Karl Lacey facts for kids

Karl Lacey (born 10 September 1984) is a famous Irish Gaelic football coach, manager, and former player. He played for his local club, Four Masters, and for the Donegal county team.

Karl is known as one of Donegal's most successful individual players. He won four All Star awards, which are like being named one of the best players in the country. He also won the 2012 GAA/GPA Footballer of the Year award, which means he was the top player in all of Ireland that year.

His team achievements include winning the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship once. He also helped Donegal win the Ulster Senior Football Championship three times. Other wins include a National Football League title and a Donegal Senior Football Championship title with his club.

Many young footballers looked up to Karl Lacey. He was often seen playing in his special white boots and white shorts. He also spent time helping charities, showing he cared about his community.

Karl was a very flexible defender. He could play in many different positions in the back line. He was known for being a very consistent player. He played in 41 championship games in a row for Donegal between 2004 and 2013. In total, he played 148 games for his county.

Karl Lacey's Football Journey

Playing for Clubs and Colleges

Club Success

With his club, Four Masters, Karl Lacey won the Donegal Senior Football Championship in 2003. He scored two important points in the final game. He also won other medals with his club, including one Under 21 Football Championship and two Minor Football Championship medals.

College Achievements

Karl was the captain when Donegal won the All-Ireland Vocational Schools Football Championship in 2002. They beat Kerry in the final. When he was in college, he won the Sigerson Cup three times. This is a big competition for college teams in Ireland.

Playing for Donegal County

Early Years (2003–2006)

Karl Lacey first joined the senior Donegal team for training in 2003. He made his first appearance in a game in 2004. He played in the 2006 Ulster Senior Football Championship Final.

National League and Ulster Wins (2007–2011)

Karl was part of the Donegal team that won its first ever National League title in 2007. They won the final against Mayo.

In 2011, Donegal started to become a very strong team under manager Jim McGuinness. This was a great time for Karl. He won an All Star award and an Ulster Championship medal that year. He played very well, often stopping the other team's best players. He also helped his team score goals by making strong runs from the back. Donegal won their first Ulster Championship title in many years.

All-Ireland Victory and Top Player Award (2012)

In 2012, Karl Lacey played in his 37th game in a row for Donegal in the Ulster Senior Football Championship Final. His team won this game.

On 5 August 2012, Karl scored a point that helped Donegal win against Kerry in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship quarter-final.

On 23 September 2012, in the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, Karl sent a high ball to his captain, Michael Murphy. Michael then scored a goal against Mayo very early in the game. When the final whistle blew, Karl had the ball and kicked it into the crowd in celebration.

After this amazing year, Karl was told he would be the 2012 GAA/GPA Footballer of the Year. He even received a special letter from Arsène Wenger, a famous football manager, congratulating him.

Later Years (2013–2017)

In 2013, after a league game, an incident occurred where a fan behaved badly towards Karl. The President of the GAA, President O'Neill, spoke out strongly against this kind of behavior. He said such actions have no place in Gaelic games.

After this, Karl returned to training. He helped Donegal win another Ulster title in 2014. In an All-Ireland quarter-final game against Armagh, Karl faced a tough challenge. During the same game, the Donegal team doctor was also involved in an incident, which caused a lot of discussion.

Karl Lacey retired from playing for Donegal county at the end of the 2017 season. He said he would continue to play for his club, Four Masters.

Playing for Ulster and Ireland

Karl Lacey also played for his province, Ulster, and won a Railway Cup medal. He also represented Ireland in the International Rules Series against Australia in 2006 and 2011.

Coaching and Management Career

Even before he stopped playing for Donegal, Karl Lacey was helping to coach younger players. When Declan Bonner became the manager of the Donegal senior team again in 2017, Karl joined his coaching team. He stayed with the management team until the end of 2020.

In January 2021, Karl was announced as Donegal's new Head of Academy Development. This role involved helping to develop young football talent in the county. He left this role in February 2023.

Karl Lacey became the manager of the Kilcoo club for 2023. He led them to win the 2023 Down Senior Football Championship title. He continued to manage Kilcoo in 2024, leading them to another 2024 Down Senior Football Championship title and the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship final. He left Kilcoo at the end of January 2025.

Personal Life

Karl Lacey married Ciara McGroarty in September 2017. They have a son named Noah, who was born in 2015. Karl is also the brother-in-law of another Gaelic footballer, Barry Dunnion.

Karl has worked with Ireland West Airport to promote it. He said he was happy to support the airport because it is important for people in Donegal and the North West region. Karl also earned a master's degree in sports performance from the University of Limerick.

Honours and Awards

Donegal

• All-Ireland Senior Football Championship: 2012
• Ulster Senior Football Championship: 2011, 2012, 2014
• National Football League Division 1: 2007
• National Football League Division 2: 2011
• Dr McKenna Cup: 2010
• All-Ireland Vocational Schools Championship 2002 (captain)

Club

• Donegal Senior Football Championship: 2003

College

• Sigerson Cup: 2004, 2005 (Sligo IT), 2008 (UUJ)

International

• International Rules Series: 2011

Individual

• GAA/GPA Footballer of the Year: 2012
• All Star: 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012
• Irish News Ulster All-Star: 2006, 2011, 2012
• The Sunday Game Player of the Year Award: 2012
• The Sunday Game Team of the Year: 2012
• Donegal Sports Star of the Year Award: 2013