Leo McLoone

Leo McLoone (born 1989) is an Irish Gaelic footballer who plays for Naomh Conaill and also, formerly, the Donegal county team.

Personal information
Irish name Leo Mac Giolla Uain[1]
Sport Gaelic football
Position Centre Forward
Born 1989 (age 30–31)
Letterkenny
Occupation Secondary school teacher
Club(s)
Years Club
200?–
 Naomh Conaill
Club titles
Donegal titles 4
Inter-county(ies)
Years County Apps (scores)
2008–2019
 Donegal 109
Inter-county titles
Ulster titles 5
All-Irelands 1
NFL 0
All Stars 0

A versatile player,[2] often employed as a forward, he has been an important source of goals for club and county.[3]

McLoone made 109 appearances for his county, winning five Ulster Senior Football Championships and one All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. He was "the last of that famous Naomh Conaill four that also included Anthony Thompson, Dermot Molloy and Marty Boyle" to retire from inter-county football, doing so, as has been his custom, without making a public announcement.[4]

McLoone's father was captain of the team that reached the Senior County Championship Final in 1965.[5]

Playing career

Club

As a 16-year-old, McLoone was introduced as a substitute in the final of the 2005 Donegal Senior Football Championship, which the club won for the very first time.[6]

He inspired his club to the Donegal Senior Football Championship title for a second time in 2010, with a man of the match display.[7] Then he inspired them to the final of the 2010 Ulster Senior Club Football Championship, knocking out Cavan champions Kingscourt, Monaghan champions Clontibret and Tyrone champions Coalisland along the way.[8][9]

McLoone was 'man-of-the-match' in the final of the 2015 Donegal Senior Football Championship, as him and his club claimed their third title.[10] He also captained that team.[5]

He also captained the 2019 winning team.[5]

Inter-county

Under-age

McLoone played in the Ulster Minor Football Championship Final as Donegal won their first such title in 10 years at Croke Park in 2006.[11]

McLoone played for Donegal in the final of the Ulster Under-21 Football Championship in 2010.[12] He then played in the final of the 2010 All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship, which Donegal (managed by Jim McGuinness) narrowly lost to Dublin (managed by Jim Gavin), though McLoone scored a goal.[13]

Senior

Brian McIver gave McLoone his senior Donegal debut in 2008; McLoone was a substitute against Mayo.[14] McIver's successor John Joe Doherty gave McLoone his first start during a 2009 All-Ireland qualifier win against Carlow at MacCumhaill Park.[14]

In March 2011, McLoone broke his ankle.[15] Then, upon returning to the game, he sustained a horrific injury during a club meeting between Naomh Conaill and Glenswilly; a double fracture of his eye socket which required surgery. The injury caused him to miss Donegal's Ulster Senior Football Championship final win over Derry. He had come off the bench to help Donegal overcome Tyrone in the semi-final.[16] He had only returned for Donegal from his broken ankle in the Ulster SFC quarter-final victory over Cavan.[17] He was eventually declared fit for Donegal's All-Ireland semi-final clash with Dublin; however Donegal lost that game.[15][18]

On 16 June 2012, he scored an important goal against Derry to help Donegal through to an Ulster Senior Football Championship semi-final meeting with Tyrone.[19][20][21] He was subsequently named in the team for the final.[22] He had a terrific game in that final on 22 July 2012 as Donegal retained the Ulster title for the first time in their history with a 2–18 to 0–13 victory over Down.[23] McLoone scored a goal in the final.[24] He played in the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final against Mayo.[25][26]

He added a third Ulster SFC in 2014.[27]

However, frustrated at not featuring regularly, he departed from the inter-county scene in 2017.[14] Manager Declan Bonner convinced him to return for 2018.[14] McLoone started the final as Donegal secured the 2018 Ulster Senior Football Championship.[28] He made his 100th senior appearance for Donegal during the 2019 National Football League.[14] Following his 101st appearance in the next match (against Armagh and his first start of the season), he was presented with an honour to commemorate his achievement.[29]

McLoone collected his fifth and final Ulster SFC in 2019, appearing as a substitute in the final against Cavan.[30] He decided to retire from inter-county football at the age of 30 at the end of the 2019 season, but this only became public knowledge much later (though manager and teammates were aware).[4] Declan Bonner confirmed McLoone had retired while speaking at a press event on 25 January 2020 ahead of Donegal's second National Football League game of the season, away to Meath.[4] He made 109 appearances for his county.[31]

Personal life

McLoone is regarded as media shy.[32] According to clubmate and former Donegal player John Gildea: "The one thing you'd never find with Leo McLoone was any level of arrogance... He gave absolutely everything at training and when he played for Donegal. But at the end of it all he was always happy to sit at the back of the bus and let others make the noise".[4]

He got engaged around the time of his Donegal playing retirement.[4]

Honours
Donegal
Naomh Conaill

References
  1. "Countdown to Croker: Donegal name 'team' for All-Ireland final". Donegal Daily. 20 September 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  2. Campbell, John (3 August 2012). "With McLoone on board McGuinness has all angles covered". The Belfast Telegraph. Independent News & Media. Retrieved 3 August 2012. There are versatile footballers – and then there is Leo McLoone.
  3. "Gallagher injury scare". Donegal Democrat. Johnston Press. 7 July 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  4. Craig, Frank (1 February 2020). "Gildea pays tribute to departing McLoone". Donegal News. Retrieved 1 February 2020. It's so time consuming, takes up so much of your life that players are inevitably retiring a little younger. I understand he's just got engaged too so he's moving onto another part of life now.
  5. O'Brien, Kevin (27 November 2019). "'Jim McGuinness introduced me to the panel and said, 'He'll be playing for the next 20 years': As Naomh Conaill prepare for Sunday's Ulster final, Leo McLoone reflects on his career with the Glenties club". The42.ie. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  6. "St. Eunan's take favourites tag into final". Donegal Democrat. Johnston Press. 1 November 2012. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 1 November 2012. Martin Regan and Leo McLoone - who was only 16 at the time - were introduced as replacements in 2005, will also feature in the Naomh Conaill line-up.
  7. "McLoone proves too hot". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. 4 October 2010. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
  8. "Naomh Conaill's adventure continues with Coalisland test". Donegal Democrat. Johnston Press. 9 November 2010. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
  9. Keys, Colm (13 December 2010). "Kernan red card spurs on Cross'". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. Retrieved 13 December 2010.
  10. "Leo McLoone stars as 14-man Naomh Conaill dethrone the Donegal champions: It's a first SFC title since 2010 for the Glenties men". 18 October 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  11. "Second-half surge sees Donegal end long title wait". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. 10 July 2006. Retrieved 10 July 2006.
  12. "Ulster U21FC: Murphy leads Donegal to title". Hogan Stand. 8 April 2010. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
  13. O'Toole, Fintan (6 April 2013). "Remember the last time that Jim Gavin managed against Jim McGuinness?: The opposing managers in tomorrow's Division 1 league tie in Ballybofey have come face to face before". The42.ie. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  14. McNulty, Chris (20 February 2019). "'A real leader' - Leo McLoone set for 100th Donegal appearance". Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  15. "GAA: Boost for Donegal as McLoone declared fit for Dubs clash". Donegal Daily. 10 August 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  16. "Donegal CCC to probe McLoone attack". Hogan Stand. 5 July 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
  17. "Donegal's Leo McLoone will miss Ulster SFC decider". BBC Sport. BBC. 4 July 2011. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
  18. "As it Happened: Dublin 0-08 Donegal 0-06". RTÉ Sport. 28 August 2011. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
  19. "Donegal 2-13 0-9 Derry". BBC Sport. BBC. 16 June 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  20. O'Daly, Kieran (16 June 2012). "Donegal too strong for Derry". Setanta Sports. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  21. "Donegal down Derry". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. 16 June 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  22. "McLoone in for Donegal for Ulster final". Donegal Democrat. Johnston Press. 20 July 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
  23. "History makers! Donegal double champions as Jim's boys retain Ulster title". Donegal Daily. 22 July 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2012. Ryan Bradley, Frank McGlynn and Leo McLoone had terrific games for Donegal.
  24. "Ulster Senior Football Final: Donegal 2-18 0-13 Down". BBC Sport. 22 July 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  25. "Live updates from the All-Ireland finals at Croke Park". RTÉ Sport. RTÉ. 23 September 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  26. "Donegal 2-11 Mayo 0-13". RTÉ Sport. 23 September 2012. Archived from the original on 29 March 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  27. "Donegal reverse 2013 result to claim Ulster football title". The42.ie. 20 July 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  28. Mooney, Francis (24 June 2018). "Energetic Donegal end Fermanagh's Ulster title dream". RTÉ Sport. Archived from the original on 25 June 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  29. "Leo McLoone honoured on his 101st appearance". 4 March 2019. Archived from the original on 12 March 2019.
  30. Sweeney, Peter (23 June 2019). "Donegal power past Cavan to claim Ulster title". RTÉ Sport. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  31. Ferry, Ryan (30 January 2020). "Donegal prepare for Meath challenge". Donegal News. p. 80. The Donegal manager also confirmed that Leo McLoone, who made 109 appearances for his county and won five Ulster titles as well as the Sam Maguire Cup in 2012, has retired...
  32. "The lack of performance was hardest to take - McLoone". Donegal Democrat. Johnston Press. 26 September 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
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