View source for Diarmuid Connolly

{{Short description|Dublin Gaelic footballer}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=October 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox Gaelic games player
|image           = 
|name            = Diarmuid Connolly
|irish           = Diarmuid Ó Conghaile
|nickname        = Dermo
|occupation      = National Sales Manager
|birth_date      = {{birth date and age|1987|7|7|df=yes}}
|birth_place     = [[Dublin]], Ireland
|height          = 1.87m (6ft2)
|sport           = Gaelic football
|code            = Football
|county          = Dublin
|province        = Leinster
|clubs           = [[St Vincents GAA|St Vincents]]
|clyears         = 2005–
|clapps(points)  =
|clcounty        = 5
|clprovince      = 4
|clallireland    = 2
|colleges        = [[Dublin Institute of Technology]]
|colyears        = 2008–2010
|sig             = 0
|counties        = [[Dublin county football team|Dublin]]
|icyears         = 2007–2020 
|icposition      = Centre / Wing Forward
|icapps(points)  = 54 (12-75) 
|icprovince      = 11
|icallireland    = 7
|nfl             = 4
|allstars        = 2
|clupdate        =
|icupdate        = 14:55, 17 July 2019
}}
'''Diarmuid Connolly''' (born 7 July 1987) is an Irish [[Gaelic football]]er. 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.the42.ie/diarmuid-connolly-interview-2885749-Jul2016/|title=Keeping up with Diarmuid Connolly: The Dublin star talks family, hurling and MMA|date=20 July 2016|publisher=The 42|access-date=24 September 2017}}</ref>

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.<ref name="dublingaa_2019-07-14">{{cite web|url=https://www.dublingaa.ie/news/jim-gavin-confirms-diarmuid-connolly-return-to-dublin-camp|title=Jim Gavin confirms Diarmuid Connolly return to Dublin camp|date=14 July 2019|publisher=Dublin GAA|access-date=15 July 2019}}</ref>

In October 2020, Connolly announced his retirement from inter-county football.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2020/0930/1168580-diarmuid-connolly-hangs-up-his-boots-with-dublin/|title=Diarmuid Connolly hangs up his boots with Dublin|date=30 September 2020|via=www.rte.ie}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.the42.ie/diarmuid-connolly-dublin-retire-5219516-Sep2020/|title = Diarmuid Connolly announces inter-county retirement to bring brilliant Dublin career to a close|date= 1 October 2020 |work=The 42|access-date=1 October 2020}}</ref>

==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.]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/i-didnt-really-follow-the-footballers-when-i-was-growing-up-connolly-34897925.html|title=I didn't really follow the footballers when I was growing up - Connolly|date=20 July 2016|publisher=The 42|access-date=24 September 2017|first=Colm|last=Keys}}</ref>

==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 6 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]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/diarmuid-connolly-loses-chc-appeal-against-12week-ban-for-linesman-push-35824216.html|title= Diarmuid Connolly LOSES CHC appeal against 12-week ban for linesman push|date=14 June 2017|work=Irish Independent|access-date=14 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.the42.ie/diarmuid-connolly-dublin-7-3453416-Jun2017/|title= Life without Diarmuid - Dublin set to start without Connolly for first time after 28-game run|date=21 June 2017|work=The 42|access-date=22 June 2017}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/dublin-leave-door-open-for-diarmuid-connolly-return-ahead-of-five-inarow-bid-37280143.html |title =Dublin leave door open for Diarmuid Connolly return ahead of five in-a-row bid|date=4 September 2018|work=Irish Independent|access-date=4 September 2018}}</ref>

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.<ref name="dublingaa_2019-07-14"/>

==Personal life==
Connolly pleaded guilty to assault causing harm during an unprovoked attack at a pub in Phibsborough on 6 August 2012. The victim, Anthony Kelly, suffered a fractured eye socket as a result of Connolly's assault.  In October 2014, District Court Judge Patrick Clyne dismissed the case "because Connolly had done all that had been asked of him through a series of restorative justice measures".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/crime/dublin-football-star-diarmuid-connolly-4524807 |title =Dublin football star Diarmuid Connolly dodges jail sentence and conviction for unprovoked pub attack|date=28 October 2014|work=Irish Daily Mirror|access-date=22 April 2024}}</ref>

Connolly again pleaded guilty to assault after paying €2,000 compensation to two men who were punched by him in what was described as an unprovoked attack on New Year's Eve in 2022. The court was told that Connolly had punched two men and dragged one of them along the ground in an "unprovoked" attack <ref>https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/dublin-gaa-legend-diarmuid-connolly-spared-conviction-for-nye-attack-on-two-men/a1011842087.html</ref>

==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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sportsjoe.ie/gaa/watch-diarmuid-connollys-wheelie-bin-trick-shot-and-kick-across-the-liffey-are-damn-impressive-94331 |title= Diarmuid Connolly's wheelie bin trick shot and kick across the Liffey are damn impressive}}</ref>

==Career statistics==
{{updated|rejoining Dublin GAA Senior Football panel 14 July 2019.}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!rowspan="2"|Team
!rowspan="2"|Season
!colspan="3"|[[National Football League (Ireland)|National League]]
!colspan="2"|[[Leinster Senior Football Championship|Leinster]]
!colspan="2"|[[All-Ireland Senior Football Championship|All-Ireland]]
!colspan="2"|Total
|-
!Division!!Apps!!Score!!Apps!!Score!!Apps!!Score!!Apps!!Score
|-
|rowspan="13"|[[Dublin county football team|Dublin]]
|2007
|rowspan="1"|[[National Football League (Ireland)|Division 1A]]
|6||1-06||3||0-00||2||0-04||11||1-10
|-
|2008
|rowspan="1"|[[National Football League (Ireland)|Division 2]]
|3||1-06||2||1-05||1||0-00||6||2-11
|-
|2009
|rowspan="11"|[[National Football League (Ireland)|Division 1]]
|5||0-10||3||0-01||1||0-00||9||0-11
|-
|2010
|1||0-00||0||0-00||0||0-00||1||0-00
|-
|2011
|8||4-11||3||1-03||3||0-07||14||5-21
|-
|2012
|7||4-21||2||1-04||2||0-02||11||5-27
|-
|2013
|8||1-20||3||1-04||3||0-05||14||2-29
|-
|2014
|5||2-11||3||1-04||2||1-07||10||4-22
|-
|2015
|5||1-05||3||3-06||4||1-04||12||5-15
|-
|2016
|6||3-05||3||1-09||4||1-07||13||5-21
|-
|2017
|3||0-02||1||0-01||2||0-01||6||0-04
|-
|2018
|0||0-00||0||0-00||0||0-00||0||0-00
|-
|2019
|0||0-00||0||0-00||2||0-00||2||0-09
|-
!colspan="3"|Total
|'''57'''||'''17-97'''||'''26'''||'''9-37'''||'''26'''||'''3-37'''||'''107'''||'''29-171'''
|}

==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==
{{reflist}}

{{Dublin Football Team}}
{{Navboxes
|title=Vincents panels
|bg=white
|fg=blue
|list1=
{{St. Vincent's Football Team 2008}}
{{St Vincents Football Team 2014}}
}}
{{Navboxes
|title=Dublin panels
|bg=navy
|fg=#87CEEB
|list1=
{{Dublin Football Team 2011}}
{{Dublin Football Team 2013}}
{{Dublin Football Team 2015}}
{{Dublin Football Team 2016}}
{{Dublin Football Team 2017}}
{{Dublin Football Team 2019}}
}}
{{Navboxes
|title=All Stars
|bg=black
|fg=white
|list1=
{{2014 All Stars}}
{{2016 All Stars}}
{{Dublin All Stars record}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Connolly, Diarmuid}}
[[Category:1987 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:All Stars Awards winners (football)]]
[[Category:Donegal Boston Gaelic footballers]]
[[Category:Dublin inter-county Gaelic footballers]]
[[Category:Dublin inter-county hurlers]]
[[Category:Dual players]]
[[Category:Gaelic football forwards]]
[[Category:St Vincents (Dublin) Gaelic footballers]]
[[Category:St Vincents (Dublin) hurlers]]
[[Category:Winners of six All-Ireland medals (Gaelic football)]]
[[Category:21st-century Irish sportsmen]]