011, 2013 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, 2013, 2015 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, 2015, 2016 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, 2016, 2017 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, 2017, 2019 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, 2019 * Leinster Senior Football Championship (10): 2007 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship#Leinster Senior Football Championship, 2007, 2008 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship#Leinster Senior Football Championship, 2008, 2009 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship#Leinster Senior Football Championship, 2009, 2011 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship#Leinster Senior Football Championship, 2011, 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship#Leinster Senior Football Championship, 2012, 2013 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship#Leinster Senior Football Championship, 2013, 2014 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship#Leinster Senior Football Championship, 2014, 2015 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship#Leinster Senior Football Championship, 2015, 2016 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship#Leinster Senior Football Championship, 2016, 2017 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship#Leinster Senior Football Championship, 2017 * National Football League (Ireland), National Football League (4): 2013 National Football League (Ireland), 2013, 2014 National Football League (Ireland), 2014, 2015 National Football League (Ireland), 2015, 2016 National Football League (Ireland), 2016 * O'Byrne Cup (4): 2007 O'Byrne Cup, 2007, 2008 O'Byrne Cup, 2008, 2015 O'Byrne Cup, 2015, 2017 O'Byrne Cup, 2017 * Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship (1): 2007 All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship#Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship, 2007 Individual *GAA GPA All Stars Awards, GAA GPA All-Star Award (2): 2014, 2016

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Connolly, Diarmuid 1987 births Living people Donegal Boston Gaelic footballers Dublin inter-county Gaelic footballers Dublin inter-county hurlers Dual players Gaelic football forwards St Vincents (Dublin) Gaelic footballers St Vincents (Dublin) hurlers Winners of six All-Ireland medals (Gaelic football)