Dónal O'Neill
{{Short description|Irish Gaelic footballer (1967–2023)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox Gaelic games player
| code= Football
| sport = Gaelic football
| image =
| name = Dónal O'Neill
| irish =
| fullname =
| birth_place = Edenderry,
County Offaly, Ireland
| birth_date = 1967
| death_place = Dublin, Ireland
| death_date = 10 October 2023 (aged 56)
| feet =
| inches =
| occupation = University lecturer
| county = Offaly
| province = Leinster
| club =
| clubs = Edenderry
| clyears = 1984–1988; 1995
| clapps(points) =
| clcounty = 2
| clallireland =
| counties = Offaly
| icposition= Goalkeeper
| icyears = 1985–1988
| icapps(points) = 7 (0–00)
| icprovince = 0
| icallireland = 0
| nfl =0
| allstars= 0
| clupdate =
| icupdate =
}}
Dónal O'Neill (1967 – 10 October 2023) was an Irish Gaelic footballer. At club level he played with Edenderry and at inter-county level with the Offaly senior football team. O'Neill usually lined out as a goalkeeper.
Career
O'Neill first appeared at senior level for Edenderry as a 17-year-old in 1984. A year later, he was part of the team that beat Raheen by a point to win the Offaly SFC title. At inter-county level, O'Neill was part of the Offaly minor and under-21 teams in 1985, before making his senior team debut in a 3–16 to 1–08 defeat of Louth in that year's Leinster SFC.{{cite news|url=https://www.offalyexpress.ie/news/gaa/1319441/death-of-offaly-all-ireland-u-21-football-winning-hero.html|title=Death of Offaly All-Ireland U-21 football winning hero|publisher=Offaly Live|date=10 October 2023|access-date=11 October 2023|first=|last=}}
O'Neill captained the Offaly under-21 team to the Leinster U21FC title in 1986. He claimed a second winners' medal in 1988, before adding an All-Ireland medal to his collection after an 0–11 to 0–09 defeat of Cavan.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/louth/drogheda-news/offaly-keeper-had-a-hand-in-wee-countys-downfall/27117763.html|title=Offaly keeper had a hand in Wee Countys downfall|publisher=Irish Independent|date=22 November 2002|access-date=11 October 2023|first=|last=}} After taking a complete break from playing to concentrate on his studies, O'Neill returned to club activity and won a second Offaly SFC title in 1995.{{cite news|url=https://www.midlands103.com/news/sports/former-offaly-footballer-has-passed-away/|title=Former Offaly Footballer Has Passed Away|publisher=Midlands103 website|date=11 October 2023|access-date=11 October 2023|first=|last=}}
Personal life and death
O'Neill obtained his PhD from the University of Iowa in 1993 and later lectured in economics at the University of Maynooth. He died on 10 October 2023, at the age of 56.{{cite news|url=https://hoganstand.com/Article/Index/329554|title=Former Offaly goalkeeper Donal O'Neill passes away|publisher=Hogan Stand|date=11 October 2023|access-date=11 October 2023|first=|last=}}
Honours
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oneill, Donal}}
Category:Edenderry Gaelic footballers