Peter McGinnity
Encyclopedia
Peter McGinnity is a former Gaelic footballer and manager who hails from Roslea in County Fermanagh
. He played for Fermanagh
for the best part of twenty years.
Peter first played for Ulster
in 1973 and played right through until ’87, missing only two Railway Cup campaigns in that time. Of the 13 campaigns he took part in, he won four Railway Cup medals (1979, ’80, ’83 and ’84), captaining Ulster to glory in 1980 and ’83.
He won three Fermanagh Senior Football Championships with his native club Roslea Shamrocks as well as three in three years in Antrim with St John’s, Belfast from 1976 to 1979. Outside the adult team, Peter also collected two county U21 championships and a Fermanagh minor league title and two Fermanagh Intermediate Football Championships.
In the 1977/78 Ulster Senior Club Football Championship
final, St Johns defeated Cavan Gaels by 2-10 to 2-2 at Castleblayney
. At Corrigan Park in Belfast, they subsequently accounted for Kingdom (London
) and Summerhill
(Meath
) in All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
quarter-final and semi-final meetings, winning those matches by 10 and 13 points respectively.
The All-Ireland final took place in Croke Park
on March 26, 1978 and St John’s were overpowered by a Thomond College, Limerick
combination including Pat Spillane
and Brian Talty in their ranks.
He played for his county at under 21 level for five years, winning two Ulster championships and contesting back-to-back All-Ireland finals. He also played in two Ulster minor deciders.
The brilliant Fermanagh man enjoyed a successful colleges and universities playing career and, as a coach, has managed Fermanagh
and Leitrim
and the college team St Michael’s, Enniskillen .
Peter had a lengthy schools, colleges and university career. He starred for St Michael’s, lining out in two McRory finals in ’69 and ’70 and was also on the only Michaels team to garner the Ranafast Cup, in 1970.
He won a Ryan Cup and a couple of Trench Cups with St Mary’s Belfast and was midfield on the Queens side that faced UCD
in the 1975 Sigerson Cup
final, marking John O'Keeffe that particular day. Peter also had the distinction of representing the Combined Colleges team.
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....
. He played for Fermanagh
Fermanagh GAA
The Fermanagh County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Fermanagh GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. The county board is also responsible for the Fermanagh inter-county teams-History:...
for the best part of twenty years.
Peter first played for Ulster
Ulster GAA
The Ulster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, and handball in the province of Ulster. The headquarters of the Ulster GAA is based in Armagh City....
in 1973 and played right through until ’87, missing only two Railway Cup campaigns in that time. Of the 13 campaigns he took part in, he won four Railway Cup medals (1979, ’80, ’83 and ’84), captaining Ulster to glory in 1980 and ’83.
He won three Fermanagh Senior Football Championships with his native club Roslea Shamrocks as well as three in three years in Antrim with St John’s, Belfast from 1976 to 1979. Outside the adult team, Peter also collected two county U21 championships and a Fermanagh minor league title and two Fermanagh Intermediate Football Championships.
In the 1977/78 Ulster Senior Club Football Championship
Ulster Senior Club Football Championship
The Ulster Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football club competition played between the top clubs in Ulster. The trophy awarded to the winners is the Seamus McFerran Cup...
final, St Johns defeated Cavan Gaels by 2-10 to 2-2 at Castleblayney
Castleblayney
Castleblayney or Castleblaney is a town in County Monaghan, Ireland. The town has a population of about 3,000.Castleblayney lies near the border with County Armagh and is on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry...
. At Corrigan Park in Belfast, they subsequently accounted for Kingdom (London
London GAA
The London County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or London GAA is one of the county boards outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in London...
) and Summerhill
Summerhill GFC
Summerhill G.F.C. is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the town of Summerhill in County Meath, Ireland. The club competes in Meath competitions. The team was first founded in 1905 but later disbanded...
(Meath
Meath GAA
The Meath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Meath GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Meath, as well as for Meath inter-county teams.- Pre-1960s :...
) in All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament run since 1971, played between the thousands of senior football clubs in Ireland. The current champions are Crossmaglen Rangers of Armagh, who defeated St. Brigid's of Roscommon on March 17, 2011 to win their...
quarter-final and semi-final meetings, winning those matches by 10 and 13 points respectively.
The All-Ireland final took place in Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
on March 26, 1978 and St John’s were overpowered by a Thomond College, Limerick
Limerick GAA
The Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...
combination including Pat Spillane
Pat Spillane
Patrick Gerard Spillane , better known as Pat Spillane, is a retired Gaelic footballer and well known Irish sports pundit. He played Gaelic football with his local club Templenoe and was a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team from 1975 until 1991...
and Brian Talty in their ranks.
He played for his county at under 21 level for five years, winning two Ulster championships and contesting back-to-back All-Ireland finals. He also played in two Ulster minor deciders.
The brilliant Fermanagh man enjoyed a successful colleges and universities playing career and, as a coach, has managed Fermanagh
Fermanagh GAA
The Fermanagh County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Fermanagh GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. The county board is also responsible for the Fermanagh inter-county teams-History:...
and Leitrim
Leitrim GAA
The Leitrim County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Leitrim GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Leitrim. The county board is also responsible for the Leitrim inter-county teams.-Gaelic football:In the 1924 Connacht...
and the college team St Michael’s, Enniskillen .
Peter had a lengthy schools, colleges and university career. He starred for St Michael’s, lining out in two McRory finals in ’69 and ’70 and was also on the only Michaels team to garner the Ranafast Cup, in 1970.
He won a Ryan Cup and a couple of Trench Cups with St Mary’s Belfast and was midfield on the Queens side that faced UCD
UCD GAA
UCD GAA or University College Dublin Gaelic Athletic Association club is a Dublin based Gaelic games club in University College Dublin. The UCD hurling club was founded in 1900 and boasted the motto's "Ad Astra" and "Cothrom Féinne". The first team was an amalgamation of students from UCD and...
in the 1975 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...
final, marking John O'Keeffe that particular day. Peter also had the distinction of representing the Combined Colleges team.