Sigerson Cup century team generates much debate

GAELIC GAMES:NOT SINCE the GAA dreamed up its Team of the Millennium will a list of celebrated players generate so much debate. An Comhairle Ardoideachais – the GAA's Higher Education authority – has announced 60 nominations for their Sigerson Cup Team of the Century, to coincide with the centenary celebrations of the football competition in 2011.

It is a veritable “who’s who” of Gaelic football, with the 60 nominations broken down into four goalkeepers, 24 defenders, eight midfielders and another 24 forwards. Needless to say there are some surprise inclusions and notable exclusions.

In fact the 60 nominations have already been criticised for being overloaded with players from the past, with the Ulster’s Higher Education chairman John Farrell suggesting the scheme would have been better served with two teams – one from the first 50 years, and a second from the last 50 years.

Indeed the majority of the nominations do come from the earlier years of the Sigerson Cup, which was first staged in 1911 when a trophy was donated by former UCD University Professor, Dr George Sigerson, to mark that first year of the third-level competition – and actually presented to eventual winners UCD. Only a few footballers from the modern era make the list, such as DCU’s Bryan Cullen, Paul Finlay of Monaghan and Galway’s Michael Meehan.

Sigerson Cup Team of the Century - the Nominations

GOALKEEPERS:Johnny Geraghty, UCG/Galway 1 medal in '62/63; Jimmy McGauran, UCG Roscommon/Galway 5 medals as goalie '36-40; Billy Morgan, UCC/Cork 2 medals, '65-67; Mick O'Gorman, UCD/Monaghan 5 medals as goalie '28-32, one as captain.

DEFENDERS:Denis Bernard, UCC/Cork 2 medals '50-53; Eugene Callinan, UCC Tipperary/Cork 3 medals; '18-28; Mick Carty, UCD/Wexford 4 medals '73-78; Enda Colleran, UCG/Galway 2 medals, '61-66; Bryan Cullen, DCU/Dublin 2 medals '05-10; Jack Culleton, UCD/Wexford 2 medals, one as Captain '44-45; Sean Óg de Paor, UCG/Galway 1 medal as captain in '91-92; Eddie Devlin, UCD/Tyrone 5 combined universities '51-57; Seán Flanagan, UCD/Mayo 1 medal as captain in '45-46; Hugh Gibbons, UCG/Roscommon 4 medals, '36-40; Séamus McHugh, UCG/Galway 2 medals, '79-82; DJ Kane, UUJ/Down 2 medals, one as Captain '86-87; Henry Kenny, UCG /Mayo 4 medals, '37-41; Seán Marty Lockhart, UUJ/Derry Stalwart of UUJ through the '90s; Páudí Lynch, UCC/Kerry 1 medal '70-71; Kieran McGeeney, QUB/Armagh 1 medal in '92-93; Mick Morris, UCC/Kerry 3 medals '65-69; Séamus Moynihan, UCC/ITT/Kerry 3 medals, 2 with UCC and 1 with ITT; Seán Murphy, UCD/Kerry 3 medals, '54-59; Martin Newell, UCG/Galway 2 medals, '60-64; Pat O'Neill, UCD/Dublin 3 medals in '70s; Mick Raftery, UCG Mayo/Galway 8 medals '33-41; Tony Regan, UCG Roscommon/Galway 4 CU's '72-77; Joe Salmon, UCG Mayo/Galway 6 medals '36-41.

MIDFIELDERS: Paul Brewster, QUB/Fermanagh 1 medal ’91-94; Pádraig Carney, UCD/Mayo 3 medals ’45- 50; PJ Duke, UCD/Cavan 3 medals, ’45-50; Paddy Henry, Maynooth/Sligo 1 medal in ’75/76; Jim McDonnell, UCD/Cavan 3 medals, ever present in the ’50s for UCD; Jim McGrane, QUB/Armagh 2 medal in ’92-93; Eugene McKenna, QUB/Tyrone A Queens stalwart through the ’70’s; John O’Keeffe, UCD/Kerry 3 medals between ’0-75.

FORWARDS: Greg Blaney, QUB/Down 1 medal between ’81-85; Frank Bourke, UCD/Kildare and Dublin 3 medals, ’16-20; James Brady, UCD/Cavan 4 medals ’55-60; Jim Brosnan, UCC/Kerry 2 medals in ’50s; Peter Canavan, St Mary’s/Tyrone; Ray Cummins, UCC/Cork 2 medals ’68-70; Trevor Giles, UCD/Meath 1 medal, ’95-96; Paul Finlay, IT Sligo/Monaghan 2 medals ’01-04; Anthony Finnerty, UCG/UCD Mayo 4 medals ’81-96; Eamonn Fitzgerald, UCC/Kerry 4 medals ’26-30; Maurice Fitzgerald, UCC/Kerry 1 medal, 87-90; Joe Kearney, UCC/Cork 3 medals, ’18-25; Donal Keenan, UCD/Roscommon 2 medals ’40/41 - ’46/47; Kevin Kilmurray, UCD/Offaly 2 medals, ’72-75; Seán Lavan, UCD/Mayo 3 medals ’22-29; Brendan Lynch, UCC/Kerry 3 medals, ’68-72; Tony McManus, UCD/Roscommon 3 medals, ’77-80; Michael Meehan, UCG/Galway 1 medal, man of the match in ’02/03 final; Denis “Ogie” Moran, UCD/Kerry 2 medals - ’74-77; Paddy Moriarty, QUB/Armagh Sigerson stalwart for Queen’s in the ’70s; Seán O’Neill, QUB/Down 2 medals, ’58/59 and ’64/65; Colm O’Rourke, UCD/Meath 1 medal, ’75-79; Paudie Sheehy, UCC/Kerry 2 medals, ’50-53, captain in ’53; Jackie Walsh, UCD/Kerry 4 medals in the 70s.