Dual player
Dual player or dual star is a term used in Hiberno-English to describe someone who competes in multiple sports — for example, in Victorian Ireland, cricket and hurling. The term today in Gaelic games typically describes a male player who plays both Gaelic football and hurling or, if a female player, a player of ladies' Gaelic football and camogie. The player does not necessarily have to play at the same standard in both sports. The number of dual stars at county level has decreased recently due to the increasing demands placed upon the best players of both sports.
Dual player[1] or dual star[2] is a term used in Hiberno-English to describe someone who competes in multiple sports — for example, in Victorian Ireland, cricket and hurling.[3] The term today in Gaelic games typically describes a male player who plays both Gaelic football and hurling or, if a female player, a player of ladies' Gaelic football and camogie. The player does not necessarily have to play at the same standard in both sports. The number of dual stars at county level has decreased recently due to the increasing demands placed upon the best players of both sports.
List of dual players with All-Ireland titles
[edit]| Name | Team(s) | All-Ireland SHC titles | All-Ireland SFC titles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kerins, Alan | Galway | — | 2001 |
| Barry-Murphy, Jimmy[4] | Cork | 1976, 1977, 1978, 1984, 1986 | 1973 |
| Beckett, Derry | Cork | 1942 | 1945 |
| Blaney, Greg | Down |
— | 1991, 1994 |
| Burke, Frank | Dublin | 1917, 1920 | 1921, 1922, 1923 |
| Cadogan, Eoin | Cork | — | 2010 |
| Collins, Podge | Clare | 2013 | — |
| Collins, Seán | Clare | 2013 | — |
| Coughlan, Denis | Cork | 1976, 1977, 1978 | 1973 |
| Cregan, Éamonn | Limerick | 1973 | — |
| Cummins, Brendan | Tipperary | 2001, 2010 | — |
| Cummins, Ray[5] | Cork | 1970, 1976, 1977, 1978 | 1973 |
| Currams, Liam | Offaly | 1981 | 1982 |
| Ferguson, Des | Dublin | — | 1958, 1963 |
| Foley, Lar | Dublin | — | 1958, 1963 |
| Grace, Pierce | Dublin Kilkenny |
1911, 1912, 1913 | 1906, 1907 |
| Lynch, Jack | Cork | 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1946 | 1945 |
| Mackessy, Billy | Cork | 1903 | 1911 |
| McCarthy, Teddy | Cork | 1986, 1990 | 1989, 1990 |
| Mackey, Paddy | Wexford | 1910 | 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918 |
| Markham, Liam | Clare | 2013 | — |
| McGrath, Leonard | Galway | 1923 | 1925 |
| McInerney, Cathal | Clare | 2013 | — |
| Murphy, Brian | Cork | 1976, 1977, 1978 | 1973 |
| Ó hAilpín, Seán Óg[6] | Cork | 1999, 2004, 2005 | — |
| O'Halloran, Davy | Clare | 2013 | — |
| O'Kennedy, Seán | Wexford | 1910 | 1915, 1916, 1917 |
| O'Neill, Alan | Clare | 2013 | — |
| Spain, W. J. | Dublin Limerick |
1887 | 1889 |
| Walsh, Aidan | Cork | — | 2010 |
| Walsh, Denis | Cork | 1986, 1990 | 1989, 1990 |
| Wilson, Marcus | Dublin | — | 1958 |
In 1990, Teddy McCarthy of Cork became the first player to win both a football and a hurling All-Ireland in the same year. This unique achievement remains intact as of 2026.
Ex-Taoiseach Jack Lynch won one football and five hurling All-Irelands with Cork during the 1940s.
List of dual players with All Stars in both codes
[edit]A few players have won All Star Awards in both codes. These include:
Ray Cummins has uniquely won an All Star Award in both hurling and Gaelic football in the same year, 1971.
Ladies' Gaelic football/camogie
[edit]| Player | Gaelic football | Camogie | Football All Stars | Camogie All Stars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rena Buckley (Note 1) | Cork | Cork | 6 | 5 |
| Naomi Carroll (Note 2) | Clare | Limerick/Clare | 0 | 0 |
| Briege Corkery | Cork | Cork | 10 | 6 |
| Mary Geaney (Note 2) (Note 3) | Kerry | Cork | 0 | 0 |
| Michelle Magee (Note 4) | Antrim | Antrim | 0 | 0 |
| Aisling McCarthy | Tipperary | Cahir GAA | 0 | 0 |
| Mary O'Connor | Cork | Cork | 1 | 3 |
| Fiona O'Driscoll | Cork | Cork | 1 | 1 |
| Rachel Ruddy | Dublin | Dublin | 2 | 0 |
| Angela Walsh | Cork | Cork | 6 | 0 |
- Notes
- ^1 Rena Buckley, was the first player to captain Cork teams to both the All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship and the All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship. In 2012 she captained the Cork senior ladies' football team and in 2017 she captained the Cork senior camogie team.[7][8][9][10]
- ^2 Naomi Carroll and Mary Geaney were also Ireland women's field hockey internationals
- ^3 Mary Geaney became the first player to captain a team to both the All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship and the All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship. In 1976 she captained Kerry when they won the All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship. In 1980 she captained the Cork senior camogie team.[11][12][13]
- ^4 Michelle Magee is also a Northern Ireland netball international. She played camogie at under-14 level for Antrim.
Dual county
[edit]Dual county is a similar term for counties that have teams that play at the same level in both football and hurling.
Dual manager
[edit]The definition of a dual manager is Anthony Cunningham.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ The History of the Gaelic Athletic Association in Canada John O'Flynn, Ainsley Baldwin - 2008 "Mike's hurling was Frank Rafter and a notable member, Liam Cotter, a dual player, who helped to write the constitution for the Toronto GAA."
- ^ "Seán Óg to be given freedom of Cork city". JOE.ie. 27 April 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
The 33-year old dual star, who won three All-Ireland hurling titles and ... Taoiseach and fellow dual star Jack Lynch, athlete Sonia O'Sullivan
- ^ Sport and society in Victorian Ireland: the case of Westmeath Page 157 Tom Hunt - 2007 "The dual player was also common in Kilkenny cricket and hurling circles. ... In 1887 the Kells GAA club played a cricket match against Gaulstown of Tullaroan"
- ^ Irish Almanac and Yearbook of Facts 1997 Page 298 Pat McArt, Donal Campbell - 1997 "GAA Barry-Murphy, Jimmy: (born Cork, 1954). Outstanding dual player who won six All-Ireland medals, one in football (1973) and five in hurling (between 1976 and 1986). His other achievements are almost as breathtaking, two All-Ireland.."
- ^ Declan Hassett Passing through Page 148 2004 "I saw Jack Lynch play at the very end of his career but cannot now recall those games too clearly. For many, Jack would be the greatest dual player of all time. For me, the greatest dualist remains Ray Cummins."
- ^ Irish Examiner -2 nov. 2012 "O hAilpin retires from inter-county hurling - "O hAilpin was a talismanic player for Cork throughout his 16-year career, starting-out as a dual player before focusing on his hurling career"
- ^ "Buckley award to mark 18th All-Ireland medal". www.independent.ie. 31 March 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
- ^ "Rena Buckley and Sinead Aherne joint winners of sportswoman award". www.irishtimes.com. 12 October 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
- ^ "Murray hails Cork's cool heads after last-gasp win". www.rte.ie. 10 September 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
- ^ "'I wouldn't go back on my word': Buckley's childhood pledge to make her acceptance speech in Irish". www.the42.ie. 11 September 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
- ^ "Multi-talented Mary Geaney made her own All-Ireland history". www.irishexaminer.com. 12 September 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
- ^ "Meet the remarkable sporting history-maker Mary Geaney". www.offtheball.com. 27 September 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
- ^ "Kerry Lady Reminisces On Historic Football-Camogie Captaincy Double". www.radiokerry.ie. 17 September 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
- ^ Breheny, Martin (20 July 2019). "'Cunningham leaves Cody frying pan only to land into Gavin fire'". Irish Independent.
Perhaps, but Cunningham has already achieved more as a dual manager than anyone else, having steered the Galway hurlers to a Leinster title and Roscommon's footballers to Connacht success.