Gerard O'Kane
Encyclopedia
Gerard O'Kane is an Irish
Gaelic football
er who plays for Derry
, with whom he has won a National League
title.
O'Kane plays his club football for John Mitchel's Glenullin
and has won a Derry Senior Football Championship with the club. He plays in the half back line for club and county, with his pace and stamina being two of his key attributes.
, near Garvagh
, and is a cousin of fellow Derry and Glenullin players Paddy
and Eoin Bradley
. Their father, Liam
(current Antrim
manager) is his uncle. O'Kane's father, also called Gerard has served as chairman of the Derry County Board in the past.
. O'Kane won the Derry Senior Football Championship with the club in 2007
. Glenullin met Bellaghy in the final and after a replay, won the title. He won the man of the match
award for his performance in the final replay.
Earlier that year Glenullin won the Ulster Senior Club Football League
, beating Latton of Monaghan in the final. The club reached the Ulster League final again the following year, but were defeated by fellow Derry club Ballinderry.
In 2008 the club reached the final of the All-Ireland Sevens Championship, organised by Kilmacud Crokes. They were however beaten 1-11 to 0-13 by St. Gall's of Antrim
in the decider, with O'Kane scoring 0-01 in the match. He was Glenullin's goalkeeper during the tournament (often outfielders are used as goalkeepers in sevens football). Glenullin, jointly with Ballinderry won the 2008 Derry Senior Football League.
O'Kane captained
the Derry Minor side that won the 2002 Ulster Minor Championship
and All-Ireland Minor Championship
.
He made his Derry Senior debut in 2004. He was part of the Derry team that won the 2008 National League
where Derry beat Kerry
in the final.
O'Kane and Derry again reached the National League final in 2009
, but were defeated by Kerry. Derry opened their 2009 Championship
campaign with a win over Monaghan. However, they were defeated in the next round (Ulster semi-final) by Tyrone. They were drew against Monaghan again in the first round of the Qualifiers and defeated them for the second time that year. Derry's 2009 campaign however ended the following week with defeat to Donegal. O'Kane's performances for Derry that year were very impressive.
and Hogan Cup
. These successes came months after winning the All-Ireland Minor title with Derry. In doing so he became the first player since 1949 to captain a winning Hogan Cup team the year after captaining a victorious All-Ireland Minor side. He was awarded Ulster Colleges Football All-Stars in both 2002 and 2003. In 2007 he won the Ryan Cup and Sigerson Cup
with Queens University Belfast. In 2005 and 2007 he was voted onto the Datapac Combined Universities (All Star) team.
Note: The above lists may be incomplete. Please add any other honours you know of.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
er who plays for Derry
Derry GAA
The Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Derry GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. It is responsible for Gaelic games in the GAA county of Derry, which covers virtually the same territory as the former administrative county of Londonderry...
, with whom he has won a National League
National Football League (Ireland)
The National Football League is a Gaelic football tournament held annually between the county teams of Ireland, under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The prize for the winning team is the New Ireland Cup, presented by the New Ireland Assurance Company...
title.
O'Kane plays his club football for John Mitchel's Glenullin
Glenullin GAC
John Mitchel's GAC Glenullin is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Glenullin, County Londonderry - a valley near Garvagh, partly coinciding with the parish of Errigal. The club is a member of the Derry GAA. They currently cater for both Gaelic football and Camogie...
and has won a Derry Senior Football Championship with the club. He plays in the half back line for club and county, with his pace and stamina being two of his key attributes.
Personal life
O'Kane is from the rural area known as GlenullinGlenullin
Glenullin is a rural area centred on a valley between the villages of Garvagh, Swatragh and Dungiven, and lies in the borough of Coleraine, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The nearest city is Derry which is 27 miles away. 'The Glen' as it is often known, is not an officially recognised...
, near Garvagh
Garvagh
Garvagh is a village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is on the banks of the Agivey River, south of Coleraine on the A29 route. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 1,288.-History:...
, and is a cousin of fellow Derry and Glenullin players Paddy
Paddy Bradley
Patrick 'Paddy' Bradley is a Gaelic footballer from County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, who plays for Derry. With the team he has won two National League titles, and individually an All Star Award for his performance in the 2007 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship .Bradley plays his club...
and Eoin Bradley
Eoin Bradley
Eoin Bradley is an Irish Gaelic footballer who plays for Derry, with whom he has won a National League title.Bradley plays his club football for John Mitchel's GAC Glenullin and has won a Derry Senior Football Championship with the club....
. Their father, Liam
Liam Bradley
Liam Bradley ; commonly known by his nickname Baker, is an Irish Gaelic football manager. He is currently manager of the Antrim senior football team, having been appointed in October 2008.-Personal life:...
(current Antrim
Antrim GAA
The Antrim County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Antrim GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Antrim. The county board is also responsible for the Antrim inter-county teams...
manager) is his uncle. O'Kane's father, also called Gerard has served as chairman of the Derry County Board in the past.
Club
O'Kane plays club football for John Mitchel's GlenullinGlenullin GAC
John Mitchel's GAC Glenullin is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Glenullin, County Londonderry - a valley near Garvagh, partly coinciding with the parish of Errigal. The club is a member of the Derry GAA. They currently cater for both Gaelic football and Camogie...
. O'Kane won the Derry Senior Football Championship with the club in 2007
Derry Senior Football Championship 2007
- Match day 2 :----- Section 2 :- Match day 1 :----- Match day 2 :----- Match day 3 :----- Section 3 :- Match day 1 :----- Match day 2 :----- Match day 3 :----- Section 4 :- Match day 1 :----- Match day 2 :----...
. Glenullin met Bellaghy in the final and after a replay, won the title. He won the man of the match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
award for his performance in the final replay.
Earlier that year Glenullin won the Ulster Senior Club Football League
Ulster Senior Club Football League
The Ulster Senior Club Football League is an annual Gaelic football tournament played between a number of clubs in Ulster. It starts with a group stage, with the group winners advancing to the knockout stage...
, beating Latton of Monaghan in the final. The club reached the Ulster League final again the following year, but were defeated by fellow Derry club Ballinderry.
In 2008 the club reached the final of the All-Ireland Sevens Championship, organised by Kilmacud Crokes. They were however beaten 1-11 to 0-13 by St. Gall's of Antrim
Antrim GAA
The Antrim County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Antrim GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Antrim. The county board is also responsible for the Antrim inter-county teams...
in the decider, with O'Kane scoring 0-01 in the match. He was Glenullin's goalkeeper during the tournament (often outfielders are used as goalkeepers in sevens football). Glenullin, jointly with Ballinderry won the 2008 Derry Senior Football League.
Inter-county
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
the Derry Minor side that won the 2002 Ulster Minor Championship
Ulster Minor Football Championship
The Ulster Minor Football Championship is the Minor "knockout" competition in the game of Gaelic football played in the province of Ulster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Ulster Council. The trophy for the winning side is The Liam Murray Cup. The competition began in 1930, with...
and All-Ireland Minor Championship
All-Ireland Minor Football Championship
The All-Ireland Minor Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for under-18 competitors of the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland...
.
He made his Derry Senior debut in 2004. He was part of the Derry team that won the 2008 National League
National Football League (Ireland) 2008
The 2008 National Football League was the Gaelic football league contested by 33 GAA counties' football teams, 32 from Ireland and one from England.-Format:...
where Derry beat Kerry
Kerry GAA
The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...
in the final.
O'Kane and Derry again reached the National League final in 2009
National Football League (Ireland) 2009
The 2009 Allianz National Football League was the Gaelic football league contested by 33 GAA counties' football teams: 32 from Ireland and one from England. The tournament began with a game between Dublin and Tyrone on the 31st of January 2009 at Croke Park...
, but were defeated by Kerry. Derry opened their 2009 Championship
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2009
The 2009 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship is the inter-county Gaelic football tournament played between 31 counties of Ireland, London and New York. The draw for the 2009 championship took place on October 9, 2008. The tournament kicked off on May 10, 2009...
campaign with a win over Monaghan. However, they were defeated in the next round (Ulster semi-final) by Tyrone. They were drew against Monaghan again in the first round of the Qualifiers and defeated them for the second time that year. Derry's 2009 campaign however ended the following week with defeat to Donegal. O'Kane's performances for Derry that year were very impressive.
School/college
Gerard O'Kane captained St. Pat's Maghera to success in the 2003 MacRory CupMacRory Cup
The MacRory Cup is an inter-college Gaelic football tournament in Ulster. It is staged every year with the stipulation that players must be under eighteen-and-a-half at the start of the tournament...
and Hogan Cup
Hogan Cup
The Hogan Cup 1946-48 & 1957-) is the cup presented to the winners of the colleges All-Ireland "A" senior football championship, the top level Gaelic football championship for secondary schools in Ireland. The competition itself is regularly referred to by reference to the trophy's name.St...
. These successes came months after winning the All-Ireland Minor title with Derry. In doing so he became the first player since 1949 to captain a winning Hogan Cup team the year after captaining a victorious All-Ireland Minor side. He was awarded Ulster Colleges Football All-Stars in both 2002 and 2003. In 2007 he won the Ryan Cup and Sigerson Cup
Sigerson Cup
The Sigerson Cup is the top division of Higher Education Gaelic football in Ireland, It is administrated by the Higher Education committee which is part of the Gaelic Athletic Association...
with Queens University Belfast. In 2005 and 2007 he was voted onto the Datapac Combined Universities (All Star) team.
Honours
Inter-county
- National Football LeagueNational Football League (Ireland)The National Football League is a Gaelic football tournament held annually between the county teams of Ireland, under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The prize for the winning team is the New Ireland Cup, presented by the New Ireland Assurance Company...
:- Winner (1): 2008National Football League (Ireland) 2008The 2008 National Football League was the Gaelic football league contested by 33 GAA counties' football teams, 32 from Ireland and one from England.-Format:...
- Runner up: 2009National Football League (Ireland) 2009The 2009 Allianz National Football League was the Gaelic football league contested by 33 GAA counties' football teams: 32 from Ireland and one from England. The tournament began with a game between Dublin and Tyrone on the 31st of January 2009 at Croke Park...
- Winner (1): 2008
- All-Ireland Minor Football ChampionshipAll-Ireland Minor Football ChampionshipThe All-Ireland Minor Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for under-18 competitors of the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland...
:- Winner (1): 2002
- Ulster Minor Football ChampionshipUlster Minor Football ChampionshipThe Ulster Minor Football Championship is the Minor "knockout" competition in the game of Gaelic football played in the province of Ulster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Ulster Council. The trophy for the winning side is The Liam Murray Cup. The competition began in 1930, with...
:- Winner (1): 2002
- Ulster Under-21 Football ChampionshipUlster Under-21 Football ChampionshipFor the Senior equivalent see: Ulster Senior Football ChampionshipThe Ulster Under-21 Football Championship known for sponsorship reasons as the Cadbury Ulster Under-21 Football Championship is a Gaelic football tournament for players under the age of 21, contested by the nine counties of Ulster in...
:- Runner up: 2004
Club
- All-Ireland Kilmacud Crokes Sevens Championship:
- Runner up: 2008
- Ulster Senior Club Football LeagueUlster Senior Club Football LeagueThe Ulster Senior Club Football League is an annual Gaelic football tournament played between a number of clubs in Ulster. It starts with a group stage, with the group winners advancing to the knockout stage...
:- Winner: 2007
- Runner up: 2008
- Derry Senior Football Championship:
- Winner (1): 2007Derry Senior Football Championship 2007- Match day 2 :----- Section 2 :- Match day 1 :----- Match day 2 :----- Match day 3 :----- Section 3 :- Match day 1 :----- Match day 2 :----- Match day 3 :----- Section 4 :- Match day 1 :----- Match day 2 :----...
- Winner (1): 2007
- Derry Senior Football League:
- Winner (1): 2008
College
- Sigerson CupSigerson CupThe Sigerson Cup is the top division of Higher Education Gaelic football in Ireland, It is administrated by the Higher Education committee which is part of the Gaelic Athletic Association...
:- Winner (1): 2007
- Runner up: 2005, 2006
- Ryan Cup:
- Winner (1): 2007
- Hogan CupHogan CupThe Hogan Cup 1946-48 & 1957-) is the cup presented to the winners of the colleges All-Ireland "A" senior football championship, the top level Gaelic football championship for secondary schools in Ireland. The competition itself is regularly referred to by reference to the trophy's name.St...
:- Winner (1): 2003
- MacRory CupMacRory CupThe MacRory Cup is an inter-college Gaelic football tournament in Ulster. It is staged every year with the stipulation that players must be under eighteen-and-a-half at the start of the tournament...
:- Winner (1): 2003
Individual
- Captain Derry minor Ulster and All-Ireland winning side: 2002
- Captain St. Pat's MacRory Cup and Hogan Cup winning side: 2003
- Ulster Colleges Football All-Star - Winner (2): 2002, 2003
- Datapac Combined Universities - Winner (2): 2005, 2007
- Irish News All Star 2009
Note: The above lists may be incomplete. Please add any other honours you know of.