View source for Gary Connaughton

{{short description|Irish Gaelic footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use Irish English|date=January 2020}}
{{infobox Gaelic Athletic Association player
|image           =
|name            = Gary Connaughton
|irish           =
|nickname        =
|occupation      =
|birth_date      =
|birth_place     = [[Athlone]], Ireland
|height          = {{height|m=1.93}}
|sport           = Gaelic Football
|code            = Football
|county          = Westmeath
|province        = Leinster
|club            = Tubberclair
|clyears         =
|clposition      = Goalkeeper
|clapps(points)  =
|clcounty        =
|clprovince      =
|clallireland    =
|counties        = [[Westmeath county football team|Westmeath]]
|icyears         = 2003-2013 <br> 2015-
|icposition      = Goalkeeper
|icapps(points)  =
|icprovince      = 1
|icallireland    =
|nfl             = 2
|allstars        = 1
|clupdate        =
|icupdate        =
}}

'''Gary Connaughton''' is a [[Gaelic football]]er who played for the [[Westmeath county football team|Westmeath county team]]. With a large frame and strong kickouts he has been often described as one of Westmeath's greatest Gaelic players.{{cn|date=February 2021}} He was nominated three times for an All Stars Award and was awarded an [[List of All Stars Awards winners (football)|All Stars Award]] for performances in 2008. He has worked in his family's company, Connaughton Sand & Gravel, whilst playing Gaelic, before returning to third level education, a Bdegree in Business at [[Athlone Institute of Technology]], His club team is Tubberclair GAA Club in which he also plays as goalkeeper.

He also played [[League of Ireland]] soccer with [[Athlone Town F.C.|Athlone Town]] for several seasons. He has also represented Ireland at underage soccer winning a [[UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship|European Under 19 Championship]] medal in 1998 under the guidance of manager [[Brian Kerr (Irish football manager)|Brian Kerr]], where he was second to first choice keeper [[Alex O'Reilly]] of [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]], He played one match in the tournament against France, In that same year he received a trial with [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]].<ref>[http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2008/1015/all_stars.html 2008 GAA Championship All Stars] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081018170403/http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2008/1015/all_stars.html |date=2008-10-18 }}</ref>

He announced his retirement from inter-county football after 10 years on 1 July 2013 after Westmeath's first round qualifier defeat to [[Fermanagh county football team|Fermanagh]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/football/2013/0701/459970-connaughton-ends-inter-county-career/|title=Gary Connaughton announces his retirement from inter-county football|work=RTÉ Sport|date=1 July 2013|accessdate=1 July 2013}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Westmeath Football Team 2004}}
{{2008 Westmeath NFL Team}}
{{2010 Ireland international rules football team}}
{{2008 All Stars}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Connaughton, Gary}}
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Gaelic footballers who switched code]]
[[Category:Gaelic football goalkeepers]]
[[Category:Tubberclair Gaelic footballers]]
[[Category:Westmeath inter-county Gaelic footballers]]
[[Category:Athlone Town A.F.C. players]]
[[Category:Republic of Ireland men's association footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football goalkeepers]]
[[Category:Association footballers from Athlone]]
[[Category:Alumni of Athlone Institute of Technology]]