Michael Darragh MacAuley explained

Michael Darragh MacAuley
Irish:Micheál Darragh Mac Amhalghaidh
Nickname:MDMA, Mick
Occupation:Primary School Teacher
Birth Date:21 August 1986
Birth Place:Dublin, Ireland
Height:1.90NaN0[1]
Sport:Gaelic Football
Code:Football
County:Dublin
Province:Leinster
Colleges:Froebel College of Education
Maynooth University
Club:Ballyboden St Enda's
Clposition:Midfield
Clcounty:3
Clprovince:2
Clallireland:1
Counties:Dublin
Icyears:2010–2021
Icposition:Midfield
Icapps(Points):27 (2-06)
Icprovince:10
Icallireland:8
Nfl:5
Allstars:1
Icupdate:21 January 2021

Michael Darragh MacAuley is a Gaelic footballer who plays club football for Ballyboden St Enda's and inter-county for Dublin county team from 2010 until 2020. He plays his club football with Ballyboden St Enda's, with whom he won the 2016 All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship. He also won the 2009 Dublin Senior Football Championship, 2015 Dublin Senior Football Championship and 2015 Leinster Senior Football Club championship. MacAuley was the 2013 GAA/GPA Footballer of the Year.

Playing career

Club

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

Inter-county

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.[2] 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.[3]

MacAuley made his Championship debut as a substitute against Wexford in the 2010 Leinster Senior Football Championship.[4] 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.[5] 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.[6] MacAuley scored a point in Dublin's eventual exit from that season's All-Ireland Championship at the semi-final stage.[7]

MacAuley won his first All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in September 2011, when Dublin beat Kerry at Croke Park.[8] 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".[9] 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.[10] [11]

On 21 January 2021, MacAuley announced his retirement form inter-county football.[12] [13] [14] [15]

Personal life

After retiring from playing inter county football he visited Hikkaduwa - a surfing town on the south coast of Sri Lanka.[16] 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.[17]

Honours

Team

Dublin

Ballyboden St Enda's

Individual

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Michael Darragh McAuley Profile - Ballyboden St. Enda's GAA - Gaelic Football, Hurling, Camogie, and Ladies Football - Dublin, Leinster, Ireland . 29 June 2014 . 18 October 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141018225822/http://www.bodengaa.ie/news/michael_darragh_macauley.448.3680.html . dead .
  2. News: Dublin ease past Wexford to spark new hope. Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. 18 January 2010. 18 January 2010.
  3. News: Dublin 1-12 Kerry 1-10 . RTÉ Sport . 7 February 2010 . 7 February 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100210052434/http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2010/0207/dublin_kerry.html . 10 February 2010 .
  4. News: Dublin 2-16 Wexford 0-15 (AET) . RTÉ Sport . 13 June 2010 . 13 June 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100615002441/http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2010/0613/dublin_wexford.html . 15 June 2010 .
  5. Web site: Royals rout Dubs in Leinster semi. Hill16.ie. 2010-06-27. 2010-07-21.
  6. Web site: Dubs book place in next round of football qualifiers. Hill16.ie. 2010-07-11. 2010-07-21.
  7. News: Dublin 1-14 1-15 Cork. BBC News. 22 August 2010. 22 August 2010.
  8. Web site: News.
  9. News: MacAuley was never in doubt. 23 December 2011. 23 December 2011.
  10. News: MDMA and Tony Kelly scoop top gongs at GAA GPA All Star Awards. 8 November 2013. 8 November 2013.
  11. News: Michael Darragh Macauley crowned Footballer of the Year: Macauley's team-mate Jack McCaffrey picked up the Young Player gong . 8 November 2013 . 8 November 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131202235005/http://www.thescore.ie/michael-darragh-macauley-footballer-of-the-year-1167724-Nov2013/ . 2 December 2013 .
  12. Web site: Michael Darragh Macauley brings curtain down on superb Dublin career. 21 January 202. The 42. 21 January 2021.
  13. Web site: Eight-time All-Ireland winner Michael Darragh Macauley hangs up his inter county boots. 21 January 202. Irish Independent. 21 January 2021.
  14. Web site: Eight-time All-Ireland winner Macauley announces inter-county retirement. 21 January 202. RTE Sport. 21 January 2021.
  15. Web site: Conal Keaney: Michael Darragh Macauley was one of the greatest midfielders. 21 January 2021. Irish Examiner. 22 January 2021.
  16. Web site: O'Kane. Karl. 2022-01-19. Michael Darragh Macauley on his career and people's conflicting view of him. 2022-01-19. Irish Mirror. en.
  17. https://www.dublinlive.ie/sport/gaa/dublin-gaa-heroes-calling-sport-28216647