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Paddy McConigley
Paddy McConigley is an Irish Gaelic footballer who played for Donegal county team and, before that, the London county team.[2] He currently plays for The Railyard Football Club in Kilkenny, where he has won two Kilkenny Senior Football Championship titles, in 2015 and 2016. He is originally from Fanad.[1] Playing careerClubMcConigley's club Gaeil Fhánada lost the 2006 Donegal Intermediate Football Championship final to Cloich Cheann Fhaola after two replays.[1] However, the club won the Division 2 title with a win against Seán Mac Cumhaills.[1] While in London, McConigley played for Tír Chonaill Gaels. He marked Michael Donnellan in an All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship quarter-final, losing by around four points.[1] After his inter-county career ended, McConigley continued to play with his club and won a Donegal Intermediate Football Championship in 2009.[3] He won an All-Ireland Gaeltacht title in 2012.[3] He played club football in Donegal until the conclusion of the 2014 season, then he and his family relocated to Kilkenny and he began playing for Railyard.[3] Inter-countyMcConigley captained the Donegal minor team and played for three years with the under-21 team, captaining them for two of those.[1] He first featured at senior level under the management of Mickey Moran.[1] However, the local fish farm did not provide with work continually throughout the year so he moved to London, England.[1] While there he played for the London county team. London played Donegal in 2006 and then Donegal manager Brian McIver asked McConigley if he would be returning to Ireland.[1] He did.[1] After impressing with Gaeil Fhánada (see above), McConigley was invited for a trial with the county team and was included on the panel.[1] He did not start the opening game of the 2007 National Football League (away to Cork at Páirc Uí Rinn) but came on as a substitute in the second game (at home against Mayo in Ballybofey).[1] He held onto his place in the team after this.[1] With Barry Dunnion occupying the other wing, McConigley had to see off competition from future All-Ireland winners Eamon McGee, Frank McGlynn and Anthony Thompson.[1] He started at right half-back in the NFL semi-final against Kildare at Croke Park but came off injured after 35 minutes.[1] McConigley also started in the final, again against Mayo.[4] He was a late inclusion for that game, instead of Thomas Donoghue.[1] Eamon McGee came as a substitute for McConigley.[1] Months later, while on a team bonding trip in Milford, McConigley was shot in the eye and blinded. His vision never recovered and he never played for Donegal again.[5][6] The incident occurred after the 2007 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship qualifier against Westmeath and before the qualifier against Monaghan[1] "It probably was a defining monent in my career to be honest", he said later.[1] Personal lifeMcConigley is married to Siobhan.[1] He has one son.[6] References
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