Oisín McConville
Encyclopedia
Oisín McConville is an Irish
Gaelic football
er who played for Armagh
in the 1990s and 2000s. He has won an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
medal, seven Ulster Championships
and a National League
title with the county. He has also been awarded two All Stars
.
McConville plays club football for Crossmaglen Rangers
and has won Five All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
s, *8 Ulster Senior Club Football Championship
s and 13 Armagh Senior Football Championships with the club.
McConville plays as forward
. He is one the game's best point-scorers and is an expert free-taker. He has consistently been a high scorer for Armagh and is the all-time top Ulster scorer in Championship football with a tally of 11-197 (230). He is known as one of Armagh's best ever players. In 2009 to mark the 125th anniversary of the Gaelic Athletic Association
he was named by The Irish News
as one of the all-time best 125 footballers from Ulster.
Despite being a success on the field McConville's personal life has been plagued by gambling
problems
, South Armagh
. His uncle Gene Morgan played for Armagh and played in the 1953 All-Ireland final. McConville's brother Jim is also regarded as one of Armagh's best ever footballers. He has recently made headlines in Ireland for starring in a New Year's Eve Celebrity Jigs n' Reels special.
on 25 September 1994.
Oisín played in the half forward line for Armagh
in their 2002 All-Ireland winning year. In the 2002 All Ireland Final against Kerry, Oisín overcame the setback of having his first half penalty saved, to step up and score the vital second half goal that was instrumental in Armagh winning a tight contest. As well as his All Ireland Senior medal, Oisín also holds two All Star awards (2000 and 2002), seven Ulster Senior Championship medals (1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008) and a National League Winners medal (2005). Oisín also holds the record for the highest individual score in an Ulster Final, when he notched 2-07 against Down in the 1999 Ulster Final. Oisín has also won Under 12, Under 14, Under 16, Minor League and Championship, two U-21 Championships. During his schooldays at Abbey CBS, Newry he won D’Alton, Corn na nÓg, and Rannafast Cups and was a MacRory Cup
runner up whilst at Saint Patrick's Grammar School, Armagh
.
He has also won 5 All-Ireland Club titles with Crossmaglen in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2007 and 2011 in which he was top scorer 3 times.
McConville retired from inter-county football after the 2008 season.
between 1904 and 1916. He has also won the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship
seven times (1996, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2006
, 2007
and 2008
) and the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
four times (1997, 1999, 2000 and 2007) with the club. McConville, along with Paul Hearty
, John McEntee, Tony McEntee, Francie Bellew and Cathal Short is one of six Cross players to have shared in all these successes since 1996. When McConville missed the 2008 Armagh Championship semi-final against Armagh Harps through injury, it ended a run of 103 consecutive Championship games for Crossmaglen.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
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 for Armagh
Armagh GAA
The Armagh County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Armagh GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Armagh...
in the 1990s and 2000s. He has won an 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...
medal, seven Ulster Championships
Ulster Senior Football Championship
For information on this years competition, see Ulster Senior Football Championship 2011-2010 Draw:-2009 Draw:-2008 Draw:-Top winners:* All-Ireland winning years in bold.-Roll of honour:Notes:* 1907 No final result in records...
and a National 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...
title with the county. He has also been awarded two All Stars
GAA All Stars Awards
The All Stars Awards, currently sponsored by Vodafone, are given annually since 1971 by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the best player in each of the fifteen positions in Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. Additionally, one player in each code is selected as the player of the year...
.
McConville plays club football for Crossmaglen Rangers
Crossmaglen Rangers
Crossmaglen Rangers G.A.C is a Gaelic Athletic Association club from Armagh, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. They cater for Gaelic football and camogie. Their home football ground is St. Oliver Plunkett Park which was opened in 1959...
and has won Five All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament run since 1971, played between the thousands of senior football clubs in Ireland. The current champions are Crossmaglen Rangers of Armagh, who defeated St. Brigid's of Roscommon on March 17, 2011 to win their...
s, *8 Ulster Senior Club Football Championship
Ulster Senior Club Football Championship
The Ulster Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football club competition played between the top clubs in Ulster. The trophy awarded to the winners is the Seamus McFerran Cup...
s and 13 Armagh Senior Football Championships with the club.
McConville plays as forward
Gaelic football and Hurling positions
The following are the positions in the Gaelic sports of Gaelic football, hurling and camogie. Like rugby and baseball, and unlike soccer, these have set positions which haven't changed in decades...
. He is one the game's best point-scorers and is an expert free-taker. He has consistently been a high scorer for Armagh and is the all-time top Ulster scorer in Championship football with a tally of 11-197 (230). He is known as one of Armagh's best ever players. In 2009 to mark the 125th anniversary of the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
he was named by The Irish News
The Irish News
The Irish News is a compact-sized daily newspaper based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is perceived as being broadly Irish nationalist in outlook...
as one of the all-time best 125 footballers from Ulster.
Despite being a success on the field McConville's personal life has been plagued by gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
problems
Background
McConville was born in CrossmaglenCrossmaglen
Crossmaglen or Crosmaglen is a village and townland in south County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 1,459 people in the 2001 Census and is the largest village in south Armagh...
, South Armagh
County Armagh
-History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...
. His uncle Gene Morgan played for Armagh and played in the 1953 All-Ireland final. McConville's brother Jim is also regarded as one of Armagh's best ever footballers. He has recently made headlines in Ireland for starring in a New Year's Eve Celebrity Jigs n' Reels special.
Inter-county
McConville made his Armagh Senior in the Dr. McKenna Cup final at ClonesSt. Tiernach's Park
St. Tiernach's Park is a Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Clones, Ireland.It is the home of the Monaghan Gaelic football team. The Ulster Final was hosted here from 1970 until 2004: prior to this, Casement Park was the venue. From 2004 to 2006, the Ulster Final had been played in Croke Park,...
on 25 September 1994.
Oisín played in the half forward line for Armagh
Armagh GAA
The Armagh County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Armagh GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Armagh...
in their 2002 All-Ireland winning year. In the 2002 All Ireland Final against Kerry, Oisín overcame the setback of having his first half penalty saved, to step up and score the vital second half goal that was instrumental in Armagh winning a tight contest. As well as his All Ireland Senior medal, Oisín also holds two All Star awards (2000 and 2002), seven Ulster Senior Championship medals (1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008) and a National League Winners medal (2005). Oisín also holds the record for the highest individual score in an Ulster Final, when he notched 2-07 against Down in the 1999 Ulster Final. Oisín has also won Under 12, Under 14, Under 16, Minor League and Championship, two U-21 Championships. During his schooldays at Abbey CBS, Newry he won D’Alton, Corn na nÓg, and Rannafast Cups and was a MacRory Cup
MacRory Cup
The MacRory Cup is an inter-college Gaelic football tournament in Ulster. It is staged every year with the stipulation that players must be under eighteen-and-a-half at the start of the tournament...
runner up whilst at Saint Patrick's Grammar School, Armagh
Saint Patrick's Grammar School, Armagh
St Patrick's Grammar School, Armagh, is a Roman Catholic boys' voluntary grammar school in the city of Armagh, Northern Ireland. The present-day school was officially opened on Thursday 27 October 1988 by the late Cardinal Tomás Ó Fiaich, the then Chairman of the Board of Governors, and was the...
.
He has also won 5 All-Ireland Club titles with Crossmaglen in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2007 and 2011 in which he was top scorer 3 times.
McConville retired from inter-county football after the 2008 season.
Club
McConville is part of the Crossmaglen team that has won 13 Armagh Senior Football Championships in a row between 1996 and 2008. This equals the national record for consecutive county football championships set by Ballina Stephenites of MayoMayo GAA
The Mayo County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Mayo GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Mayo and the Mayo inter-county teams.-History:...
between 1904 and 1916. He has also won the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship
Ulster Senior Club Football Championship
The Ulster Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football club competition played between the top clubs in Ulster. The trophy awarded to the winners is the Seamus McFerran Cup...
seven times (1996, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2006
Ulster Senior Club Football Championship 2006
The Ulster Senior Club Football Championship 2006 was the 2006 installment of the annual Ulster Senior Club Football Championship ran by the Ulster GAA. St. Gall's of Antrim were the defending champions, but they were knocked out of their own county championship by Cargin, who went on to win Antrim...
, 2007
Ulster Senior Club Football Championship 2007
The Ulster Senior Club Football Championship 2007 is the 2007 installment of the annual Ulster Senior Club Football Championship ran by the Ulster GAA. Crossmaglen Rangers of Armagh are the champions after defeating St. Galls of Antrim in the final...
and 2008
Ulster Senior Club Football Championship 2008
*Source: Hogan Stand website.-Preliminary round:-Quarter-finals:-Semi-finals:-Final:-Replay:-See also:*Ulster Senior Club Football Championship*Ulster Senior Club Hurling Championship-External links:*...
) and the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament run since 1971, played between the thousands of senior football clubs in Ireland. The current champions are Crossmaglen Rangers of Armagh, who defeated St. Brigid's of Roscommon on March 17, 2011 to win their...
four times (1997, 1999, 2000 and 2007) with the club. McConville, along with Paul Hearty
Paul Hearty
Paul Hearty is a Gaelic football player from Armagh, Northern Ireland. He is the current goalkeeper on the Armagh senior football team. He was named in goal for the 2006 Irish News Ulster Allstars team for his performances in Armagh's 2006 Uster championship win.-Club:Hearty is part of the...
, John McEntee, Tony McEntee, Francie Bellew and Cathal Short is one of six Cross players to have shared in all these successes since 1996. When McConville missed the 2008 Armagh Championship semi-final against Armagh Harps through injury, it ended a run of 103 consecutive Championship games for Crossmaglen.