Declan Quill is an Irish Gaelic football

Gaelic football

Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...

er who played with the Kerry county team

Kerry GAA

The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...

 and continues to play with the Kerins O'Rahilly's

Kerins O'Rahilly's

Kerins O'Rahilly's are a Gaelic Athletic Association club from Tralee County Kerry, Ireland. They are based in the Strand Road area of the town. They are in Division 1 of the county league which they won in 2006, and compete in the County Championship. The club won the County Championship last in...

 club team in Tralee. A double All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...

 winner, Quill is noted as a talented, skillful and prolific forward.

Playing career

Quill was a star of Kerry teams in the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship

All-Ireland Minor Football Championship

The All-Ireland Minor Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for under-18 competitors of the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland...

 and All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship

All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship

The All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and are played during the summer months...

. He first appeared for the Kerry senior team in 2001. He played in the National Football League

National Football League (Ireland)

The National Football League is a Gaelic football tournament held annually between the county teams of Ireland, under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The prize for the winning team is the New Ireland Cup, presented by the New Ireland Assurance Company...

, and went on to come off the bench in three All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...

 matches that year. After Kerry's All-Ireland semi final defeat to Meath

Meath GAA

The Meath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Meath GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Meath, as well as for Meath inter-county teams.- Pre-1960s :...

, Quill was controversially accused of assaulting a young woman. He pleaded not guilty and was found innocent of all charges.

Quill continued to play with the Kerry panel, having great success in the National League, but never quite establishing himself in the starting line-up for the Championship. From 2001 to 2005, Declan Quill played in five consecutive All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...

 semi-finals, but never appeared in the final. He did receive two All-Ireland medals as a substitute. Frustrated by the apparent lack of Championship opportunities given to him by management in the light of his League performances, he did not play with Kerry in 2006. He returned the following year but did not feature in the Championship and decided not to return for 2008.

Quill is now a fully qualified primary school teacher. In 2004 to 2006 He taught at The Gaelscoil Sheoirse Clancy

Gaelscoil Sheoirse Clancy

Gaelscoil Sheoirse Clancy is a school in Southill, Limerick, Ireland.Its current principal is Aileen Costello after the departure of the previous principal Donncha Ó Tuathail. The school ranges from Junior Infants to sixth class...

 in Southill

Southill

Southill may refer to:*Southill, Bedfordshire, England*Southill, Limerick, Ireland*Southill, Weymouth, Dorset, EnglandSouthill may also refer to:*Viscount Torrington, Lord Byng of Southill...

 Limerick but moved back to his hometown Tralee

Declan is currently teaching 6th class in the local Irish speaking school.

External links

• http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_20061203/ai_n16890258
• http://www.independent.ie/national-news/kerry-footballer-cleared-of-assault-leaving-girls-injuries-unexplained-504945.html
• http://www.breakingnews.ie/2005/03/05/story192305.html
• http://www.tribune.ie/2006/03/26/73766.html
• http://83.245.38.234/en/Sport/News/Other-sports/2008/02/07/GAA-Quill-quits-Kerry/