Paul McGrane | |
Nickname: | Floppy |
Feet: | 6 |
Inches: | 2 |
Occupation: | Accountant[1] |
Sport: | Gaelic football |
Code: | Football |
County: | Armagh |
Province: | Ulster |
Clposition: | - |
Club: | Ballyhegan Davitts GAC |
Clubs: | Ballyhegan |
Counties: | Armagh |
Icposition: | Midfield |
Icyears: | 1993-2008 |
Icprovince: | 7 |
Icallireland: | 1 |
Nfl: | 1 |
Allstars: | 2 |
Icupdate: | 00:19, 13 April 2009 (UTC) |
Birth Place: | County Armagh, Northern Ireland |
Paul McGrane is an Irish Gaelic footballer who played at senior level for the Armagh county team in the 1990s and 2000s. He won an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship medal, seven Ulster Championships and a National League title with the county. He also won two All Star awards.
McGrane plays club football for Ballyhegan Davitts.
McGrane is a midfielder. He is known as one of Armagh's best ever players.[2] 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.[3]
In 1992 McGrane won the Ulster Minor Football League and Ulster Minor Football Championship with the Armagh Minor team.[1] Armagh finished runners-up to Meath in that year's All-Ireland Minor final.[3] He was captain of the Minor team that year.[3]
McGrane made his Senior inter-county Championship debut for Armagh against Fermanagh in May 1993.[1] He won his first Ulster Senior Football Championship medal with the county in 1999[3] – the county's first Ulster Championship in 17 years. Armagh successfully defended their Ulster title the following year.[3]
In 2002, he helped Armagh win the Ulster Championship[4] as well as the county's first ever All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.[3] McGrane received an All Star award for his performances that year.[3]
In 2003 Armagh once again reached the All-Ireland final, but were defeated by neighbours Tyrone. 2004 saw McGrane and Armagh again win the Ulster Championship.[5] In 2005, McGrane helped Armagh win the National League, beating Wexford in the final.[6] Later that year, he helped Armagh win another Ulster Championship.[7] Team captain Kieran McGeeney invited McGrane to lift the Anglo Celt Cup with him after the match.[8] McGrane was awarded a second All Star that year.
McGrane took over the Armagh captaincy in November 2005, after Kieran McGeeney retired.[9] Armagh completed a three-in-a-row of Ulster Championships in 2006, this time with McGrane as captain.[10] McGrane won another Ulster Championship medal with Armagh in 2008,[11] his seventh in all and second as captain.
McGrane retired from inter-county football in April 2009, due to a persistent knee injury.[9]
With Ballyhegan, McGrane has won the Armagh Junior Football Championship[1] (1995) and Armagh Intermediate Football Championship[1] (1997).
McGrane represented Ireland in the International Rules Series.
McGrane played for Ulster, and won the Railway Cup on ? occasions with the province.
In 2012, McGrane established the Orchard Academy to help young Armagh Gaelic footballers develop their talent with a view to strengthen the county's footballing fortunes at underage and senior level.[12] [13]
In January 2015, McGrane was appointed assistant coach for the Armagh minor Gaelic football team under former county teammate Aidan O'Rourke[14] before taking on the manager's position a year later,[15] staying in this role until November 2018, when he was replaced by another former Armagh teammate Ciarán McKeever.[16]