Seán McVeigh

{{Short description|Gaelic footballer and hurler}}

{{Distinguish|Sean McVay}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}

{{Use Hiberno-English|date=June 2019}}

{{Infobox Gaelic games player

| code = Hurling

| sport = Dual player

| image =

| name = Seán McVeigh

| irish =

| fullname =

| feet =

| inches =

| occupation =

| county = Donegal

| province = Ulster

| club = St Eunan's

| position =

| clubs =

| clyears = 20??–

| clapps(points) =

| clcountyf = 3

| clcountyh = 1

| clprovince =

| clallireland =

| counties = Donegal

| icposition =

| icyears = 2007–2022

| icapps(points) = 129

| icprovince =

| icallireland =

| nfl =

| allstars =

| clupdate =

| icupdate =

| birth_date = 1990/91

| birth_place =

}}

Seán McVeigh (born 1990/91) is a dual player. He plays Gaelic football for St Eunan's, as well as, formerly, hurling for the Donegal county team.

McVeigh is from Letterkenny. He made his inter-county debut at the age of 16, away to Longford in the 2007 National Hurling League.

He played for the full game and scored at Croke Park when Donegal won the Lory Meagher Cup in 2011.{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/hurling/2011/0604/280726-donegal_tyrone/|title=Donegal 2–12 Tyrone 0–17|publisher=RTÉ Sport|date=4 June 2011|accessdate=4 June 2011|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412230022/http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/hurling/2011/0604/280726-donegal_tyrone/|archivedate=12 April 2015}}{{cite news|url=http://inishowennews.com/011Sports040.htm|title=Donegal thriller at Croke Park|date=9 June 2011|accessdate=9 June 2011}} He has also scored in the National Hurling League and Nicky Rackard Cup.{{cite news|first=Damien|last=Dowds|url=http://www.inishowennews.com/011Sports009.htm|title=Late goals not enough for Donegal|work=Inishowen News|date=24 February 2011|accessdate=24 February 2011|quote=Featuring match report of 2011 game against Roscommon during which McVeigh scored.|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412230724/http://www.inishowennews.com/011Sports009.htm|archivedate=12 April 2015}}{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/mcveigh-goal-the-catalyst-for-comeback-29261514.html|title=McVeigh goal the catalyst for comeback|newspaper=Irish Independent|date=13 May 2013|accessdate=13 May 2013}}

In 2012, he won the Donegal Senior Football Championship with his club team, scoring in the final as well.{{cite news|first=Colm|last=Keys|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/eunans-survive-storm-3282158.html|title=Eunan's survive storm|newspaper=Irish Independent|date=5 November 2012|accessdate=5 November 2012}}{{cite news|url=http://www.thescore.ie/naomh-conaill-st-eunans-live-660282-Nov2012/|title=As It Happened: St Eunan's v Naomh Conaill, Donegal SFC final|publisher=The42.ie|date=4 November 2012|accessdate=4 November 2012|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412230259/http://www.the42.ie/naomh-conaill-st-eunans-live-660282-Nov2012/|archivedate=12 April 2015}}

He was named on the Nicky Rackard 'Champion XV' in 2012, to formally be awarded at that year's All Stars Banquet.{{cite news|url=http://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/sport/local-sport/award-for-mcveigh-1-4379970|title=Award for McVeigh|work=Donegal Democrat|date=18 October 2012|accessdate=18 October 2012|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412222811/http://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/sport/soccer/award-for-mcveigh-1-4379970|archivedate=12 April 2015}}

He scored a goal in the final of the 2013 Nicky Rackard Cup as Donegal defeated Roscommon.{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/hurling/2013/0608/455400-donegal-v-roscommon/|title=Donegal 3–20 Roscommon 3–16|publisher=RTÉ Sport|date=8 June 2013|accessdate=8 June 2013|quote=Sean McVeigh edged Donegal in front with a 29th-minute goal, but Fallon netted a free to give the Rossies a 2–10 to 1–10 interval lead.|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412230618/http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/hurling/2013/0608/455400-donegal-v-roscommon/|archivedate=12 April 2015}}{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/donegal-win-nicky-rackard-cup-despite-sending-off-596954.html|title=Donegal win Nicky Rackard Cup|work=Irish Examiner|date=8 June 2013|accessdate=8 June 2013}} His goal was an exceptional solo effort.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/durack-hails-effort-as-donegal-dig-deep-to-claim-silverware-29332401.html|title=Durack hails effort as Donegal 'dig deep' to claim silverware|work=Irish Independent|date=10 June 2013|accessdate=10 June 2013|quote=With Lee Henderson totting up a 10-point tally and Sean McVeigh, [Paddy] Hannigan and Paul Sheridan grabbing the goals — McVeigh's solo effort a contender for goal of the year — they had just enough in hand to follow up their success in the Lory Meagher Cup two years ago.}} However, due to restructure of the competitions, Donegal were not promoted to the 2014 Christy Ring Cup.

McVeigh spent time in Barcelona in 2018. He did not play every game of the 2018 National Hurling League for Donegal, when the county recorded their first competitive victories over Derry and Down (he did not play against Derry but did against Down).{{cite news|first=Michael|last=Devlin|url=https://www.gaa.ie/news-archive/news/the-cullen-family-continues-to-deliver-for-donegal-hurling/|title=The Cullen family continues to deliver for Donegal hurling|date=20 June 2018|accessdate=20 June 2018|quote=Down was one of the big games, we've never beat them before.}}{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/donegal-make-their-own-history-36566987.html|title=Donegal make their own history: Donegal 4–17 Derry 2–9|newspaper=Irish Independent|date=5 February 2018|accessdate=5 February 2018}}{{cite news|first=Tom|last=Comack|url=https://www.donegallive.ie/news/gaelic-games/299024/donegal-pull-off-a-historic-first-win-over-downj.html|title=Donegal hurlers pull off an historic first win over Down in Letterkenny|date=25 February 2018|accessdate=25 February 2018}} However, he did play and score a point in the loss to Wicklow, and also played when Donegal defeated Armagh in the closing game of that league campaign.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/garden-get-back-on-track-36617480.html|title=Garden get back on track|newspaper=Irish Independent|date=19 February 2018|accessdate=19 February 2018}}{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/allianz-hl-div-2b-fired-up-coulter-burns-orchard-36694202.html|title=Fired-up Coulter burns Orchard: Donegal 2–17 Armagh 1–17|newspaper=Irish Independent|date=12 March 2018|accessdate=12 March 2018}}

Donegal went on to win their second Nicky Rackard Cup in 2018, with McVeigh again involved.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/donegal-win-the-nicky-rackard-cup-for-the-first-time-since-2013-37041773.html|title=Donegal win the Nicky Rackard Cup for the first time since 2013|newspaper=Irish Independent|date=23 June 2018|accessdate=23 June 2018}}

He returned to Letterkenny from Barcelona in time to compete for his county in the 2019 Christy Ring Cup.{{cite news|first=Ryan|last=Ferry|title=Hurlers rise to Christy Ring challenge|work=Donegal News|date=17 May 2019|page=76|quote=McVeigh has been on the scene for well over a decade now despite only being 28.}}

He took over from Danny Cullen as captain of the Donegal hurling team ahead of the 2020 season.{{cite news|first=Frank|last=Craig|url=https://donegalnews.com/2020/01/county-hurlers-open-at-home-to-armagh/|title=County hurlers open at home to Armagh|work=Donegal News|date=26 January 2020|accessdate=26 January 2020}} He led them to the 2020 Nicky Rackard Cup.{{cite news|url=https://www.the42.ie/tipp-man-flynn-to-the-fore-as-donegal-claim-nicky-rackard-cup-glory-5275521-Nov2020/|title=Tipp man Flynn to the fore as Donegal claim Nicky Rackard Cup glory|publisher=The42.ie|date=21 November 2020|accessdate=21 November 2020}}

He announced his retirement from inter-county hurling in June 2022.{{cite news|first=Tom|last=Comack|url=https://www.donegallive.ie/news/gaa/843986/mcveigh-will-be-a-huge-loss-to-donegal.html|title='McVeigh will be a huge loss to Donegal'|date=23 June 2022|access-date=23 June 2022}} With 129 appearances, only Danny Cullen (153) was ahead of him from the 2022 panel, while Ronan McDermott was in third (108).{{cite news|title=McVeigh's Donegal numbers crunched|work=Donegal News|date=23 June 2022|page=64}} Statistics compiled by Donegal GAA historian Fr Seán Ó Gallchóir.