Paddy Bradley
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish name | Pádraig Ó Brolcháin | ||
| Sport | Gaelic football | ||
| Position | Full forward | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Occupation | Quantity Surveyor | ||
| Club(s) | |||
| Years | Club | ||
| Glenullin | |||
| Club titles | |||
| Derry titles | 1 | ||
| Inter-county(ies)* | |||
| Years | County | Apps (scores) | |
1999-Present | Derry | 44 13-177 (216)[1] | |
| Inter-county titles | |||
| NFL | 2 | ||
| All Stars | 1 | ||
|
*Inter County team apps and scores correct as of 21:28, 14 September 2008 (UTC) (UTC) Includes Championship games only. | |||
Patrick 'Paddy' Bradley (Irish: Pádraig Ó Brolcháin; born 23 May 1981) is an Irish Gaelic footballer who plays for Derry, with whom he has won two National League titles. He also won an All Star for his performances in the 2007 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.
Bradley plays his club football for John Mitchel's GAC Glenullin and has won a Derry Championship with the club.
Bradley plays at full forward for both club and county. He is regarded as one of the best forwards in Ireland[2], due to his ability to get out in from of his marker for the ball and his accuracy in front of the posts. He has consistently been a high scorer for Derry, with a career high of 2-38 (44) during the 2004 All-Ireland Championship. He is joint free-taker for both Derry and Glenullin.
Football career
Inter-county
Bradley made his Derry debut in late 1999.[3] In his inaugural season he won the 2000 National League with Derry, defeating Meath in the final. He made his Ulster Championship debut later that year against Cavan. Derry reached that year's Ulster final, but lost to Armagh.
Bradley has been nominated for five All-Stars (2001,[4] 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007), but was overlooked for the actual award on his first four nominations. His omission from the 2004 and 2005 awards in particular have been to the shock and bemusement of many fans and media personnel the whole country over.[citation needed] He was also nominated for the full forward spot on the inaugural GPA Gaelic Team of the Year in 2006,[5] but lost out to Kieran Donaghy of Kerry.
In 2004 Bradley and Enda Muldoon formed a clinical scoring partnership[6] on route to the All-Ireland semi-final, where they eventually lost to Kerry. Bradley contributed 2-38 (44) of Derry's total of 7-92 (113) in the 2004 All-Ireland Championship. Bradley had another great season in 2005, for example scoring 1-10 in a man of the match[7] performance against Monaghan.[8] In addition to his All Star nomination in 2006, he also was nominated for a GPA All Star.
In January 2007 Bradley claimed the MVP award in the All Star match between the 2006 and 2005 All Stars.[9] In 2007 Bradley was banned for 12 weeks after an alleged altercation with a referee in a club game. The suspension was eventually lifted though, after an appeal to the Disputes Resolution Authority.[10] On 19th October 2007 Bradley finally received an All Star award at full forward for his great performances during the season which ended with five points from play against Dublin. He also collected a GPA All Star in 2007, and his fifth Irish News Ulster All Star award in 2007, his fourth in a row. Bradley is currently the captain of Glenullin.[citation needed] He is the brother of fellow Derry footballer Eoin Bradley, and cousin of Derry county player Gerard O'Kane.[citation needed]
He was instrumental in Derry winning the 2008 National League, defeating Kerry in the final.[11][12] The league success saw Derry become favourites to win the Ulster Championship[13] and one of the top few for the All-Ireland. However, despite a good opening Ulster Championship performance against Donegal,[14] (where Bradley scored an incredible 10 points in a man of the match display[15]), Derry exited the Ulster Championship against Fermanagh at the semi-final stage[16] and were defeated by Monaghan in the first round of the Qualifiers.[17] He once again received an nomination for a GPA All Star.[18]
Scoring
Bradley is one of the most prolific scorers in Ireland with both left and right feet, and from both open play and frees.[19] In the 2001 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship he finished as Ireland's tenth top scorer (and joint top in Ulster) with a total of 2-17 (23). In the 2004 Championship, he was third top scorer in the country with a total of 2-38 (44), once again more than any other Ulster player. He was second top scorer in the 2005 Championship, where he amassed a total of 2-29 (35), despite having played almost half the amount of games as top scorer Stephen O'Neill. He also achieved the highest individual tally of any player that season, with 1-10 against Monaghan. Despite Derry's lack of progress in the 2006 All-Ireland Bradley again finished the season as top scorer in Ulster with a total of 2-20 (26), only bettered by five players in all of Ireland, most of whom played more games. Derry were surprisingly beaten by Longford in the third round of the Qualifiers in 2006, despite and incredible game from Bradley were he scored 2-07.[20] In the 2007 championship Bradley finished the season with 1-25 (28)
Scoring details
| Year | Tally | Total | Matches | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1-09 | 12 points | 4 | 3 |
| 2001 | 2-17 | 23 | 7 | 3.3 |
| 2002 | 1-11 | 14 | 4 | 3.5 |
| 2003 | 2-11 | 17 | 4 | 4.25 |
| 2004 | 2-38 | 44 | 7 | 6.3 |
| 2005 | 2-29 | 35 | 5 | 7 |
| 2006 | 2-20 | 26 | 4 | 6.5 |
| 2007 | 1-25 | 28 | 6 | 5.6 |
Club career
Bradley plays club football for John Mitchel's GAC Glenullin. After suffering disappointment at the semi-final stage on a few occasions, Bradley finally won a Derry Senior Football Championship with Glenullin in 2007. His ten points (six from play) against reigning champions Ballinderry in the semi-final was instrumental in Glenullin reaching the final and he scored the winning point in the final replay against Bellaghy. He also won the Ulster Senior Club Football League with the club in 2007. Glenullin were defeated in the following year's final by fellow Derry club Ballinderry. In 2008 the club also reached the final of the All-Ireland Sevens Championship, organised by Kilmacud Crokes.
Bradley has also represented Chicago Wolfe Tones GFC in Chicago,[21] for example in 2003 when after a replay[22] Wolfe Tones won the Chicago Senior Football Championship.[23][24]
International
Bradley was surprisingly omitted from the Ireland squad for the 2005 International Rules Series, despite scoring 24 points in a trial game and the Derry County Board forwarded an official letter of protest to GAA headquarters in Croke Park.[25] He was however selected for for the 2008 Series in Australia.[26]
College career
Bradley was part of the 2001 UUJ team that won the Sigerson Cup. He was top scorer in the final with 0-05[27].
Honours
County
- National Football League - Winner (2): 2000, 2008
- Ulster Senior Football Championship - Runner up: 2000
- Dr. McKenna Cup - Runner up: 2008
Club
Glenullin
- All-Ireland Kilmacud Crokes Sevens Championship - Runner up: 2008
- Ulster Senior Club Football League - Winner (1): 2007
- Ulster Senior Club Football League - Runner-up: 2008
- Derry Senior Football Championship - Winner (1): 2007
- Underage awards
Chicago Wolfe Tones
- Chicago Senior Football Championship - Winner (1): 2003, more?
College
- Sigerson Cup - Winner (1): 2000/2001?
- Ryan Cup - Winner (2): years?
Province
- Railway Cup - Winner (2): 2004, 2007, more?
Individual
- All Star - Winner (1): 2007
- All Star - Nominated (runner up): 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006
- GPA All Star - Winner (1): 2007
- GPA All Star - Runner-up: 2006
- Irish News Ulster GAA All-Star - Winner (5): 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
- Derry Senior football captain: 2005
Note: The above lists may be incomplete. Please add any other honours you know of.
Notes and references
- ^ "Ulster's hot-shots". BBC Online. 2008-06-03. Retrieved 2008-06-10.
- ^ McCann, Chris (2008-04-08). "Hunger to see Derry claim final berth". County Derry Post.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Heaney, Paddy (2008-03-29). "Emerging sides have all to prove in Ulster". The Irish News.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Tohill left out of All Star nominations". RTÉ. Retrieved 2008-03-24.
- ^ Archer, Kenny (2006-10-04). "Armagh lead the way for Ulster nominees". The Irish News.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ Cahill, Jackie (2008-08-28). "Kingdom must stop Bradley & Muldoon if they are to repel resurgent Derry". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 2008-03-27.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Bradley seeks Derry improvement". BBC Online. 2005-06-05. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Bradley show sinks Farney County". BBC Online. 2005-06-05. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ O'Hara, Eamonn (2007-01-29). "Paddy shines bright under the desert sun". The Irish News. Retrieved 2008-06-13.
- ^ "Bradley freed for club and country". Derry Journal. 2008-07-01. Retrieved 2008-04-05.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Derry 2-13 Kerry 2-09 2008 National League Final report". RTÉ. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
- ^ "Derry 2-13 Kerry 2-09 2008 National League Final report - Derry GAA website". Derry GAA website. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
- ^ "Monaghan 1-13 1-12 Derry - Match report (BBC)". Retrieved 2008-10-07.
- ^ "Donegal 1-12 Derry 1-14 - Match report". RTÉ Online. 2008-06-01. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
- ^ "Donegal 1-12 Derry 1-14 Ulster Senior Football Championship quarter-final report". RTÉ.ie. 2008-06-01. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
- ^ "Fermanagh 1-11 Derry 1-09 - Match report". RTÉ Online. 2008-06-21. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
- ^ "Monaghan 1-13 Derry 1-12 - Match report (RTÉ)". RTÉ Online. 2008-07-19. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
- ^ "Opel Gaelic Players' Awards announced". RTÉ Online. 2008-10-08. Retrieved 2008-10-09.
- ^ McGrath, Pete (2008-05-09). "Time for the target men". Gaelic Life. Retrieved 2008-06-08.
- ^ "Longford 1-16 2-12 Derry - Match report". BBC. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
- ^ "Homepage". Chicago Wolfe Tones GFC official website. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
- ^ "NACB PRO Report Aug 22nd, 2003". North American County Board official website. 2003-08-22. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
- ^ "Chicago's Wolfe mone". Hogan Stand magazine. Lynn Publications. 2003-12-10. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
- ^ "One for the future". Hogan Stand magazine. Lynn Publications. 2004-11-20. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
- ^ "Bradley takes stock". The Belfast Telegraph. 2005-10-08. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Ireland squad has nine Ulstermen". BBC Sport Online. 2008-10-07. Retrieved 2008-10-09.
- ^ "Sigerson Cup Roll of Honour - Top Scorers". Retrieved 2008-01-08.