Aaron Doherty
{{Short description|Donegal Gaelic footballer}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=May 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox Gaelic games player
| name = Aaron Doherty
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| sport = Gaelic football
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| icposition = Half-back
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| occupation = Factory worker
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| code = Football
| clyears = 2018–
| clubs = Naomh Columba
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| county = Donegal
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| icyears = 2019–
| counties = Donegal
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Aaron Doherty is an Irish Gaelic footballer who plays for Naomh Columba and the Donegal county team.
Playing career
Doherty played football at minor level for Donegal, and was a star player at underage level for his club, Naomh Columba.{{cite news|first=Peter|last=Campbell|url=https://www.donegallive.ie/news/home/245371/aaron-doherty-the-star-of-the-show-as-donegal-minors-defeat-down.html|title=Aaron Doherty the star of the show as Donegal minors defeat Down|date=15 April 2017|access-date=15 April 2017}}{{cite web | url=https://donegalgaa.ie/naomh-columba-dungloe-county-minor-champions/9 | title=Naomh Columba & Dungloe County Minor Champions | date=17 July 2017 }}
He has also played association football for Finn Harps at underage level, as well as St Catherine's and Letterbarrow Celtic.{{cite news|first=Michael|last=Devlin|url=https://www.gaa.ie/news-archive/news/donegal-star-doherty-geared-up-for-tyrone-test-in-eirgrid-ulster-u-20-final/|title=Donegal star Doherty geared up for Tyrone test in EirGrid Ulster U-20 final|date=7 March 2020|access-date=7 March 2020|quote=Doherty's eye for goal, and his penalty expertise, could be put down to his impressive soccer credentials. As a youngster he played for local club St Catherine's FC, where one Seamus Coleman started out, and plays in the wintertime for Donegal League side Letterbarrow Celtic.}}{{cite news|first=Chris|last=McNulty|url=https://www.donegalsporthub.com/aaron-doherty-set-take-gaa-break-make-finn-harps-switch/|title=Aaron Doherty set to take GAA break to make Finn Harps switch|date=21 November 2018|access-date=21 November 2018}}
He was first called into the Donegal senior team during the 2019 season, following the departure of other players.{{cite news|url=https://highlandradio.com/2019/04/25/doherty-and-mcgettigan-brought-into-donegal-senior-squad/|title=Doherty and McGettigan brought into Donegal senior squad|publisher=Highland Radio|date=25 April 2019|access-date=25 April 2019}} He won an Ulster Senior Football Championship medal shortly afterwards, his first Ulster medal at any level of play.{{cite news|url=https://donegalnews.com/2019/06/mchugh-chasing-elusive-first-medal/|title=McHugh chasing elusive first medal|work=Donegal News|date=21 June 2019|access-date=21 June 2019|quote=[Eoin] McHugh took a year out from the Donegal camp last season and headed to Boston, and he subsequently missed out as the senior squad landed the Anglo Celt Cup. Jason McGee was also missing for that triumph, but he has an Ulster Minor Championship medal, so that leaves McHugh and newbies Oisin Gallen and Aaron Doherty as the only members of the squad who haven't claimed provincial honours with the county.}}{{cite news|first=Peter|last=Sweeney|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2019/0623/1057017-donegal-power-past-cavan-to-claim-ulster-title/|title=Donegal power past Cavan to claim Ulster title|publisher=RTÉ Sport|date=23 June 2019|access-date=23 June 2019}}
Doherty started Donegal's fifth fixture of the 2022 National Football League against Monaghan, scoring a point.{{cite news|first=Peter|last=Campbell|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2022/0313/1286107-monaghan-end-donegal-record-to-maintain-survival-hope/|title=Monaghan end Donegal's Ballybofey record to maintain Division 1 survival hope|publisher=RTÉ Sport|date=13 March 2022|access-date=13 March 2022}} He then started the sixth fixture against Dublin at Croke Park, scoring another point.{{cite news|first=Paul|last=Keane|url=https://www.gaa.ie/football/football-league-roinn-1/dublin-donegal/2124851/|title=Allianz FL D1: Dublin finish strongly against Donegal|date=20 March 2022|access-date=20 March 2022}}
Doherty made a substitute appearance in the 2022 Ulster Senior Football Championship final, scoring an extra-time point from a mark.{{cite news|first=Peter|last=Campbell|url=https://www.donegallive.ie/news/gaa/823852/marksman-how-the-donegal-players-fared-in-the-ulster-final-against-derry.html/17|title=MARKSMAN: How the Donegal players fared in the Ulster final against Derry|date=29 May 2022|access-date=29 May 2022}} He had earlier made substitute appearances in the quarter-final victory over Armagh and the semi-final victory over Cavan.{{cite news|first=Andy|last=Watters|url=https://www.irishnews.com/sport/gaafootball/2022/04/25/news/donegal-cruise-to-victory-over-mis-firing-armagh-in-ulster-championship-quarter-final-2651030/|title=Donegal cruise to victory over mis-firing Armagh in Ulster Championship quarter-final|work=The Irish News|date=25 April 2022|access-date=25 April 2022}}{{cite news|first=John|last=Haughey|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/gaelic-games/61371782|title=Donegal 2–16 Cavan 0–16: Tir Conaill men survive Breffni onslaught to reach Ulster decider|publisher=BBC Sport|date=8 May 2022|access-date=8 May 2022}} He started the 2022 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship qualifier loss to Armagh, scoring a point.{{cite news|first=Declan|last=Bogue|url=https://www.the42.ie/armagh-v-donegal-5789068-Jun2022/|title=Armagh power past Donegal to book All-Ireland quarter-final|publisher=The42.ie|date=12 June 2022|access-date=12 June 2022}}
Doherty did not feature in the Donegal panel for the 2023 season.{{cite web|url=https://donegalgaa.ie/team/donegal-gaa/|title=Donegal Senior Football Squad 2023|date=23 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230419113232/https://donegalgaa.ie/team/donegal-gaa/|archive-date=19 April 2023}} He opted to focus on his club football at this time.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}
With Jim McGuinness returning as manager, Doherty returned to the Donegal panel, featuring in a number of league matches and getting on the score sheet in a many of those fixtures, including the Division 2 final, where Doherty scored the deciding point to defeat rivals Armagh.{{cite web | url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2024/0217/1432832-o-baoill-stars-as-donegal-ease-past-fermanagh/ | title=Ó Baoill stars as Donegal ease past Fermanagh | date=17 February 2024 | last1=Campbell | first1=Peter | website=RTÉ.ie }}{{cite web | url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2024/0331/1440946-donegal-edge-out-armagh-as-div-2-final-thrills-late-on/ | title=Donegal edge out Armagh as Div 2 final thrills late on | date=31 March 2024 | last1=Keane | first1=Paul | website=RTÉ.ie }}
In the final of the 2024 Ulster Senior Football Championship, Doherty scored two penalties in the shootout as Donegal defeated Armagh once again.{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/cd18828y0njo | title=Aaron Doherty: Jim McGuinness adds '20% to every Donegal player' | date=14 May 2024 }}
Personal life
Doherty is from near Teelin, in the parish of Gleann Cholm Cille.{{cite news|first=Chris|last=McNulty|url=https://www.donegalsporthub.com/aaron-doherty-joins-up-with-donegal-senior-football-squad/|title=Aaron Doherty joins up with Donegal senior football squad|date=24 April 2019|access-date=24 April 2019}} He attended Coláiste na Carraige and Dublin Institute of Technology.{{cite news|first=Peter|last=Campbell|url=https://www.donegallive.ie/news/home/349036/aaron-doherty-s-switch-from-gaelic-to-finn-harps-is-looking-likely.html|title=Aaron Doherty's switch from Gaelic to Finn Harps is 'looking likely': Donegal U-20 and senior team to lose out|date=21 November 2018|access-date=21 November 2018}} He is a first cousin of Donegal panel member Philip Doherty.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}
Honours
- Ulster Senior Football Championship: 2019
- EirGrid U20 Football Championship Player of the Year: 2020{{cite news|url=https://www.donegaldaily.com/2021/01/20/aaron-doherty-named-among-under-20-award-winners/|title=Aaron Doherty named among Under-20 award winners|date=20 January 2021|access-date=20 January 2021}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Donegal Football Team}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Doherty, Aaron}}
Category:Donegal inter-county Gaelic footballers
Category:Gaelic football backs
Category:Gaelic footballers who switched code
Category:Naomh Columba Gaelic footballers
Category:Association footballers from County Donegal
Category:Men's association football players not categorized by position
Category:Republic of Ireland men's association footballers