Joe Brolly facts for kids
Joe Brolly, taken at a 2011 event to promote the Irish language
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Gaelic football | ||
| Position | Corner forward | ||
| Born | 25 June 1969 Dungiven, Northern Ireland |
||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Occupation | Barrister, columnist, television pundit | ||
| Club(s) | |||
| Years | Club | ||
|
?–?
|
Dungiven St Brigid's |
||
| Club titles | |||
| Derry titles | 2 | ||
| Ulster titles | 1 | ||
| Inter-county(ies) | |||
| Years | County | ||
|
1990–2001
|
Derry | ||
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Ulster titles | 2 | ||
| All-Irelands | 1 | ||
| NFL | 4 | ||
| All Stars | 2 | ||
Joe Brolly (born Padraig Joseph Brolly; 25 June 1969) is an Irish Gaelic football expert and former player. He also works as a barrister, which is a type of lawyer who argues cases in court. Joe played at a high level for the Derry county team. He comes from Dungiven in Northern Ireland.
Brolly played for Derry during the 1990s and early 2000s. He was a key part of the team that won Derry's only All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in 1993. He also helped his county win two Ulster Senior Football Championships. On top of that, he won four National League titles.
For most of his club career, Brolly played for St Canice's Dungiven. Later, he moved to play for St Brigid's GAC in Belfast.
He usually played as a right corner forward. Joe was well-known for his accurate shots, scoring goals, speed, and ability to get past opponents. He was also famous for blowing kisses to the crowd after scoring a goal. He even broke his nose twice right after scoring!
After he stopped playing, Brolly became a popular television pundit. A pundit is someone who gives their opinions and analysis, especially on sports. He was a regular on the RTÉ show The Sunday Game until 2019.
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Joe Brolly's Early Life and Family
Joe Brolly's mother, Anne Brolly, is a famous traditional singer. His father, Francie, was also a traditional musician. Francie played Gaelic football for Derry in the 1960s.
Joe went to boarding school at Saint Patrick's Grammar School, Armagh. There, he played basketball for Ireland as a schoolboy. After school, he studied law at Trinity College Dublin. He earned his law degree in 1991. He then did more studies at Queen's University Belfast.
Joe's first wife was Emma-Rose McCann. They met at Trinity College. They have five children together. Joe is now married to Laurita Blewitt, who is a podcaster and radio presenter. They got married in August 2022.
Joe Brolly has several cousins who are also Gaelic football players. These include Liam Hinphey from Derry and Vincent Corey from Monaghan. He is also a second cousin to Tyrone footballers Colm and Plunkett Donaghy.
Joe Brolly's Playing Career
Joe Brolly had a successful career playing Gaelic football at different levels.
Playing for Derry County
Brolly first played for the Derry Senior team in 1990. This was during a National League game against Cavan. In 1993, he was part of the Derry team that won the Ulster Senior Football Championship. That same year, they also won the county's first-ever All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.
He received All Stars Awards in 1996 and 1997. These awards recognize the best players in Gaelic football. In 1997, he was the top scorer in the Ulster Championship. He scored 3 goals and 15 points (24 points total). Brolly won another Ulster Senior Football Championship in 1998. In that final, he scored the winning goal in the last minute.
Derry won the National Football League four times between 1992 and 2000. Joe Brolly was part of all four of those winning teams. In 1998, Derry and Brolly finished second in the National League. They lost to Offaly in the final.
Playing for Clubs
When he was 21, Brolly helped Dungiven win the Derry Senior Football Championship in 1991. He won another Derry Championship medal in 1997. That year, he also won the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship. He was the top scorer in the Derry Championship that year. He was also named man of the match in the final game.
Later, he played for St Brigid's GAC in Belfast. This team won the Antrim Intermediate Football Championship. In 2006, St Brigid's made history. They were the first GAA club to play against the Police Service of Northern Ireland Gaelic football team. In 2009, Brolly broke his leg during a practice game. St Brigid's reached the semi-final of the Antrim Senior Football Championship that year.
Playing for College Teams
Joe Brolly first became known nationally while playing in the Sigerson Cup. This is a competition for university teams. He won his only inter-varsity medal in 1992. He was part of Queen's University's winning Ryan Cup team.
Playing Hurling
Besides Gaelic football, Brolly also played hurling. He played for his local club, Kevin Lynch's. In 1982, they won Division 2 of the All-Ireland Féile na nGael competition.
Joe Brolly's Coaching Role
Brolly also helped coach the Antrim team. In 2007, Antrim finished second in the Tommy Murphy Cup. In 2008, they won the competition.
Joe Brolly's Other Work
Joe Brolly writes articles for Gaelic Life and the Sunday Independent newspapers. He is also a well-known football pundit on radio and television. He used to be a regular on the popular RTÉ show The Sunday Game. People have described him as a very outspoken and clear-speaking commentator on Irish television.
As a barrister, Joe Brolly works as a lawyer. He has focused on criminal cases. He has helped people who were wrongly found guilty in court. In 2011, he was involved in a case that went to the highest court in the UK. This case helped make sure that people who were wrongly convicted could get compensation.
Career Statistics
| Team | Season | Ulster | All-Ireland | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | ||
| Derry | 1990 | 1 | 0-01 | 0 | 0-00 | 1 | 0-01 |
| 1991 | 1 | 0-02 | 0 | 0-00 | 1 | 0-02 | |
| 1992 | 2 | 0-00 | 0 | 0-00 | 2 | 0-02 | |
| 1993 | 2 | 0-03 | 2 | 0-02 | 4 | 0-05 | |
| 1994 | 1 | 0-02 | 0 | 0-00 | 1 | 0-02 | |
| 1995 | 0 | 0-00 | 0 | 0-00 | 0 | 0-00 | |
| 1996 | 2 | 1-06 | 0 | 0-00 | 2 | 1-06 | |
| 1997 | 4 | 3-14 | 0 | 0-00 | 4 | 3-14 | |
| 1998 | 3 | 1-10 | 1 | 0-00 | 4 | 1-10 | |
| 1999 | 2 | 0-03 | 0 | 0-00 | 2 | 0-03 | |
| 2000 | 3 | 0-02 | 0 | 0-00 | 3 | 0-02 | |
| Total | 21 | 5-43 | 3 | 0-02 | 24 | 5-45 | |
Honours and Awards
Joe Brolly has won many awards and championships throughout his career.
County Honours
- All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (1): 1993
- National Football League (4): 1992, 1995, 1996, 2000
- Ulster Senior Football Championship (2): 1993, 1998
- Dr McKenna Cup (2): 1993, 1999
Club Honours
- Ulster Senior Club Football Championship (1): 1997
- Derry Senior Football Championship (2): 1991, 1997
- Derry Senior Football League (2): 1990, 1991
College Honours
- Ryan Cup (1): 1992
Individual Awards
- All Stars Award (2): 1996, 1997
