Paul McGrane

Paul McGrane is an Irish Gaelic footballer who played for Armagh in the 1990s and 2000s. He won an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship medal, seven Ulster Championships and a National League title with the county. He also won two All Star awards.

Paul McGrane
Personal information
Sport Gaelic football
Position Midfield
Born County Armagh,
Northern Ireland
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Nickname Floppy
Occupation Accountant[1]
Club(s)
Years Club
 Ballyhegan
Inter-county(ies)
Years County
1993-2008
 Armagh
Inter-county titles
Ulster titles 7
All-Irelands 1
NFL 1
All Stars 2

McGrane plays club football for Ballyhegan Davitts.

McGrane is a midfielder. He is known as one of Armagh's best ever players.[2] In 2009 to mark the 125th anniversary of the Gaelic Athletic Association he was named by The Irish News as one of the all-time best 125 footballers from Ulster.[3]

Playing career

Inter-county

In 1992 McGrane won the Ulster Minor Football League and Ulster Minor Football Championship with the Armagh Minor team.[1] Armagh finished runners-up to Meath in that year's All-Ireland Minor final.[3] He was captain of the Minor team that year.[3]

McGrane made his Senior inter-county Championship debut for Armagh against Fermanagh in May 1993.[1] He won his first Ulster Senior Football Championship medal with the county in 1999[3] – the county's first Ulster Championship in 17 years. Armagh successfully defended their Ulster title the following year.[3]

In 2002, he helped Armagh win the Ulster Championship[4] as well as the county's first ever All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.[3] McGrane received an All Star award for his performances that year.[3]

In 2003 Armagh once again reached the All-Ireland final, but were defeated by neighbours Tyrone. 2004 saw McGrane and Armagh again win the Ulster Championship.[5] In 2005, McGrane helped Armagh win the National League, beating Wexford in the final.[6] Later that year, he helped Armagh win another Ulster Championship.[7] Team captain Kieran McGeeney invited McGrane to lift the Anglo Celt Cup with him after the match.[8] McGrane was awarded a second All Star that year.

McGrane took over the Armagh captaincy in November 2005, after Kieran McGeeney retired.[9] Armagh completed a three-in-a-row of Ulster Championships in 2006, this time with McGrane as captain.[10] McGrane won another Ulster Championship medal with Armagh in 2008,[11] his seventh in all and second as captain.

McGrane retired from inter-county football in April 2009, due to a persistent knee injury.[9]

Club

With Ballyhegan, McGrane has won the Armagh Junior Football Championship[1] (1995) and Armagh Intermediate Football Championship[1] (1997).

International Rules

McGrane represented Ireland in the International Rules Series.

Province

McGrane played for Ulster, and won the Railway Cup on ? occasions with the province.

Management and coaching

In 2012, McGrane established the Orchard Academy to help young Armagh Gaelic footballers develop their talent with a view to strengthen the county's footballing fortunes at underage and senior level.[12][13]

In January 2015, McGrane was appointed assistant coach for the Armagh minor Gaelic football team under former county teammate Aidan O'Rourke[14] before taking on the manager's position a year later,[15] staying in this role until November 2018, when he was replaced by another former Armagh teammate Ciaran McKeever.[16]

Honours
Club
  • 1 Armagh Junior Football Championship 1995
  • 1 Armagh Intermediate Football Championship 1997
Inter-county
Individual

References
  1. "Senior Pen Pics - Paul McGrane". Official Armagh GAA website. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
  2. "Ulster's 125 - Armagh shortlist". The Irish News. 10 February 2009. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
  3. "Ulster's 125 - The province's 125 best footballers since 1884". The Irish News. 20 March 2009. Archived from the original on 22 January 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
  4. "Armagh win Ulster final". BBC Sport. 7 July 2002. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
  5. "Armagh outclass Donegal". BBC Sport. 11 July 2004. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
  6. "Wait is over for Armagh". Newry Democrat. 4 May 2005. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
  7. "McConville fires Armagh to glory". BBC Sport. 25 July 2005. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
  8. Keys, Colm (9 April 2009). "McGrane calls time on special Armagh career". Independent.ie. Independent News and Media. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
  9. "Armagh trio call it a day". BBC Sport. 9 April 2009. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
  10. "Donegal 0-09 1-09 Armagh (match report)". BBC Sport. 9 July 2006. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
  11. "Armagh 1-11 0-8 Fermanagh (match report)". BBC Sport. 27 July 2008. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
  12. Brendan Crossan (3 June 2015). "Orchard sowing seeds for the next generation at Academy". The Irish News. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  13. Declan Bogue (20 January 2018). "Armagh must get priorities in order amid fixture woe: Marsden". Belfast Telegraph. Independent News and Media. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  14. Raf Diallo (15 January 2015). "O'Rourke takes on Armagh minor challenge". NewsTalk. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  15. "Armagh 2002: Where are they now?". Gaelic Life. 26 May 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
  16. Fintan O'Toole (8 November 2018). "Former Armagh captain takes first step into inter-county management". The42.ie. TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
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