Ireland rugby players with GAA backgrounds

GEORDAN MURPHY

Played Gaelic football from first year in Naas CBS and then with Naas GAA club until rugby at Clongowes took over from about 15 onwards. A midfield cum half-forward, Murphy’s place-kicking skills then alerted the Kildare minors, with whom he trained and played one or two friendlies without actually playing a championship game.

TOMMY BOWE

As the first Monaghan man to play for Ireland in 80 years, it comes as no surprise that those fielding skills were in part honed with his local club, Emyvale, as well as the county under-16s and under-17s. He subsequently trained with the Monaghan minors, though admits he never played with them.

BRIAN O’DRISCOLL

Though his family were steeped in rugby, Gaelic football was his first sport in his primary years. He played at his primary school, Belgrove Boys, and with Clontarf GAA club, up until under 16s before gradually and inevitably, rugby at Blackrock took over.

GORDON D’ARCY

D’Arcy played hurling in his local school in Bunclody and again in Wexford, until rugby took over when he went to Clongowes. “I grew up on it,” he says, and still is of a mind to take out a hurley and sliotar occasionally.

KEITH EARLS

Played a little Gaelic football in Corpus Christi and St Nessans, though when not playing rugby, he was usually playing soccer with Ballynanty Rovers. But, at 15, when his father asked him to choose between the two, there was never going to be much of a decision.

TOMÁS O’LEARY

The most celebrated GAA son in the squad, whose father Seánie won four All-Ireland Hurling titles with Cork and was an All-Star. O’Leary combined hurling, football and soccer at St Patrick’s Boys School in Gardner’s Hill, thereafter mixing rugby at CBC, Cork with hurling and football at Erin’s Own. In his second year on the Cork minor hurling team he captained them to an All-Ireland title in 2001 at the age of 17, and then played a year with the county’s under-21s.

CIAN HEALY

With the javelin, discus, shot putt and rugby, there wasn’t time for much else, though he has taken up Gaelic football occasionally in the last two years with Clontarf GAA club and was pitched in at full forward for one game.

JOHN HAYES

Inspired to take up rugby at 19 after watching the 1991 World Cup, prior to which he played both Gaelic football and hurling with his local club, Doon CBS, pretty much in every position from the full-back line to the full-forward line. Maintains he wasn’t especially good at either code.

DONNCHA O’CALLAGHAN

Played Gaelic football with his local club, Bishopstown, from the age of 10 to 15. “We used to get a brain damage from the coach to ‘give a bit to your parish’. We’d have a game for Highfield and then jump over the wall to play a football match, normal stuff for a kid.”

PAUL O’CONNELL

With swimming and golf as well as rugby, there wasn’t time for much else, but he did play Gaelic football with South Liberties whom, he points out, are this year’s Limerick country intermediate champions.

DAVID WALLACE

Merely dabbled in Gaelic football, playing at lunchtime in Monkstown National School in Cork, though says he scored three goals one day.

JAMIE HEASLIP

While mostly playing rugby and swimming in his formative years, Heaslip did find time for some Gaelic football on and off with Naas until he was 15, playing in midfield and at full forward.

ROB KEARNEY

Peerless under the high ball, Kearney played with Cooley Kickhams in Louth all the way through to minor and virtually always in midfield. In three years on the Louth under-18 team, he came within a kick of a Leinster Championship final at Croke Park, only to be beaten in the semis by Dublin.

Says Gaelic football hones a player’s awareness of those around him as well.

RONAN O’GARA

A sports nut growing up, O’Gara played rugby (with Cork Con), soccer (with Summerstown) and tennis, and also played both football and hurling in the Bishopstown GAA Street Leagues with Scoil Spioraid Naoimh.