Rory Beggan Explained

Rory Beggan
Birth Place:Scotstown, County Monaghan, Ireland
Sport:Gaelic Football
Code:Football
County:Monaghan
Province:Ulster
Club:Scotstown
Clyears:2011–
Clposition:Midfield
Clcounty:8
Counties:Monaghan
Icyears:2011-Present
Icposition:Goalkeeper
Icapps(Points):57 (0-69)
Icprovince:2
Allstars:1
Icupdate:match played 22 June 2024

Rory Beggan is an Irish Gaelic footballer for the Monaghan county team.[1] Beggan won an All-Star award in November 2018.[2] In January 2024, Beggan began training in American football as part of the NFL's International Player Pathway Program.

History

Beggan plays his club Gaelic football for Scotstown GAA.[3] Beggan was first called up to play inter-county football for Monaghan in 2011 by Eamon McEneaney.[4] Whilst playing county football, he gained a reputation as a goalkeeper with a long kick and was able to score points from inside his own half. Later he was designated as Monaghan's free kick taker. Keen to practice his free kicks, in 2018 he disguised himself as a member of the backroom team in order to get more practice time with Queen's University Belfast's minors team in Northern Ireland.[5]

Between 2011 and 2018, he had scored 0-43 points, the joint highest for a goalkeeper. Beggan's style of play has been viewed as an evolution of the goalkeeper position being more involved in attacking and scoring moves as ten years prior to 2019, there had been no points scored by any goalkeeper in All-Ireland competition. In 2018, he was named as an All-Ireland All-Star, despite missing a last minute scoring attempt against Tyrone in the 2018 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-finals.[6] He was invited to travel to Philadelphia with the rest of the All-Stars but declined in favour of playing for Scotstown in their Ulster Senior Club Football Championship semi-final.[7]

In January 2024, Beggan began training in American football as part of the NFL's International Player Pathway Program.[8]

Career statistics

As of match played 15 July 2023

TeamYearNational LeagueUlsterAll-IrelandTotal
DivisionAppsScoreAppsScoreAppsScoreAppsScore
Monaghan2011- - -
2012Division 2- - -
2013Division 130-0210-0040-02
201440-1120-0160-12
201530-0110-0040-01
201630-0310-0140-04
201730-0340-0270-05
201820-0470-1490-18
201910-0220-0330-05
202010-01-10-01
202130-05-30-05
202220-0210-0030-02
202320-0260-0780-09
Career total270-36250-28520-64

Honours

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rory Beggan leading Monaghan from the back . RTE . 2018-08-10 . 2020-03-07.
  2. Web site: Donnchadh Boyle: 'It's an imperfect All Stars team and an imperfect system - but it's the best we have'. 2018-11-01 . Irish Independent. 2018-11-02 .
  3. Web site: Sinead . Farrell . 'He's moving his game on to a new level. Not every team has a weapon like him from free-kicks' . The42.ie . 2018-08-03 . 2020-03-07.
  4. Web site: Andy . Watters . Like all Monaghan players Rory Beggan has to start from scratch . The Irish News . 2019-12-24 . 2020-03-07.
  5. Web site: Ben . Kiely . Rory Beggan pulled a very sly trick on Monaghan minors to get some extra free kick training in . SportsJOE.ie . 2018-05-21 . 2020-03-07.
  6. Web site: Conor McManus: No need for Rory Beggan to apologise . Irish Times . 2018-11-02 . 2020-03-07.
  7. Web site: My club comes before a GAA All-Stars trip . Irish News . 2018-11-06 . 2020-03-07.
  8. News: Rory Beggan confirmed as one of four Irish athletes to trial for NFL. The Irish Times. Nathan. Johns. 18 January 2024. 30 March 2024.
  9. News: Crafty Crossmaglen Rangers survive Scotstown scare. Irish Examiner. 30 November 2015. 30 November 2015.
  10. News: Superb McCarthy leads Scotstown back to the summit. Irish Independent. 19 October 2015. 21 October 2015.
  11. News: Monaghan SFC: Scotstown deliver second-half knock-out blows. Hogan Stand. 2 October 2016. 3 October 2016.
  12. News: Heaphey and Hughes secure Scotstown double. Irish Independent. 3 October 2016. 3 October 2016.
  13. News: Monaghan SFC final: Scotstown stroll to three-in-a-row. Hogan Stand. 15 October 2017. 17 October 2017.