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Michael Darragh MacAuley

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Michael Darragh MacAuley
Personal information
Irish name Micheál Darragh Mac Amhalghaidh
Sport Gaelic Football
Position Midfield
Born (1986-08-21) 21 August 1986 (age 38)
Dublin, Ireland
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[1]
Nickname MDMA, Mick
Occupation CEO, Sanctuary Runners
Club(s)
Years Club
Ballyboden St Enda's
Club titles
Dublin titles 3
Leinster titles 2
All-Ireland Titles 1
Colleges(s)
Years College
Froebel College of Education
Maynooth University
Inter-county(ies)*
Years County Apps (scores)
2010–2021
Dublin 27 (2-06)
Inter-county titles
Leinster titles 10
All-Irelands 8
NFL 5
All Stars 1
*Inter County team apps and scores correct as of 21 January 2021.

Michael Darragh MacAuley is a Gaelic footballer who plays club football for Ballyboden St Enda's. He played at inter-county level for the Dublin county team from 2010 until 2020, winning eight All-Ireland medals.

With Ballyboden St Enda's, he won the 2016 All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship. He also won the Dublin Senior Football championship (2009, 2015) and the Leinster Senior Football Club championship (2015). MacAuley was the 2013 GAA/GPA Footballer of the Year.[2]

In 2024, MacAuley took up the position of CEO at Sanctuary Runners, Ireland.[3]

Playing career

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Club

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MacAuley plays his club football with Ballyboden St Enda's, with whom he won the Dublin Senior Football Championship in 2009.[citation needed]

Inter-county

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MacAuley made his senior football debut for Dublin against Wexford in the first round of the O'Byrne Cup; he scored a point on his debut.[4] McAuley made his debut in the league against the 2009 All-Ireland Champions Kerry. He scored a decisive point in the game which assured the win for Dublin against Kerry.[5]

MacAuley made his Championship debut as a substitute against Wexford in the 2010 Leinster Senior Football Championship.[6] He made his second appearance against Meath in the semi-final of the Leinster football championship, a game in which Dublin were easily beaten by the Royals.[7] MacAuley had his first start for Dublin against Tipperary in a second round qualifier for the All-Ireland Championship. He scored his first Championship goal and point in a game in which he finished with 1-01 of the final score of 1-21 to 1-13 at Croke Park.[8] MacAuley scored a point in Dublin's eventual exit from that season's All-Ireland Championship at the semi-final stage.[9]

MacAuley won his first All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in September 2011, when Dublin beat Kerry at Croke Park.[10] He wasn't surprised by the comeback nature of the game, saying: "We had been down before in matches. It wasn't the first time we were down. We actually had a training game the week before when the As played the Bs and it was a very similar situation".[11] His second All-Ireland title came against Mayo in 2013, as did the GAA/GPA Footballer of the Year, when he succeeded Karl Lacey to the title.[12][2]

On 21 January 2021, MacAuley announced his retirement form inter-county football.[13][14][15][16]

Personal life

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After retiring from playing inter county football he visited Hikkaduwa - a surfing town on the south coast of Sri Lanka.[17] During the 2023 Israel–Hamas war he and David Hickey formed a group called Dublin Footballers Support Palestine to advocate for Palestinians and to put pressure on the Irish Government to take a stronger stance against Israeli human rights abuses.[18]

Honours

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Team

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Dublin

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Ballyboden St Enda's

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Individual

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References

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  1. ^ "Michael Darragh McAuley Profile - Ballyboden St. Enda's GAA - Gaelic Football, Hurling, Camogie, and Ladies Football - Dublin, Leinster, Ireland". Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Michael Darragh Macauley crowned Footballer of the Year: Macauley's team-mate Jack McCaffrey picked up the Young Player gong". 8 November 2013. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
  3. ^ O’Riordan, Ian (21 August 2024). "Michael Darragh Macauley named new chief executive of Sanctuary Runners". Irish Times.
  4. ^ "Dublin ease past Wexford to spark new hope". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. 18 January 2010. Retrieved 18 January 2010.
  5. ^ "Dublin 1-12 Kerry 1-10". RTÉ Sport. 7 February 2010. Archived from the original on 10 February 2010. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
  6. ^ "Dublin 2-16 Wexford 0-15 (AET)". RTÉ Sport. 13 June 2010. Archived from the original on 15 June 2010. Retrieved 13 June 2010.
  7. ^ "Royals rout Dubs in Leinster semi". Hill16.ie. 27 June 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2010.
  8. ^ "Dubs book place in next round of football qualifiers". Hill16.ie. 11 July 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2010.
  9. ^ "Dublin 1-14 1-15 Cork". BBC News. 22 August 2010. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
  10. ^ "News".
  11. ^ "MacAuley was never in doubt". 23 December 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2011.
  12. ^ "MDMA and Tony Kelly scoop top gongs at GAA GPA All Star Awards". 8 November 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
  13. ^ "Michael Darragh Macauley brings curtain down on superb Dublin career". The 42. 21 January 202. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  14. ^ "Eight-time All-Ireland winner Michael Darragh Macauley hangs up his inter county boots". Irish Independent. 21 January 202. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  15. ^ "Eight-time All-Ireland winner Macauley announces inter-county retirement". RTE Sport. 21 January 202. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  16. ^ "Conal Keaney: Michael Darragh Macauley was one of the greatest midfielders". Irish Examiner. 21 January 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  17. ^ O'Kane, Karl (19 January 2022). "Michael Darragh Macauley on his career and people's conflicting view of him". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  18. ^ "Dublin GAA heroes calling on sport stars to join march for Gaza". 2 December 2023.