TYRONE’S three-time All-Ireland winner Enda McGinley today makes his debut as our new weekly GAA columnist.
The Errigal Ciaran man will pen his hard-hitting opinions every Friday.
The 35-year-old was a key member in Mickey Harte’s All-Ireland winning sides of 2003, ’05 and ’08.
He also won All-Ireland titles at minor and U21 level.
The high point of his hugely successful career was winning a GAA Allstar for his brilliant performances in Tyrone’s triumphant back door run in 2008.
He retired from the inter-county stage in 2011 and although he anticipated playing for several more years at club level, a serious neck injury brought the curtain down on his playing days in 2013.
The physiotherapist has carved a very successful career in the broadcast media in recent seasons and is renowned for his insightful observations on Gaelic football.
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final 2008:
Tyrone 1-15 Kerry 0-14
In his first Friday column today, The End Line, McGinley discusses the fall-out of last week’s GAA Congress and criticises the Gaelic Players Association and the recently formed Club Players Association.
“For these two [bodies] to cry foul now is like the pupil that expected the last-minute cramming to pull off the A-star,” he writes.
McGinley also tackles the GAA calendar and aims a broadside at the provincial councils for their failure to modernise.
“Condensing a bloated county calendar is a no-brainer,” writes McGinley.
“Playing once every three or four weeks was a ludicrous waste of time and I hope the provincial councils take note.”
“The glory month of our sport is September - how apt that this month can now belong to county championships and finals up and down the country.”
Already, one of Tyrone's favourite sons makes for compulsive reading...
