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12 Men Who Won 2023 County Medals After Transferring GAA Clubs

12 Men Who Won 2023 County Medals After Transferring GAA Clubs
PJ Browne
By PJ Browne Updated
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Though the majority of GAA players spend their Gaelic football and hurling careers playing for one club, occasionally some move on to play for other sides.

We've taken a look at 12 GAA players who have moved clubs in recent years who won county titles this season. If you know of any others, let us know.

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12 Club GAA Transferees Who Have Won County Titles This Year

Eoghan O'Flaherty: Carbury (Kildare) - St Joseph's (Laois)

The former Kildare footballer was Man of the Match for St Joseph's as they beat Portlaoise in the Laois SFC final. It was the club's first senior title since 2000.

club gaa transfers 2023 county titles

15 October 2023; Eoghan O'Flaherty of St Joseph's in action against David Seale of Portlaoise during the Laois County Senior Club Football Championship final match between St Joseph's and Portlaoise at Laois Hire O'Moore Park in Portlaoise, Laois. Photo by Matt Browne/Sportsfile

O'Flaherty moved from Carbury in Kildare to St Joseph's in early 2022.

"It is my home club now," he told Midlands 103.

"We're well settled. We have two boys in the club."

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Joe Joe Grimes: Clonakilty - Listowel

Joe Joe Grimes returned to playing with home club Listowel Emmets this year and was a major influence as they beat Ballymacelligott to win the Kerry Premier Junior Football Championship title.

The Garda transferred to Clonakilty, where he was stationed, in 2020, and helped his adopted team reach to 2021 Cork Premier SFC final. He made his inter-county debut with Cork the following season.

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club gaa hurling transfers 2023 county titles

8 January 2022; Joe Grimes of Cork during the McGrath Cup group A match between Clare and Cork at Hennessy Memorial Park in Miltown Malbay, Clare. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

"I'd be personally very good friends with him," Emmets manager Enda Murphy told Clubber TV after the victory over Ballymac.

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"Once Noel (Kennelly) got onto me, [asking] would I be interested in being manager, he was one of the first calls I made. He's a real leader. A great coup to get him back from Clonakilty. He's going no other where!"

Bryan Murphy: Causeway (Kerry) - Sarsfields (Cork)

Bryan Murphy transferred from home club Causeway to Cork side Sarsfields last year. The former Kerry hurling captain lives in Glamire, five minutes from the Sarsfields pitch.

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Murphy played at wing-back for the club as they defeated Midleton to claim their first Cork Premier Senior Hurling Championship title since 2014.

club gaa hurling transfers 2023 county titles

17 September 2023; Bryan Murphy of Sarsfields during the Cork County Premier Senior Club Hurling Championship quarter-final match between Blackrock and Sarsfields at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork. Photo by Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

"Obviously transferring up to Sars was not an easy thing to do, but Causeway were very supportive of me," Murphy told The Kerryman.

"That’s just life really, people move on, people have kids and people have families and you move on."

READ MORE: Five Club GAA Transfers Which Caused Controversy

READ MORE: Remembering 11 Of The Most Famous Inter-County Transfers

Eoghan O'Gara: Templeogue Synge Street (Dublin) - Shelmaliers (Wexford)

The seven-time All-Ireland winner with Dublin transferred to Wexford side Shelmaliers last year. Shelmaliers and O'Gara lost the 2022 final to Castletown but defeated the same opposition in this year's decider.

O'Gara was a key factor in Shelmaliers' semi-final victory over Kilanerin, scoring 1-2 off the bench.

"I did my bit, you know," he told Wexford GAA TV.

"It was a team performance last week to pull it out of the fire. Again today, I don’t think it’s down to any individuals, particularly today’s performance, down a man and just somehow found the resources and the character there to pull the game out of the fire.

"It’s testament to the lads here, I really enjoyed playing with them the last couple of seasons and they should be really dominating Wexford football in the next two or three years again."

Eanna O'Connor: Milltown/Castlemaine

The son of current Kingdom manager Jack O'Connor won a Kerry IFC title with Milltown/Castlemaine, defeatingDavid and Paudie Clifford's Fossa by a point in the final.

Eanna, who has won Kildare SFC titles with Moorefield, now lives in Milltown. His brother Cian also plays with the club.

The 31-year-old Eanna has also been part of the Mid Kerry team which reached the last two Kerry County Championship finals but lost of both occasions to East Kerry.

19 November 2023; Cian O'Connor, centre, of Milltown-Castlemaine with father and Kerry Senior football manager Jack O'Connor and mother Bridie and Éanna O'Connor, left, after the Kerry County Intermediate Football Championship Final match between Fossa and Milltown/Castlemaine at Austin Stack Park in Tralee, Kerry. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Jack McCarron: Currin (Monaghan) - Scotstown (Monaghan)

Jack McCarron was the star player for Scotstown as they defeated Inniskeen to win their eighth Monaghan SFC title in the last 11 seasons.

The forward was at the centre of a controversy earlier this year when he transferred from home club Currin - the "oldest and probably the smallest club in Monaghan" - to the biggest club in the county. McCarron was allowed to do so as his father Ray played for Scotstown.

club gaa transfers 2023 county titles

22 October 2023; Jack McCarron celebrates with his mother Patricia after the Monaghan County Senior Club Football Championship final between Inniskeen and Scotstown at St Tiernach's Park in Clones, Monaghan. Photo by Philip Fitzpatrick/Sportsfile

Ryan Malley: Ardara (Donegal) - Scotstown (Monaghan)

Jack McCarron was not the only recent transfer to Scotstown to win a county title this season. Ardara native Ryan Malley also started the victory over Inniskeen.

Jonathan Cassidy: St Mary's Kiltoghert (Leitrim) - Coolera/Strandhill (Sligo)

Leitrim man Jonathan Cassidy played at corner-back for Coolera/Strandhill GAA as the club defeated St Molaise Gaels by three points to win its first Sligo SFC title in 18 years.

Cassidy's home club St Mary's Kiltoghert - who lost this year's Leitrim SFC final - wished their former player well before the game.

Ross O'Carroll: Kilmacud Crokes (Dublin) - Coolera/Strandhill (Sligo)

In the Coolera/Strandhill back line along with Cassidy was Ross O'Carroll. The former Dublin dual player lives in Sligo where he works as a teacher in Summerhill College. He transferred from Kilmacud Crokes to Coolera/Strandhill in 2021.

On the same day that Ross won the Sligo title, his brother Rory - a three-time All-Ireland winner with Dublin - was part of the Kilmacud Crokes side which was victorious in this year's Dublin SFC final.

29 October 2018; Kilmacud Crokes manager Johnny Magee, centre left, and to his right Ross O'Carroll of Kilmacud Crokes celebrate after the Dublin County Senior Club Football Championship Final match between St Jude's and Kilmacud Crokes at Parnell Park in Dublin. Photo by Daire Brennan/Sportsfile

"The lads would be giving me stick saying that I’d be asking the ref what the score was in the Crokes game," O'Carroll, who also plays hurling with Coolera/Strandhill, told the Irish Independent.

"As we were celebrating, word was filtering through that Crokes were winning well and that was lovely to hear because obviously you’re just thinking of Rory and how he’s getting on.”

Liam Rushe: St Pat's Palmerstown (Dublin) - Na Fianna (Dublin)

The two-time All-Star winner transferred from St Pat's Palmerstown to Na Fianna in 2021.

He played at centre-back for Na Fianna last month as the club won its first ever Dublin Senior Hurling Championship title with victory over Ballyboden St Enda's. It was the north Dublin club's third consecutive year in the decider.

The 33-year-old described the victory as "surreal". He had spent 2023 travelling the world and had not picked up a hurley in nearly a year until he returned to Ireland in late September.

29 October 2023; Aidan Mellett of Ballyboden St Endas is fouled by Liam Rushe of Na Fianna during the Dublin County Senior Club Hurling Championship final match between Ballyboden St Endas and Na Fianna at Parnell Park in Dublin. Photo by Stephen Marken/Sportsfile

"Having put so much effort into every previous season, this year I haven’t played in a year basically. I’ve come back and I’ve done four or five weeks, missed half the sessions through injury," he told the Irish Times.

"It’s just mad. I think it just shows that the overall standard has risen in the team, there’s so many lads, the depth is incredible."

Shane Walsh: Kilkerrin/Cloberne (Galway) - Kilmacud Crokes (Dublin)

Walsh was part of the Kilmacud Crokes side which won the club's third consecutive Dublin SFC title with victory over Ballyboden St Enda's. It was Walsh's second Dublin title with the club since transferring from Galway side Kilkerrin-Clonberne last year. Walsh also won an All-Ireland club title with Kilmacud Crokes earlier this year.

Last year, Walsh - who lives in Dublin - told Balls that he does plan on returning to his home club.

22 October 2023; Shane Walsh of Kilmacud Crokes in action against Cathal Flahety of Ballyboden St Endas during the Dublin County Senior Club Football Championship Final between Kilmacud Crokes and Ballyboden St Endas at Parnell Park in Dublin. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

"Even if I was hated amongst the club, when I'm finished up with this, and looking to change back again to Galway in time, nothing's gonna stop me going back there - nothing," he said.

"I couldn't care if they were trying to lock the gates, it wouldn't change the affection I have towards the club, but like, thankfully that's not the case."

Cathal Dunbar: Ballygarrett/Réalt na Mara (Wexford) - Naomh Eanna (Wexford)

In August, Cathal Dunbar won his second Wexford senior hurling title since transferring from Ballygarrett/Réalt na Mara GAA club to the Gorey-based Naomh Eanna. Dunbar scored two points for Naomh Eanna as they defeated Oylegate-Glenbrien in the final.

Dunbar controversially transferred to Naomh Eanna GAA club in 2018, the same year he won his first Wexford senior title.

See Also: Kerry Selector Suggests Intriguing Rule Change To Save Dying Gaelic Football

 

 

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