David Clifford facts for kids
David Clifford playing for Kerry in 2023
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Gaelic football | ||
| Position | Full forward | ||
| Born | 22 January 1999 Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland |
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| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||
| Occupation | Secondary School Teacher | ||
| Club(s) | |||
| Years | Club | ||
|
2017 – Present
2018 – Present |
Fossa East Kerry (Divisional) |
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| Club titles | |||
| Kerry titles | 4 (Senior) 1 (Junior Premier) |
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| Munster titles | 1 (Junior) | ||
| All-Ireland Titles | 1 (Junior) | ||
| Colleges(s) | |||
| Years | College | ||
|
2017 – 2021
2021 – 2022 |
IT Tralee University of Limerick |
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| Inter-county(ies)* | |||
| Years | County | Apps (scores) | |
|
2018 – Present
|
Kerry | 45 (22–222) | |
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Munster titles | 7 | ||
| All-Irelands | 2 | ||
| NFL | 4 | ||
| All Stars | 5 | ||
| *Inter County team apps and scores correct as of championship match played 29 June 2025. | |||
David Clifford (born 22 January 1999) is a famous Irish Gaelic football player from County Kerry. He plays in the full-forward position for his local clubs, Fossa and East Kerry, and for the main Kerry county team.
Many people think he is the best Gaelic football player in the world right now. He has won the GAA/GPA Footballer of the Year award twice, which is given to the best player in Ireland.
Contents
Early Sports Career
David Clifford was a talented athlete from a young age. He played both Gaelic football and soccer.
School Football
Clifford first became well-known while playing for his school, St Brendan's College in Killarney. In 2016, he helped his team win the Hogan Cup, which is the biggest prize in Irish schools' football. He scored an amazing 2 goals and 5 points in the final. It was the school's first Hogan Cup win in 24 years.
Minor Career with Kerry
When he was 16, Clifford was chosen to play for the Kerry minor team, which is for players under 18. He had two amazing seasons with the team. They won both the Munster and All-Ireland championships in 2016 and 2017.
In 2017, he was the team captain. He scored an incredible 4 goals and 4 points in the All-Ireland final against Derry. That year, he was named the Minor Footballer of the Year.
Club Football Career
Fossa
Clifford plays for his home club, Fossa. In 2022, he led them to victory in the Kerry Premier Junior Championship. He scored an amazing 2 goals and 12 points in the final.
After winning in Kerry, Fossa went on to win the Munster Junior Championship for clubs in the province. They then won the All-Ireland Junior Club Championship in early 2023. In the final, Clifford was named Man of the Match after scoring 11 points.
Because of their success, Fossa was promoted to the Intermediate Championship for 2023, a higher level of competition.
East Kerry
Clifford also plays for a divisional team called East Kerry in the Kerry Senior Football Championship, the top-level club competition in the county. He has helped them win the championship four times: in 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023. He often scores many points in the biggest games. For example, in the 2022 final, he scored 1 goal and 9 points.
Kerry Senior Career
Clifford began playing for the main Kerry senior team in 2018 and quickly became one of its most important players.
First Years and All-Star Awards
In his first year (2018), Clifford won his first Munster Senior Football Championship. He also won an All-Star award, which is given to the best players in each position. He was also named the Young Footballer of the Year.
In 2019, he won another Munster title and another All-Star award. Kerry reached the All-Ireland final against Dublin. The first game was a draw, but Dublin won the replay.
Captaincy and National Titles
In 2020, Clifford was made captain of the Kerry team. That year, Kerry won the National Football League, a major competition between all the counties in Ireland. He won the league again with Kerry in 2021, 2022, and 2025.
First All-Ireland Senior Win
The biggest moment of Clifford's career came in 2022. After winning the National League and another Munster Championship, he led Kerry to the All-Ireland Final against Galway.
Clifford was brilliant in the final, scoring 8 points. Kerry won the match, and he won his first All-Ireland Senior Football Championship medal. He was named Man of the Match for his performance and was also chosen as the GAA/GPA Footballer of the Year.
Recent Success
In 2023, Clifford was captain of Kerry again. He had another amazing season, winning the Munster final just one day after his mother passed away. He scored 2 goals and 6 points in that game. Kerry reached the All-Ireland final again but lost to Dublin. At the end of the year, he won his fifth All-Star and his second Footballer of the Year award.
In 2025, Clifford won his second All-Ireland medal. He was fantastic throughout the championship, finishing as the top scorer. In the final against Donegal, he scored 9 points, all from play, helping Kerry to a big win.
Personal Life
Clifford and his girlfriend, Shauna O'Connor, have a son named Óigí, who was born in 2021.
His older brother, Paudie Clifford, also plays for Fossa, East Kerry, and the Kerry senior team. The two brothers have won many medals together, including the All-Ireland in 2022 and 2025.
Clifford studied at the Institute of Technology, Tralee and the University of Limerick. He is now a Physical Education (PE) teacher at St Brendan's College, the same school he used to play for. He is a fan of the Scottish soccer team Celtic.
Honours
- Kerry
- All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (2): 2022, 2025
- Munster Senior Football Championship (7): 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 (c), 2024, 2025
- National Football League (4): 2020 (c), 2021 (jc), 2022, 2025
- All-Ireland Minor Football Championship (2): 2016, 2017 (c)
- Munster Minor Football Championship (2): 2016, 2017 (c)
- Fossa
- All-Ireland Junior Club Football Championship (1): 2023
- Munster Junior Club Football Championship (1): 2022
- Kerry Premier Junior Football Championship (1): 2022
- East Kerry
- Kerry Senior Football Championship (4): 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023
- St Brendan's College
- Hogan Cup (1): 2016
- Individual
- All Star (5): 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
- GAA/GPA Footballer of the Year (2): 2022, 2023
- GAA/GPA Young Footballer of the Year (1): 2018
- GAA Minor Star Footballer of the Year (1): 2017
- All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final Man of the Match (1): 2022
- The Sunday Game Footballer of the Year (2): 2022, 2025
Images for kids
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From left: former Kerry player Tom Spillane, Fossa chairman Dermot Clifford, former GAA president Seán Kelly, David Clifford, and Fossa secretary Merry Talbot in 2017.
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David Clifford (left) with former GAA President Seán Kelly in 2017.
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David Clifford celebrating a goal against Cavan in 2025.
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Programme notes about David Clifford.
