From O’Neill to Owens: Five memorable Ulster GAA Football comebacks

Donegal fans received an early Christmas present with the news that former All-Ireland winning captain Michael Murphy has been coaxed out of retirement.

The Glenswilly star has been out of the inter-county game for two full seasons after announcing his retirement in 2022.

However, his return is a massive boost for Jim McGuinness as the defending Ulster champions seek to build on a promising 2024 campaign.

Read more: Rory Gallagher: Derry get cold feet over reappointing former boss for second time

Read more: Mark Lyons tributes paid as former player, 41, passes away days after club's finest hour

As part of the Football Review Committee, Murphy has helped shape the new playing rules that are set to be voted on at Special Congress at the end of the month.

Over the years, many GAA stars have reconsidered their retirement plans or made long-awaited comebacks after serious injury.

Here’s five other memorable GAA comebacks . . .

Stephen O’Neill (Tyrone)

A third senior All-Ireland title seemed a long way away for Tyrone when, early in 2008, they were dealt a seismic blow with the news that Stephen O’Neill had retired from inter-county football, aged 27.

The 2005 Footballer of the Year and two-time All-Ireland winner had become frustrated with a run of injuries throughout 2006 and 2007 and pulled the pin ahead of the 2008 season.

However, in the build-up to the All-Ireland SFC final against Kerry, the Tyrone squad voted unanimously in favour of O’Neill making a comeback following talks with manager Mickey Harte.

The rest, they say, is history, as the Red Hands defeated Kerry with O’Neill making a substitute appearance in the second half, although he famously refused to accept his winners’ medal, claiming he hadn’t done enough to earn it.

He retired for a second time in 2014 and has since gone on to coach his native county as well as Antrim under Enda McGinley and he his currently working with Cavan under manager Raymond Galligan.

Diarmaid Marsden (Armagh)

One of the most gifted attackers of a generation, Diarmaid Marsden was always something of a cult hero in Armagh football.

However, he stunned the Orchard faithful by announcing his inter-county retirement in 2005, just shy of his 30th birthday.

Marsden, an All-Ireland winner with Armagh in 2002, had been controversially sent off in the 03 final loss to rivals Tyrone, a decision that was overturned on appeal.

Armagh would lose out to their great rivals again in the 05 All-Ireland semi-final, but Joe Kernan persuaded Marsden to return to the squad again ahead of the 2007 season.

The year would end with Marsden’s second retirement while Kernan and All-Ireland winning captain Kieran McGeeney also called it quits.

Barry Owens (Fermanagh)

When news broke in early 2008 that Barry Owens would be taking a break away from the game to undergo heart surgery, many doubted he’d return later that summer for the Ernemen.

Owens was a key part of the Fermanagh squad that shocked Armagh in the famous All-Ireland quarter-final in 2004. He ended that season with an All Star and added a second in 2006.

The Teemore clubman would sit out the Allianz Football League campaign that spring with Fermanagh gaining promotion from Division Three.

Malachy O’Rourke’s men caused an upset in the first round of the Championship by beating Monaghan and they followed it up with a memorable semi-final win over Derry with Owens marking his comeback by scoring the winning goal moments after being sprung from the bench.

Unfortunately for Owens and Fermanagh, the Anglo Celt Cup continued to elude them with Armagh wining the Ulster Final after a replay while Owen retired in 2014.

Michael McCann (Antrim)

Over the course of the noughties, taking a hiatus from the Antrim senior football squad became the norm.

Towards the later part of Lenny Harbinson’s reign, it became clear that the Saffrons were short of experience throughout the panel.

Tomás McCann and Paddy Cunningham had already resumed their county careers and, in early 2020, the elder McCann sibling returned to the Antrim senior squad after three seasons away.

However, the Covid pandemic delayed his return to action, but he featured in that year’s Ulster Championship loss to eventual provincial winners Cavan in October 2020.

He would play a further two full seasons with the Saffrons with his brother-in-law Enda McGinley succeeding Harbinson for the 2021 season.

The Saffrons gained promotion from Division Four in McGinley’s first year and they’ve remained in Division Three ever seen.

McCann’s county career ended on a low note with a red card against the Breffnimen in 2022, but he remains a key player for county champions Cargin. In a twist of fate, Cargin will take on an Errigal Ciaran outfit managed by McGinley in the Ulster Club Championship this weekend.

Liam Doyle (Down)

Liam Doyle looked set for a stellar senior footballing career with Down when he captained the Mournemen to Minor Championship success in 1999.

He made his senior debut the following year having also won a Sigerson medal with UUJ in 2001 and was appointed senior captain in 2007.

However, he suffered a cruciate ligament injury which ended his 2008 season and complications from the injury threatened to end his career prematurely.

An infection in the knee and tendonitis meant he ensured a slow, painful rehab at a time when Down were more than holding their own on the national stage.

In 2010, they were surprising All-Ireland finalists, although James McCartan’s men suffered a narrow loss to Cork.

Many feared Doyle’s county days were behind him, but he returned to the fold in 2011 and was a regular in the team again in 2012, scoring four points in the Ulster final loss to Donegal.

Although he remained on the Down squad for the following two seasons, a series of niggling injuries limited his gametime and he retired from county football in 2015, aged 33. He is currently part of the Down U20 management team.

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