Pascal McConnell

{{Infobox GAA player

|image =

|name = Pascal McConnell

|irish = Pascal Mac Dhónaill

|nickname = Packie

|feet = 6

|inches = 4

|sport = Gaelic football

|code = Football

|county = Tyrone

|province = Ulster

|clposition = Goalkeeper

|club = Newtownstewart St Eugene's

|clyears = 1999–

|clapps(points) =

|clcounty =

|clprovince =

|clubs = Newtownstewart St Eugene's

|counties = Tyrone

|icposition = Goalkeeper

|icyears = 1999–2013

|icapps(points) =

|icprovince = 5

|icallireland = 3

|nfl = 1

|allstars = 0

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1980|04|10|df=yes}}

|birth_place = County Tyrone

}}

Pascal McConnell (born 10 April 1980) is a former Gaelic footballer who played for the Tyrone county team.

He is an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship winner.

McConnell competed with John Devine and Niall Morgan to be first choice goalkeeper for Tyrone.{{cite web|url = https://www.bbc.com/sport/gaelic-games/25087165|title=TGoalkeeper Pascal McConnell calls time on Tyrone career|date=25 November 2013|work=BBC Sport|access-date=25 November 2013}}

Early life and family

McConnell's older brother is Tyrone's All Star-winning goalkeeper of the nineties, Finbar McConnell.{{Cite web|date=2017-10-07|title=Brian McConnell: Father of Tyrone goalkeepers was big in stature, character and heart|url=http://www.irishnews.com/notices/livesremembered/2017/10/07/news/brian-mcconnell-father-of-tyrone-goalkeepers-was-big-in-stature-character-and-heart-1154264/|access-date=2020-06-09|website=The Irish News|language=en}}

Playing career

In 1998, McConnell played alongside Stephen O'Neill in the MacRory Cup semi-final for Omagh CBS.{{Cite web|date=2020-03-17|title=We were going to empty out the county... Fermanagh was going to wage war on Tyrone that day|url=http://www.irishnews.com/sport/gaafootball/2020/03/17/news/st-michael-s-omagh-cbs-1869241/|access-date=2020-06-09|website=The Irish News|language=en}}

Over the course of his career with Tyrone GAA, McConnell helped win three All-Ireland senior medals for the county.{{Cite web|title=Pascal Mcconnell · TheJournal.ie|url=https://www.thejournal.ie/|access-date=2020-10-11|website=TheJournal.ie|language=en}}

=Retirement=

McConnell announced his retirement from inter-county football in November 2013.{{cite web|date=25 November 2013|title=Tyrone goalkeeper Pascal McConnell retires|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/football/2013/1125/488970-mcconnell-retires/|access-date=25 November 2013|work=RTÉ Sport}}{{Cite web|title=Pascal Mcconnell · The42|url=https://www.the42.ie/|access-date=2020-10-11|website=The42|language=en}}

When asked about this decision, McConnell said, "There is a big commitment required in order to stay performing at the top level and I feel the time is right to bow out and start a new chapter in my life. I have absolutely no regrets from my playing career with Tyrone, although, I suppose if I was a bit greedy, I would say that I felt that we could have won the All Ireland in 2009 and 2010."{{cite news|date=25 November 2013|title=Tyrone's Pascal McConnell retires from inter-county football|newspaper=Irish Independent|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/tyrones-pascal-mcconnell-retires-from-intercounty-football-29782122.htm|access-date=25 November 2013}}{{cite news|date=25 November 2013|title=Pascal's superb decade at an end|newspaper=Belfast Telegraph|url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/gaa/tyrone/pascals-superb-decade-at-an-end-29781338.html|access-date=25 November 2013}}

His retirement from inter-county football left Conor Gormley, Dermot Carlin, Stephen O'Neill and Seán Cavanagh as the only remaining links to the Tyrone team that won the county's first All-Ireland senior title in 2003.{{cite news|date=25 November 2013|title=Cavanagh to skipper Tyrone as McConnell retires|work=Hogan Stand|url=http://www.hoganstand.com/Football/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=205193|access-date=25 November 2013}}

References

http://www.breakingnews.ie/archives/2004/0804/sport/kfgbauaueygb/
[https://archive.today/20080301051521/http://www.westernpeople.ie/news/story.asp?j=36557&cat=sport]

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Category:1980 births

Category:Living people

Category:Gaelic football goalkeepers

Category:Newtownstewart St Eugene's Gaelic footballers

Category:Tyrone inter-county Gaelic footballers

Category:Winners of two All-Ireland medals (Gaelic football)