.jpg)
_cropped.jpg)
Acaptain of aGaelic games team, sometimes known as askipper,[1] is a player who, during the course of a match as well as before and after it, has several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of his teammates.
Tradition means that some teams rotate the captaincy annually, though others may adopt a permanent captain. As well as being an onfield leader, a captain takes the coin toss and raises the trophy when this is the game's prize.
The captain leads the team out onto the pitch.[2]
Before the start of a match, a coin toss between captains of the opposing teams is used to determine which end of the ground each team will kick to.[3]
Ahead of the All-Ireland final, the captain is the first member of the team to shake the hand of dignitaries who may be attending the game, for example thepresident of the GAA or thepresident of Ireland. He then proceeds along thered carpet and introduces the other players on his team to the president(s), who then shake that player's hand.
It is tradition following an All-Ireland final that the captain raises theSam Maguire Cup (in football) orLiam MacCarthy Cup (in hurling) first before handing the trophy to his teammates. The captain is required to make a speech, including thanking the opposition team.
Traditionally, the captaincy of a county team has been rotated annually among different players, meaning that most captains may lead their team to one All-Ireland and/or Provincial Championship (occasionally two), even when their county teams have been dominant.
Kerry maintain the tradition of having theKerry Senior Football Championship winning club nominate their captain each season.[4][5]
Kilkenny do likewise regarding theKilkenny Senior Hurling Championship.[6]
This has increasingly become a disadvantage as themanager of the county team does not get to make the decision.[7]
The idea of a permanent captain of a county team was introduced byJim McGuinness when he namedMichael Murphy "to succeedKevin Cassidy as captain of Donegal for the 2011 season" (as theBBC stated at the time) after taking over as Donegal manager in 2010.[8] Murphy, in an unprecedented development, held the captaincy throughout McGuinness's time in charge (until 2014) and then became the first to hold it throughout a second manager's time in charge (Rory Gallagher: 2014–2017). WhenDeclan Bonner took over as manager in 2017 he retained Murphy as captain. Murphy reached a decade as captain in 2021.[7]
Jim Gavin upon taking over asDublin manager, adopted a similar practice by namingStephen Cluxton as his captain.[7] This allowed Cluxton to become the first man to captain a team to three All-Ireland Senior Football Championships (2013, 2015, 2016). Cluxton won eight All-Ireland SFC titles, seven of which were achieved as captain (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020), as well as the 2011 All-Ireland SFC whenBryan Cullen was captain.
Declan Hannon became the first person to lift hurling'sLiam MacCarthy Cup on four occasions as captain in 2022 (following 2018, 2020 and 2021).[9] He did so alongside the injuredCian Lynch, who later revealed that he was not anticipating Hannon asking him to lift the trophy with him.[10]
The2021 GAA Congress outlawed the possibility of joint-captains, which had crept into the games over the previous decade, raising a trophy.[11]
Kerry football captainsKieran O'Leary andFionn Fitzgerald raised theSam Maguire Cup together in 2014.[12]
A young supporter with cancer helpedDr Crokes captainJohnny Buckley raise theAndy Merrigan Cup after the 2017All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship final.[13][14]
Coalisland captainStephen McNally performed a similar gesture with a supporter after the2018 Tyrone Senior Football Championship final.[15]
Corofin joint-captainsMicheál Lundy andCiarán McGrath raised the Andy Merrigan Cup together after the2018–19 All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship final.[16]
Wexford hurling captainsMatthew O'Hanlon andLee Chin raised theBob O'Keefe Cup together in 2019.[17]
Ballymun Kickhams playersJames McCarthy andJohn andPaddy Small all raised the trophy together after winning the2020 Dublin Senior Football Championship.[18]
TheLimerick footballers persisted with joint captains in 2021, ignoring the earlier vote at Congress.[19]
Cork won the 2021Munster Minor Football Championship, with joint captains Rory O'Shaughnessy and Hugh O'Connor both raising the trophy afterwards.[20]
It's my job to take the toss or to run out first.
Paul Murphy is Kerry captain in [Gavin] White's absence. Dublin win the toss and will play toward Hill 16 for the first half, into the Davin for the second.
Declan Hannon has become the first captain to receive the Liam MacCarthy Cup four times. He lifts it with the injured Cian Lynch.
Joint-captains Ciarán McGrath, left, and Micheál Lundy of Corofin lift the Andy Merrigan Cup...
