Paddy McConigley

Paddy McConigley is an Irish Gaelic footballer who played for Donegal county team and, before that, the London county team.[2] He currently plays for The Railyard Football Club in Kilkenny, where he has won two Kilkenny Senior Football Championships in 2015 and 2016.

Paddy McConigley

Personal information
Sport	Gaelic football
Occupation	Carpenter[1] Piscicultural worker[1]
Club(s)
Years	Club
	Gaeil Fhánada Tír Chonaill Gaels Railyard
Inter-county(ies)
Years	County
200?–200? 200?–2007	London Donegal
Inter-county titles
NFL	1

He is originally from Fanad.[1]

Playing career

Club

McConigley's club Gaeil Fhánada lost the 2006 Donegal Intermediate Football Championship final to Cloich Cheann Fhaola after two replays.[1] However, the club won the Division 2 title with a win against Seán MacCumhaills.[1]

While in London, McConigley played for Tír Chonaill Gaels. He marked Michael Donnellan in an All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship quarter-final, losing by around a four points.[1]

After his inter-county career ended, McConigley continued to play with his club and won a Donegal Intermediate Football Championship in 2009.[3] He won an All-Ireland Gaeltacht title in 2012.[3]

He played club football in Donegal until the conclusion of the 2014 season, then he and his family relocated to Kilkenny and he began playing for Railyard.[3]

Inter-county

McConigley captained the Donegal minor team and played for three years with the under-21 team, captaining them for two of those.[1] He first featured at senior level under the management of Mickey Moran.[1] However, the local fish farm did not provide with work continually throughout the year so he moved to London, England.[1] While there he played for the London county team. London played Donegal in 2006 and then Donegal manager Brian McIver asked McConigley if he would be returning to Ireland.[1] He did.[1] After impressing with Gaeil Fhánada (see above), McConigley was invited for a trial with the county team and was included on the panel.[1] He did not start the opening game of the 2007 National Football League (away to Cork at Páirc Uí Rinn) but came on as a substitute in the second game (at home against Mayo in Ballybofey).[1] He held onto his place in th team after this.[1] With Barry Dunnion occupying the other wing, McConigley had to see off competition from future All-Ireland winners Eamon McGee, Frank McGlynn and Anthony Thompson.[1] He started at right half-back in the NFL semi-final against Kildare at Croke Park but came off injured after 35 minutes.[1] McConigley also started in the final, again against Mayo.[4] He was a late inclusion for that game, instead of Thomas Donoghue.[1] Eamon McGee came as a substitute for McConigley.[1] Months later, while on a team bonding trip in Milford, McConigley was shot in the eye and blinded. His vision never recovered and he never played for Donegal again.[5][6] The incident occurred after the 2007 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship qualifier against Westmeath and before the qualifier against Monaghan[1] "It probably was a defining monent in my career to be honest", he said later.[1]

Personal life

McConigley is married to Siobhan.[1] He has one son.[6]

References

1. Ferry, Ryan (23 April 2020). "McConigley reflects on 2007 National League success". Donegal News. pp. 52–3.
2. Lawlor, Damian (18 November 2007). "McConigley determined to revive Donegal career". Irish Independent. Retrieved 18 November 2007.
3. Forker, Mark (29 June 2015). "Former Donegal GAA star helps Kilkenny footballers win British junior title". Retrieved 27 October 2020.
4. "Donegal achieve historic win - First national league title comes to county after victory over Mayo". Donegal Times. 25 April 2007. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2007.
5. "McConigley fails to recover sight in one eye". Hogan Stand. 13 November 2007. Retrieved 13 November 2007.
6. Fogarty, John (25 May 2013). "Simple pleasures sustain McConigley". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 25 May 2013.