Colm McFadden

Colm Anthony McFadden (Irish: Colm Antóin Mac Pháidín; born 1982/3) is an Irish Gaelic footballer who plays at full forward for Naomh Mícheál and, from 2002 to 2016, for the Donegal county team.

Colm McFadden
Personal information
Irish name Colm Antóin Mac Pháidín[1]
Sport Gaelic football
Position Left corner forward
Born 1982/3
Letterkenny, Ireland
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Occupation Deputy principal of St Eunan's College
Club(s)
Years Club
?–
 Naomh Mícheál
Colleges(s)
Years College
c. 2000–2003
 University of Galway
College titles
Sigerson titles 1
Inter-county(ies)
Years County Apps (scores)
2002–2016
 Donegal 170 (25–434)
Inter-county titles
Ulster titles 3
All-Irelands 1
NFL 1
All Stars 1

McFadden is Donegal's most-capped Championship player.[2] He played an integral role in Donegal's successful 2011–14 run of matches, starting every Championship game in that period.

Among other accolades, he has one All Star to his name (2012), one All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (2012), three Ulster Senior Football Championships (2011, 2012 and 2014) and one National Football League (2007). Top scorer in the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, he was subsequently shortlisted for All Stars Footballer of the Year, but the award went to team-mate Karl Lacey.

A staff member of St Eunan's College in Letterkenny, McFadden has been deputy principal since 2019.[3]

Playing career

Club

McFadden's club have not had much success at senior level. They reached the final of the 2011 Donegal Senior Football Championship— their first ever senior final—but lost, though McFadden scored three points including one free.[4][5]

McFadden's father was a coach at the club.[6]

Inter-county

Youth

McFadden's father and older brother played football and encouraged his own interest.[6] McFadden is left-footed (i.e. ciotóg).[6] He played at older age grades from early on.[6] He was a county player by under-16. Himself and Christy Toye, who was in his class at primary school and would later play alongside him many times for Donegal, played in (and won) the Ted Webb under-16 tournament, the same year they were part of the minor team.[6] McFadden also played under-21 for his county while still playing as a minor.[6] While at Galway, the then Donegal manager Mickey Moran noticed him.[6] As well as being at university, McFadden was at this time in his third year at minor, leading Moran to assume McFadden was older.[6] McFadden sat on the bench for a Donegal game in Tuam and did not play.[6] After this, Moran approached McFadden and advised him to concentrate on playing with the minor team, telling him that he would be interested in reviewing McFadden's progress the following year.[6]

Early years: 2002–2006
"I only had him for a year. Moran was one of the coaches that I would have loved to have been coached by when I was older and more mature to appreciate the training he was doing. The training that he was doing was very good. It was all game-based".

– McFadden on Moran[6]

Moran called McFadden into the senior squad the following year.[6] His first start for Donegal came against Westmeath in Mullingar.[6] McFadden later expressed regret at only experiencing Moran for one year as the manager soon left the role.[6] It fell to Moran's successor Brian McEniff to give McFadden his first championship start.[6]

McFadden made his senior championship debut for Donegal in 2002. That year, Donegal drew against Dublin by a scoreline of 0–14 to 2–8 in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship quarter-final held on August Bank Holiday Monday, Dublin eventually winning the replay. In the 2003 Championship, Donegal defeated Galway, the All-Ireland champions of two years previous, in the All-Ireland quarter-final replay at McHale Park in Castlebar. That victory qualified them for a semi-final against reigning All-Ireland Senior Football Champions Armagh, whom Donegal led with 14 men (after Raymond Sweeney was harshly sent off for a second yellow card) until a last minute penalty from Oisín McConville led to Donegal losing the game by a scoreline of 2–10 to 1–9. A pivotal game in McFaden's development occurred in the 2004 Championship, when McFadden scored 1–7 against Tyrone in Donegal's Ulster semi-final victory.[6] But Donegal did not do so well against Armagh in the final at Croke Park.[7] And so ended the high points of McFadden's early inter-county career.[8] He missed the 2006 Championship due to his studies in Liverpool, and a perceived lack of fitness on his part.[6][9]

Middle years: 2007–2010

McFadden would return to play a vital part in the Donegal team that won their first National Football League title in 2007.[10] He scored three points in the final against Mayo.[11] Donegal then defeated Armagh in the first round of the Ulster Senior Football Championship, only to lose to Tyrone in the next fixture.[6]

In 2009, to McFadden's surprise, Donegal advanced to the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship quarter-finals, defeating 2001 champions Galway along the way.[6] McFadden later suggested the arrival of Michael Murphy may have assisted.[6]

McFadden was asked by Donegal County Board officials to receive a presentation on his 100th inter-county appearance, a presentation the player thought inappropriate in light of a bruising defeat in the Ulster Senior Football Championship during which he had been replaced by Adrian Hanlon, of all people. RTÉ's television cameras caught McFadden grinning ironically at the timing of such a request — but all irony was lost in the scramble to condemn the player's attitude. McFadden considered retiring amid all the furore, the misunderstanding, the calls for his head.[8]

Later years: 2011–2016

2011 brought the dawning of the Jim McGuinness managerial era, the most successful in the county's history. McFadden won his first Ulster title, scoring four points (including two frees) in the final against Derry.[12][13] Donegal progressed to an All-Ireland semi-final that year.[14]

2012 would prove to be McFadden's most successful season for Donegal.[15] In helping Donegal to back-to-back Ulster titles in 2011-2012, McFadden became the first Donegal footballer to twice finish top scorer in the Ulster Championship.[16] He scored six points in the final against Down.[17] He scored an unusual goal in the seventh minute of Donegal's All-Ireland Senior Football Championship quarter-final defeat of Kerry at Croke Park, later describing it as "fortunate".[18] He was also involved in the semi-final victory over Cork.[19] Then he scored Donegal's second goal of the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final. Patrick McBrearty's attempt at scoring a point came crashing off the Mayo post after eleven minutes of the game, and Mayo's Kevin Keane fumbled, dropping the ball into the path of Colm McFadden who promptly slotted it into the back of the net.[20][21] His goal helped Donegal win the Sam Maguire Cup and was part of a total of 1–4 (including three frees) which McFadden scored during the game.[22] McFadden later added an All Star and was named 2012 Ulster GAA Player of the Year.[23] However, he was unable to attend the Football Tour of New York.[24] He was shortlisted for All Stars Footballer of the Year, but the award went to team-mate Karl Lacey.[25]

McFadden made his 51st championship appearance against Derry in the Ulster quarter-final on 25 May 2014, a team record which had until then been held by Michael Hegarty.[26] McFadden's appearance in the 2014 Ulster final against Monaghan was his 152nd overall for Donegal, second only to Brian Roper's 159, and McFadden won his third and final Ulster SFC at the end.[27] He scored four points (all frees) in that final.[28]

On 6 August 2016, McFadden announced he would be retiring from playing with Donegal following his team's exit from the 2016 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship against Dublin.[29] He retired with a total of 170 appearances for Donegal, 64 of those in the Championship, having scored a county record 25-434.[30]

Education and work

McFadden was educated at St Eunan's College in Letterkenny.[31] In 2000, he was part of the team that won the school's third McLarnon Cup, the first win since 1979.[8][32] That 2000 final victory over St Columb's of Derry at Casement Park has been described as "arguably the match that catapulted him to people's attention outside of Donegal". He scored a late goal to give the College victory by a scoreline of 1–11 to 1–9, 1–8 of which McFadden scored himself.[8] While completing his Leaving Certificate, McFadden was part of the under-17 Ireland international rules football team.[6] His words of advice also helped the College to reclaim the McLarnon Cup in 2007, and to go on to compete in the All-Ireland "B" Colleges Final, which they subsequently lost.

Soon McFadden was off to the University of Galway, where he studied Financial Maths and Economics. There he won the All-Ireland Freshers and, two years after that, the Sigerson Cup, with the final held at Cork's Páirc Uí Rinn. He took his Postgraduate Certificate in Education at Liverpool Hope University, discussing football with a fellow teacher (and semi-professional footballer with a Conference team – name forgotten) during teaching practice at St Catherine's in Edge Hill.[8][33]

McFadden began working as a teacher at his old secondary school, St Eunan's College, where the success of the 2012 Donegal team lifted the spirits of staff, including mathematical whiz Edward Harvey — seen on RTÉ with an enormous grin on his face at the end of the semi-final against Cork. McFadden told the Irish Examiner, "Eddie Harvey said to me last year when he was in the leisure centre, he'd pop into the jacuzzi and everyone would be talking doom and gloom and the recession. Last summer and this year too, he said he could go in there and all anyone would talk about was football. It's great to hear".[34]

McFadden has also managed the school team.[35] He was appointed as deputy principal of St Eunan's College in 2019.[3]

Personal life

McFadden's brother-in-law is his former Donegal teammate and manager, Jim McGuinness. He married Levina Wilkie. Their daughter Maisie was born in April 2012.[8] Their son Matthew was born in June 2013.[36]

McFadden is 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) and weighs 14 st 3 lb (90 kg).

McFadden has a brother who is eight years older than him.[6] Another brother, Antoin, is also involved in sport. Antoin is seven years younger than Colm.[6]

Honours
Donegal
Individual

References
  1. "Countdown to Croker: Donegal name 'team' for All-Ireland final". Donegal Daily. 20 September 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  2. "Numbers keep adding up for Colm McFadden". Donegal News. 24 May 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  3. "Meet our new Senior Management Team". 26 August 2019. Archived from [https:/twitter.com/SaintEunans/status/1166069830157590529 the original] Check |url= value (help) on 22 September 2019.
  4. "Murphy is the star as Glenswilly triumph". The Irish Times. 2 October 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  5. "Murphy magic proves key as Glenswilly secure first Donegal crown". Irish Independent. 3 October 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
  6. Scott, Ronan (19 March 2020). "Donegal legend McFadden recalls impact made by Jim McGuinness". Gaelic Life. Retrieved 19 March 2020. Also published as "Colm Rain or Shine" in the Donegal News of the same date, 19 March 2020: pp 50–53.
  7. "Awesome Armagh destroy Donegal". RTÉ Sport. 11 July 2004. Retrieved 11 July 2004. A foul on Devenney four minutes later allowed Colm McFadden, the star of the show against Tyrone but decidedly out of sorts today, to land his side's first score of the game from a relatively simple free.
  8. Foley, Alan (11 September 2012). "Forward thinking McFadden". Donegal Democrat. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  9. "Return of the prodigals". Irish Independent. 20 April 2007. Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2007.
  10. "Donegal claim the spoils". The Irish Times. 22 April 2007. Retrieved 22 April 2007.
  11. "Donegal achieve historic win - First national league title comes to county after victory over Mayo". Donegal Times. 25 April 2007. Retrieved 25 April 2007.
  12. "Donegal 1–11 Derry 0-08". RTÉ Sport. 17 July 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  13. "Derry: 'Donegal have had hoodoo over us' – O'Kane". Gaelic Life. 23 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014. The gap between the sides proved wider still when they met in the 2011 Ulster final, when Donegal, under the guidance of Jim McGuinness captured only their first Ulster title since 1992.
  14. "Donegal 1-12 Kildare 0-14 (aet)". RTÉ Sport. 30 July 2011. Archived from the original on 29 March 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  15. Keys, Colm (6 August 2012). "Donegal eyes on the big prize: McFadden twists knife as curtain falls on illustrious Kingdom era". Irish Independent. Retrieved 6 August 2012. The polish of McFadden's finishing was the last critical element as he added to what had already been his best-ever season in a long Donegal career.
  16. "Colm hoping to have the last laugh". Donegal Democrat. 24 August 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  17. "Ulster Senior Football Final: Donegal 2-18 0-13 Down". BBC Sport. 22 July 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  18. "Colm McFadden wants Donegal to go one step further in 2012". RTÉ Sport. 6 August 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  19. Porter, Liam (25 August 2012). "All in the preparation for McFadden". Donegal News. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  20. "Live updates from the All-Ireland finals at Croke Park". RTÉ Sport. 23 September 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  21. Roche, Frank (24 September 2012). "Dazzling Donegal's day". Evening Herald. Archived from the original on 9 December 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2012. You could argue that what happened then spooked Keane eight minutes later: as Paddy McBrearty's attempted point rebounded off an upright, the Mayo No 2 was in pole position to clear the danger but, one disastrous fumble later, McFadden had the ball in his hands and then the ball in the net.
  22. "Donegal 2-11 Mayo 0-13". RTÉ Sport. 23 September 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  23. McNulty, Chris (10 September 2012). "McFadden is Ulster Player of the Year". Donegal News. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  24. McNulty, Chris (13 November 2012). "Replacement All-Star for Thompson". Donegal News. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  25. "Donegal's Karl Lacey is named Gaelic Footballer of 2012". BBC Sport. 27 October 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
  26. "Home fires still burn bright for McFadden". Irish Independent. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  27. "Donegal beat Monaghan in provincial decider". BBC Sport. 20 July 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  28. "Donegal reverse 2013 result to claim Ulster football title". The42.ie. 20 July 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  29. Fogarty, John (8 August 2016). "Colm McFadden walks and may be first of many to exit big stage". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  30. "Record scorer McFadden calls time on Donegal career". RTÉ Sport. 7 August 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  31. "Twitter feed". St Eunan's College. EunansFootball Best of luck 2our past pupils who r in Donegal panel v Cork in All Ire Semi-Final on Sun @neilgerardgalla @murphm95 @AntoinMcFadden @Tommyk_91 @BrickMolloy @123kav @kevin_raff @gmacfadden14 @mdboyler24 +Mr McFadden #TheCollege
  32. "GAA MacLarnon". St Eunan's College. 24 October 2006.
  33. "Meehan too hot for UCD". Sunday Independent. 9 March 2003. Inspired by Galway football's rising star Michael Meehan, NUI Galway won their first ... Sigerson Cup championship since 1992 when they edged out UCD in yesterday's final at Páirc Uí Rinn... NUIG drew level five minutes later when Galway prodigy Michael Meehan landed a well executed free from wide on the right.... followed by a wonderful equaliser from lively NUIG corner-forward Colm McFadden... Colm McFadden struck a sweet point after just 15 seconds and Brendan Colleran reduced the deficit to the minimum a minute later.
  34. O'Brien, Brendan (25 August 2012). "Memories of '92 rekindled". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  35. "St. Eunan's through to semi-final". Donegal Democrat. 13 February 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2013. Colm McFadden's side defeated St Patrick's College from Keady at the Mid-Ulster Sports Arena's 4G pitch in Cookstown yesterday
  36. "Memorable week for McFadden". Donegal Democrat. 24 June 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  37. "All-Star football nominees are named". RTÉ Sport. 4 October 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  38. O'Toole, Fintan (4 October 2013). "12 Dublin players nominated for 2013 GAA/GPA football Allstars: Mayo, Monaghan, Kerry, Tyrone, Cavan, Cork, London, Galway, Meath and Donegal also have players nominated". The42.ie. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  39. "Donegal team clean up on Sunday Game Team of the Year". Donegal Daily. 23 September 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  40. Keys, Colm (8 July 2004). "Ulster final sells out Croker". Irish Independent.
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