Jimmy O'Donnell (Gaelic footballer)

Jimmy O'Donnell
Personal information
Irish name Séamus Ó Dónaill
Sport Gaelic football
Position Right corner-forward
Born 1940
Kilnaleck, County Cavan, Ireland
Died (aged 81)
Galway, County Galway, Ireland
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Occupation Bank official
Club(s)
Years Club
Seán McDermotts
Cootehill Celtic
Kickhams
Club titles
Cavan titles 0
Inter-county(ies)
Years County
1958–1962
1963–
Leitrim
Cavan
Inter-county titles
Ulster titles 2
All-Irelands 0
NFL 0

James K. O'Donnell (1940 – 28 February 2022) was an Irish Gaelic footballer who played for a number of club sides, including Cootehill Celtic, and at inter-county level with the Leitrim and Cavan senior football teams.

Career[edit]

Born in Kilnaleck, County Cavan in 1940,[1] O'Donnell and his family moved to Manorhamilton, County Leitrim at an early age. He first came to sporting prominence with the local Seán McDermotts club, winning a Leitrim JFC title in 1958, before later lining out with Cootehill Celtic in Cavan and Kickhams in Dublin.[2][3] O'Donnell first appeared on the inter-county scene as a 16-year-old member of the Leitrim minor team that lost the 1956 All-Ireland minor final to Dublin. He was in his final year as a minor when he progressed onto the Leitrim senior football team. O'Donnell joined the Cavan senior football team in 1963 and won two Ulster Championship titles.[4]

Personal life and death[edit]

O'Donnell was educated at St Patrick's College in Cavan and spent his entire working life as a bank official with Ulster Bank. His nephew, Seán Óg de Paor, won two All-Ireland medals with the Galway senior football team.[5] O'Donnell died in Galway on 28 February 2022, at the age of 81.[6]

Honours[edit]

Seán McDermotts
Cavan

References[edit]

  1. ^ "James K O'Donnell in 1940". Find My Past. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  2. ^ "Manorhamilton". Irish Independent. 21 April 2008. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  3. ^ "Death of well-known vintner, businessman and sports personality". Irish Independent. 6 March 2009. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  4. ^ "Former Cavan star Jimmy O'Donnell passes away". Hogan Stand. 2 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  5. ^ "Manorhamilton: GAA greats honoured at Millennium function". Irish Independent. 15 June 2001. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  6. ^ "The late James (Jimmy) O'Donnell". Leitrim GAA website. 3 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.