Some of Ulster's leading GAA stars reveal their highs and lows of 2019 and what they’re looking for in their Christmas stockings…
Benny Coulter
Sporting highlight of 2019: The All-Ireland SFC final, the first match.
Sporting low-point of 2019: Down’s defeat to Louth on the last day of the National League season to prevent promotion
Shock of the year: Mayo beating a rampant Donegal team in the All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers Christmas wish: Teams to continue to play a more advanced game
Sporting ambition for 2020: Improve players that I coach in 2020
Tomás Ó Sé
Sporting highlight of 2019: A tough one to admit, but I thought Dublin’s performance in the drawn All-Ireland SFC epitomises why they achieved five in-a-row. Everything they achieved is on the foundation of hard work. They have the players, no doubt, but look at the last 10 minutes of that match. I admire them hugely.
Sporting low-point of 2019: My sporting low point was the introduction of new rules that are not needed and the colleges/club/county fixtures issue. I feel we are moving so much towards elitism at county level that county players will only play county championship anymore. It’s a farce. There is no communication between club and county. College is not even on the radar. It’s a pity. I do think, if you are not in the top six/seven inter-county teams, then it’s very easy to walk away and we are seeing that. As for the introduction of the forward mark, I’m totally and utterly against it. I think it dilutes our game, it will slow it down, it’s not fair on referees and it’s totally unnecessary.
Shock of the year: Diarmuid Connolly being brought back in by Dublin. I didn’t see it happening and still find it strange the way it happened.
Christmas wish: That my family and all people really have a good one.
Sporting ambition for 2020: To get involved with a team on a different level.
Sé McGuigan
Sporting highlight of 2019: Winning the Ulster Club senior hurling title and being part of a hurling Allstar team.
Sporting low-point of 2019: Getting beat in the Derry Club football championship.
Shock of the year: Galway not qualifying from the group stage of the Senior Hurling Championship.
Christmas wish: For Ballyhale Shamrock to overdo the celebrations!
Sporting ambition for 2020: To win the Derry football and hurling championships.
Steven McDonnell
Sporting highlight of 2019: One was Shane Lowry's Open Championship victory. Having the nerve to lead from day one and to storm to victory was very impressive. Having an Irish winner on Irish soil was massive. My second highlight of the year was Liverpool's remarkable comeback in Anfield to beat Barcelona 4-0 on the way to winning their sixth European Cup: an epic performance that only Liverpool could have pulled off.
Sporting low-point of 2019: As a Liverpool supporter, missing out to Manchester City for the 2018/19 Premier League title by just one point after losing just one game all season was a tough one but, on the plus side, it looks like they are in a very strong position to make amends this campaign.
Shock of the year: The biggest shock for me was that the Irish rugby team went into the World Cup ranked the number one team in the world. I won’t pretend to know a lot about rugby but, if it was a year ago, then this would have been justified but, sadly from an Irish point of view, it seems that the team peaked a year too soon. Their performances and results in 2019 were nowhere near the levels of 2018; therefore, their ranking should have been a lot lower than what it actually was.
Christmas wish: For Liverpool to see out the remainder of December and January injury free and in a very healthy position in the Premier League and the Champions League.
Sporting ambition for 2020: Having recently taken over as manager of Clonoe in county Tyrone, I would hope that I can improve most players as footballers and have a long and extended season with them. I would also wish for long seasons for my own club Killeavy, as well as Armagh.
Éamon McGee
Sporting highlight of 2019: There were a few: Shane Lowry winning the Open and Neil Gallagher, on his debut, finishing fourth at the Muckross sheep dog trials. Two gentlemen, I was delighted for both them.
Sporting low-point of 2019: Personally, it was losing the county final in the second replay and getting sent-off at half-time. From a general perspective, 2019 was all about the John Delaney affair – a reminder how the ego and arrogance of a few can impact on everyone. The GAA should take a warning from the FAI, lots of people stayed quiet while the house burned down around them.
Shock of the year: Looking around and seeing the general acceptance of the current direction of the GAA. People are just shrugging their shoulders, tweet a bit of moaning and accepting that the GAA is primarily an inter-county game now. It shouldn't be that way and doesn't have to be.
Christmas wish: A GAA fixture list which pleases everyone or a faster-than-light warp drive for interstellar travel. I'd imagine the latter will be more achievable.
Sporting ambition for 2020: On the field, it's to continue enjoying club football and dip my toe into the coaching side of things. Off the field, I'm working up the courage to actually say no to GAA media when they ask for an interview.
Niall Grimley
Sporting highlight of 2019: A team highlight would definitely be beating Down away from home in the Ulster SFC and putting aside all the pressure and hype that came with not winning an Ulster Championship game in a few years. It was finally nice to break that barrier and put it to bed. On an individual level, any day you get to put on a jersey and cross the white-line to represent your club and county is a huge honour and I'm thankful I got to do it last year.
Sporting low-point of 2019: Picking up a hand injury last April in a club game, four weeks prior to the Down game. It set me back a few weeks as it needed surgery and I missed out on the game.
Shock of the year: The amount of steps Eoin Murchan took in the All-Ireland SFC final replay to score his goal. I’m still in shock about how that goal was allowed.
Christmas wish: New football boots and airpods. Airpods seem to be the latest GAA player trend and you can never have enough football boots.
Sporting ambition for 2020: Division Two in the National League is massive this year, so every game in it will have that Championship bite to it and no team in it will want to be playing in the second-tier All-Ireland. Then, obviously, the Ulster Championship – we're drawn away from home against Derry. Everyone saw what they did to Tyrone in the first 50 minutes in Healy Park last year in the Ulster Championship, so we've a huge performance to deliver for that day if we want to get over the line. First up is the McKenna Cup on December 29, so we'll be looking to perform well and get our season off to a good start.
Seanie Johnston
Sporting highlight of 2019: Tiger Woods’ comeback to win the Masters.
Sporting low-point of 2019: Personally, it was breaking my arm twice this year.
Shock of the year: It was probably Anthony Joshua’s defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr in Madison Square Gardens.
Christmas wish: Stronger bones and Liverpool to win the Premier League.
Sporting ambition for 2020: I’m going to keep that to myself for now.
Kevin Niblock
Sporting highlight of 2019: Not hard as I didn't win much! Would have to be the surprise of being honoured as one of Newington's top 40 players. I wish them well this Christmas!
Sporting low-point of 2019: My comeback at 'Monday Night Football' at the Dub was one of the worst performances of my life. Conor Taylor was the happiest I've seen him!
Shock of the year: Someone sent me a video of Tony Scullion saying Cargin were the top team in Antrim of the past 20 years. Like myself, I think Tony's had too many knocks to the head.
Christmas wish: Aqua-Strength Bundle.
Sporting ambition for 2020: To be fit to play and win.
Eoin Bradley
Sporting highlight of 2019: It would have to be my son winning the Ulster schools’ two weeks ago for St Conor’s, Kilrea. I take as much pride out of him winning as I do myself. Sporting low-point of 2019: The end of the season with Coleraine as we missed out on Europe, which would have been a big help for the club.
Shock of the year: Magherafelt winning Derry Senior Football Championship. Fair play to them, not many people would have gave them a chance at the start of the year.
Christmas wish: A three-year deal from Oran [Kearney].
Sporting ambition for 2020: To win a cup with Coleraine, we’re going well but to get a cup with the lads would be great.
Paddy Cunningham
Sporting highlight of 2019: Probably the first All-Ireland SFC final, although it ended in a draw between Kerry and Dublin. It was great to see football being played the way it should be: end-to-end, lots of scores and two fantastic teams on show.
Sporting low-point of 2019: Losing Antrim Senior Football Championship final after a replay against Cargin. It was a rollercoaster year and it would have been nice to finish off the year with another medal.
Shock of the year: Although it wasn’t a shock, the ease with which Tipperary won the All-Ireland senior hurling final against Kilkenny. It was largely due to the fact Kilkenny lost a man early on, but it was great to see the Premier county back at the top. It’s set up to be yet another cracking hurling championship next year.
Christmas wish: My wife Claire asked me what I would like for Christmas - I asked for the old style Adidas Predator footballs boots, which are becoming increasingly more difficult to get anywhere. So if they are there on Christmas morning I’ll be mighty impressed.
Sporting ambition for 2020: To help Antrim get out of Division Four and, after coming up short last year, to win an Antrim championship with Lámh Dhearg.
John Clarke
Sporting highlight of 2019: The Dubs’ five in-a-row, great to be alive to see history being made by a truly great team.
Sporting low-point of 2019: Down missing out on promotion to Division Two of the NFL on the last day of the league. It was a big disappointment.
Shock of the year: Has to be Japan upsetting Ireland at the Rugby World Cup; GAA-wise, probably Roscommon beating Galway and Mayo in the Connacht Senior Football Championship.
Christmas wish: For the GAA to scrap the tier-two system and the media to give more exposure to weaker counties.
Sporting ambition for 2020: Personally, to maybe play on for one more year and help St John’s, Drumnaqouile claim that elusive Down Intermediate Football Championship. Hopefully, Down can get out of Division Three and get to an Ulster final.
