Graham Geraghty (footballer)

Graham Geraghty (born 17 May 1973), is a former Gaelic footballer who played at senior level for the Meath county team. While still an inter-county player, he stood for the Fine Gael political party at the 2007 Irish general election; he was not elected.

Playing career

Geraghty represented his country against Australia in the International Rules Series in 1999, 2000 and 2006.

Geraghty has also won an All-Ireland Minor Football Championship in 1990 and an All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship in 1993. He has been named as the Meath Player of the Year on two occasions in 1999 and more recently in 2006. Geraghty won the Martin Donnelly Cup on four occasions with Leinster.

At club level, Graham won the Meath Senior Football Championship with Seneschalstown in 1994. He has also won the Meath Under-21 Championship with Seneschalstown in 1992.

Although his greatest achievements have come in football, he is a versatile athlete, with various honours in the fields of athletics, soccer (having traveled to London for trials with British club Arsenal F.C. as a teenager, and signing for Bohemian F.C., Bohemians in September 1994, he also played for Drogheda United reserves in the 1996-97 League of Ireland season), and rugby, playing and training one season with Buccaneers Reserves in 2003.

In late 2003, he published his autobiography, titled ''Misunderstood'', which documents his childhood, adolescence, and sporting career up until the early years of the 21st century.

In 2007, Geraghty helped Meath back to the top and scored a magnificent goal against Tyrone GAA, Tyrone to help earn the team a place in the semifinal.

On 23 July 2008, Geraghty retired following Meath's exit from the 2008 Championship at the hands of Limerick GAA, Limerick.
On 20 May 2011, just three days after his 38th birthday, Geraghty returned to the Meath GAA, Meath panel after a three-year absence.
He came on as a substitute in Meath's first game of the 2011 Leinster Senior Football Championship, Championship against Kildare at Croke Park, scoring a goal which was wrongly disallowed as a square ball.
In 2012, Geraghty announced his second retirement from inter-county football and became a selector.

In December 2013, Geraghty confirmed that he would play Sigerson Cup football for Blanchardstown IT in 2014 as he is enrolled in a Social and Community Development course at the college.

In January 2021, he was named as a selector of the Meath under-20 county team under the management of Bernard Flynn.

Honours

;Club
* 1 Meath Senior Football Championship 1994
* 1 Meath Under-21 Football Championship 1992
* 1 Meath Junior Football Championship 2007
* 1 Leinster Junior Club Football Championship 2007

;Meath
* 3 Leinster Senior Football Championship 1996 1999 2001
* 2 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 1996 1999
* 2 Leinster Under-21 Football Championship 1991 1993
* 1 All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship 1993
* 1 Leinster Minor Football Championship 1990
* 1 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship 1990
* 1 National Football League (Ireland), National Football League Division 1 1994
* 1 National Football League (Ireland), National Football League Division 2 2007

;Leinster
* 4 Railway Cup 1996 1997 2001 2002 2005

;Ireland
* 2 International rules football 1999 2001

;Individual
* 2 All-Star 1994 1999
* In May 2020, the ''Irish Independent'' named Geraghty as one of the "dozens of brilliant players" who narrowly missed selection for its "Top 20 footballers in Ireland over the past 50 years".

Association football

Geraghty played association football with Kentstown Rovers. After scoring 1–2 in the 1994 Leinster Senior Football Championship final loss to Dublin, Manchester United F.C., Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson (a spectator at Croke Park) namechecked Geraghty in an interview with Ger Canning on RTÉ Television. Ferguson remarked that he did not have his checkbook with him, but Arsenal F.C., Arsenal were alerted and invited Geraghty for a trial. In his autobiography, Arsenal's England international player Paul Merson described Geraghty as "the fittest player I ever saw". Geraghty played two matches for Arsenal before returning home to resume his career with Meath.

Managerial

In November 2017, Graham was announced as the new Intermediate Football manager for Glen Emmets GFC in Tullyallen, Co. Louth.

Political career

In 2006, Geraghty was selected by the Fine Gael political party to contest the 2007 Irish general election, general election of 2007 in his home constituency of Meath West (Dáil constituency), Meath West. However, he performed poorly in the election, obtaining only 1,284 first preference votes - the lowest of the three Fine Gael candidates standing - and was eliminated from the race after the fourth count.

Acting career

Geraghty appeared in acclaimed 1998 Irish kung fu movie ''Fatal Deviation'' opposite Boyzone's Michael Graham (singer), Mikey Graham. He had no lines.

Personal life

Geraghty is married to Amanda and they have four children, Sophia, Lauren, Brandon and Beau

References

External links

Graham Geraghty Official Fine Gael Website

Official Meath Website

Seneschalstown GAA Website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Geraghty, Graham
1973 births
Living people
All-Ireland-winning captains (football)
Clan na Gael (Meath) Gaelic footballers
Fine Gael politicians
Gaelic footballers who switched code
Gaelic football forwards
Gaelic football selectors
Irish international rules football players
Irish sportsperson-politicians
Meath inter-county Gaelic footballers
Seneschalstown Gaelic footballers
Winners of two All-Ireland medals (Gaelic football)