Paul Galvin (Gaelic footballer) facts for kids

Paul Galvin (born 2 November 1979) is a famous Irish sportsperson. He is well-known for playing Gaelic football with his local club Finuge. He also played for the Kerry county team from 2003 to 2014.

Paul Galvin was even named the 1000th person to receive an All Star Award. This is a special award for top players. He also played for the Ireland team in 2004.

Besides sports, Galvin writes about fashion for the Irish Independent newspaper. He also hosts a show on Radio Kerry. Later in his career, he became a manager for the Wexford footballers.

Paul Galvin's Sports Journey

Paul Galvin has had an amazing career in both Gaelic football and hurling. He has won many championships with his clubs and with the Kerry county teams.

Playing for Clubs

Paul Galvin was born in Lixnaw, County Kerry. He played club football for Finuge and Feale Rangers. He also played hurling for his local club Lixnaw.

Football Club Success

In 2002, Paul Galvin won his first football championship with Finuge. They won the county junior championship by beating Castlegregory. This was a big win after losing two finals before.

Finuge then went on to win the Munster junior championship. They defeated Kiskeam from Cork in the final.

In 2004, Finuge won the county junior title again. They beat Lispole after extra-time. This led to another Munster junior title for Galvin. They won against Aghabullogue.

The Finuge team then reached the All-Ireland junior club final. They played against Stewartstown Harps from Tyrone. Paul Galvin played very well, and Finuge won the All-Ireland title. This was a huge achievement for his club.

In 2007, Galvin played for his divisional team, Feale Rangers. They won the county senior championship. They beat South Kerry in a very close game. This was Feale Rangers' first county win in 27 years.

Hurling Club Success

Paul Galvin is also a talented hurler. He has won many titles with his club, Lixnaw.

In 1999, Lixnaw played against Crotta O'Neill's in the county senior championship final. After a draw, Lixnaw won the replay. This was Paul Galvin's first senior hurling medal.

Lixnaw reached the county final again in 2005. They faced Abbeydorney. Paul Galvin scored a crucial point in injury time to get a draw. In the replay, Lixnaw played brilliantly and won the championship. This gave Galvin his second county hurling medal.

In 2007, Lixnaw won the hurling title again. They beat Kilmoyley in the final. This was Paul Galvin's third county hurling winners' medal.

Playing for Kerry County Teams

Paul Galvin also played for the Kerry county teams at different age levels.

Minor and Under-21 Football

In 1997, Galvin won a Munster minor title with the Kerry minor football team. They beat Limerick in the final. The same year, he won an All-Ireland Vocational Schools Championship.

In 1999, Galvin played for the Kerry under-21 team. They won the Munster under-21 championship against Cork. Kerry then reached the All-Ireland final but lost to Westmeath.

Senior County Football Career

Paul Galvin joined the Kerry senior football team in the early 2000s. He soon became a key player.

In 2003, he won his first Munster title with Kerry. They beat Limerick in the final. Kerry later lost to Tyrone in the All-Ireland semi-final.

The year 2004 was very successful for Galvin and Kerry. They won the National League title by beating Galway. Kerry then won the Munster final again, defeating Limerick in a replay.

Kerry reached the All-Ireland final in 2004. They played against Mayo and won the game comfortably. This gave Paul Galvin his first All-Ireland winners' medal. After this great year, he received his first All-Star award.

In 2005, Kerry won the Munster final for the third year in a row, beating Cork. They reached the All-Ireland final again, but lost to Tyrone in a very close match.

In 2006, Kerry won the National League title again. They played Mayo in the All-Ireland final and won by a large margin. This was Paul Galvin's second All-Ireland medal. He also earned his second All-Star award.

The year 2007 saw Kerry win the Munster final against Cork. They then reached the All-Ireland final again, facing Cork in an historic all-Munster final. Kerry played brilliantly in the second half and won the game. This was Paul Galvin's third All-Ireland medal. It was also the first time Kerry won back-to-back All-Ireland titles since 1990.

In 2008, Paul Galvin was made captain of the Kerry team. During a game against Clare, an incident occurred that led to Galvin receiving a suspension. His suspension ended just in time for the All-Ireland final against Tyrone. He came on as a substitute in a very exciting game, but Tyrone won the championship.

In 2009, Kerry had a tough start but fought their way to the All-Ireland final against Cork. Despite being seen as underdogs, Kerry played very well and won the game. This was Paul Galvin's fourth All-Ireland medal. He also won another All-Star award and was named Footballer of the Year.

In 2010, Galvin received a suspension after an incident in a game against Cork. He announced his retirement from inter-county football in 2014. However, he returned to the Kerry senior football panel in March 2015 for a short time.

Other Teams and Sports

Paul Galvin also played for Munster in the Railway Cup. He represented Ireland in the International Rules Series in 2004. He even trained with professional soccer clubs like Cork City and Sunderland in the past.

Managerial Role

On 2 August 2019, Paul Galvin became the senior football manager for Wexford GAA. He took on this role for two years.

Paul Galvin's Achievements

Paul Galvin has won many awards and championships throughout his career.

Inter-county

Football

• Munster Senior Football Championship (7): 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2015
• All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (4): 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009
• National Football League Division 1 (3): 2004, 2006, 2009
• Munster Under-21 Football Championship (1): 1999
• Munster Minor Football Championship (1): 1997

Hurling

• All-Ireland Under-21 B Hurling Championship (1): 1998
• All-Ireland Minor B Hurling Championship (1): 1997

Club

• Cork Senior Football Championship (1)
• Munster Senior Club Football Championship (1): 1999
• Kerry Senior Football Championship (1): 2007
• Kerry Junior Football Championship (2): 2002, 2004
• Munster Junior Club Football Championship (2): 2002, 2004
• All-Ireland Junior Club Football Championship (1): 2005
• Kerry Senior Hurling Championship (3): 1999, 2005, 2007

Life Outside of Sport

Paul Galvin used to be a secondary school teacher. He taught Geography and Gaeilge (Irish language) in schools in Cork and Killarney. He even coached a senior school team to the All-Ireland final in 2009.

Paul Galvin married Louise Duffy on New Year's Eve 2015.