Brendan Devenney

{{needs rewrite|date=January 2025}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=March 2020}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}} {{Short description|Donegal Gaelic footballer}} {{Infobox Gaelic games player | name = Brendan Devenney | image = Brendan Devenney at the Races.png | alt = | caption = |  | irish = Breandán Ó Duibheannaigh | sport = Gaelic football | clposition = Full-forward | icposition = Full-forward | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1976}} | birth_place = [[Letterkenny]], [[County Donegal]] | death_date = | death_place = | feet = 5 | inches = 11 | nickname = [[Éamon de Valera|Dev]] | occupation = |  | code = Football | clyears = 1996–2009<br>Various, {{Tooltip|incl.|including}} 2002 | clubs = [[St Eunan's GAA|St Eunan's]]<br>Donegal New York | clapps(points) = |  | county = Donegal | clcounty = 5 | province = | clprovince = | clallireland = |  | colyears = | colleges = | colapps(points) = |  | fitz = | sig = |  | icyears = 1998–2009 | counties = [[Donegal county football team|Donegal]] | icapps(points) = 104 (22–246)<ref>{{cite news|first=Chris|last=McNulty|url=http://www.donegalsporthub.com/numbers-stack-michael-murphy-tops-donegals-time-charts/|title=Numbers stack up as Michael Murphy tops Donegal's all-time charts|date=14 August 2018|access-date=14 August 2018}}</ref> |  | icprovince = | icconnacht = | iculster = | icleinster = | icmunster = | icallireland = | nfl = 1 | nhl = | allstars = 0 |  | clupdate = 00:03, 6 September 2006 (UTC) | icupdate = }} '''Brendan Devenney''' (born 1976) is an Irish [[Gaelic football]] coach, broadcaster and former player. He played as a forward.

Devenney played for the [[St Eunan's GAA|St Eunan's]] club, and also represented the [[Donegal county football team|Donegal county team]]. He contested ?{{Quantify|date=March 2021}} [[Ulster Senior Football Championship]] (SFC) finals with Donegal, played in a semi-final of the [[2003 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship]], and won the [[2007 National Football League (Ireland)|2007 National Football League]] title. Of a {{linktext|mercurial}} temperament,<ref name=dn_22072011/> Devenney often wandered away from the sport to play [[association football]] instead. Described by [[RTÉ]] as "one of the greatest players to have worn the Donegal jersey", Devenney was his county's "main [[marksman]] in the pre-[[Jim McGuinness|McGuinness]] era".<ref name=rte_21052020/> He also won five [[Donegal Senior Football Championship]] (SFC) titles with his club. Devenney was a member of the [[Ireland international rules football team|Ireland]] team that won the [[1998 International Rules Series|1998]] and [[2001 International Rules Series]].

After retiring, Devenney remained involved with his local club (having co-managed them to a Donegal SFC in [[2012 Donegal Senior Football Championship|2012]]). He appears on media platforms such as [[Highland Radio]], and files a column for the ''Letterkenny Leader''. He is also having to come to terms with [[Michael Murphy (Gaelic footballer)|Michael Murphy]] naming him on national television as his childhood hero. A shocked Devenney opened up on this revelation years later: "And that was back when Michael was already the fuckin' man! The fact that he has called me his hero is, probably, the most humbling thing that anyone has ever said to me".<ref>{{cite news|first=Sinéad|last=Kissane|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/sinead-kissane-as-a-landmark-birthday-looms-30-reasons-why-michael-murphy-is-a-modern-great-38370320.html|title=As a landmark birthday looms, 30 reasons why Michael Murphy is a modern great|newspaper=[[Irish Independent]]|date=2 August 2019|access-date=2 August 2019}}</ref> Devenney later said: "Has anyone's hero turned around and then been their hero? Because Michael would be mine. So it's come full circle".<ref name=rte_21052020/>

==Playing career== Devenney played for his school team, [[St Eunan's College]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sainteunans.com/gaa.htm|title=Gaelic Football|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061024212755/http://www.sainteunans.com/gaa.htm|archive-date=24 October 2006}}</ref>

===Club=== In the final of the 1999 [[Donegal Senior Football Championship]], Devenney broke [[Martin McHugh (Gaelic footballer)|Martin McHugh]]'s record by scoring 0–14 of his team's 1–19 to their opponents [[Aodh Ruadh CLG|Aodh Ruadh]]'s 1–11.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.steunansgaa.com/contentPage/78471/f_i_r_s_t_s_e_n_i_o_r_c_o_t_i_t_l_e|title=First Senior County Title|publisher=St Eunan's|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412174923/http://www.steunansgaa.com/contentPage/78471/f_i_r_s_t_s_e_n_i_o_r_c_o_t_i_t_l_e|archive-date=12 April 2015|df=dmy}}</ref> Devenney punctured a lung while playing for his club against Clonoe of Tyrone in the Ulster Club SFC in 2008. He ignored his injury, sustained in the first half, and carried on until the end of the game—scoring four points and contributing to the decisive goal which won the game for his team—after which he was hospitalised.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/donegal-a-family-at-war-26489884.html|title=Donegal: a family at war|newspaper=[[Irish Independent]]|date=5 November 2008|access-date=5 November 2008}}</ref> He also captained his club.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/all-too-easy-for-eunans-26571592.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121209041836/http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/all-too-easy-for-eunans-1904227.html|archive-date=9 December 2012|title=All too easy for Eunan's|newspaper=[[Irish Independent]]|date=5 October 2009|access-date=5 October 2009}}</ref>

He won five Donegal SFCs as a player.<ref>{{cite news|first=Frank|last=Craig|title=Devenney doesn't expect the decider to be a classic|work=[[Donegal News]]|date=17 September 2020|page=57|quote=Brendan Devenney doesn't anticipate the 2020 SFC final being one that gets the adrenaline pumping from beginning to end. But the five-time Dr Maguire winner with St Eunan's…}}</ref>

He also played for [[Donegal New York]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Cliona|last=Foley|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/devenney-in-clear-following-ny-trip-26044322.html|title=Devenney in clear following NY trip|newspaper=[[Irish Independent]]|date=12 June 2002|access-date=12 June 2002}}</ref>

===County=== Devenney played senior football for Donegal despite not having played underage.<ref name=rte_21052020/> His debut against [[Cork county football team|Cork]] in the [[National Football League (Ireland)|National Football League]] quarter-final at [[Croke Park]] in March 1998 was nothing short of sensational: he scored 2–2.<ref name=ii_10052002>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/devenneys-future-in-balance-26047562.html|title=Devenney's future in balance|newspaper=[[Irish Independent]]|date=10 May 2002|access-date=10 May 2002}}</ref> [[Declan Bonner]] gave Devenney his championship debut in 1998.<ref name=dn_22072011/> He played in his first [[Ulster Senior Football Championship]] final later that year, and though he lost, he received the man of the match award.<ref name=rte_21052020/>

He often partnered [[Adrian Sweeney]] in Donegal's forward line.<ref name=dn_22072011/>

He played in the [[2003 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship]] semi-final against [[Armagh county football team|Armagh]], scoring three points (all of which were frees).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/armaghs-double-still-alive-25928845.html|title=Armagh's double still alive|newspaper=[[Irish Independent]]|date=1 September 2003}}</ref>

Devenney had a decent game against Armagh in the 2004 Ulster final at Croke Park.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/football/2004/0711/183489-armagh/|title=Awesome Armagh destroy Donegal|publisher=[[RTÉ Sport]]|date=11 July 2004|access-date=11 July 2004|quote=Brendan Devenney was one of the few positives Donegal would take from the first half. He consistently won his duels with Enda McNulty and the many free kicks he earned suggested that Armagh's blanket defence was not totally impenetrable.}}</ref> He played championship football until 2005.<ref name=dn_22072011/> He came back in 2007.<ref name=dn_22072011/> That year, Devenney contributed to the county winning its first [[National Football League (Ireland)|National Football League]] title in [[2007 National Football League (Ireland)|2007]], passing a late fitness test to play in the final against [[Mayo county football team|Mayo]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/donegal-claim-the-spoils-1.1300269|title=Donegal claim the spoils|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|date=22 April 2007|access-date=22 April 2007}}</ref> However, he went off injured during the game, which Donegal won, and [[Kevin McMenamin]] replaced him.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/northern_ireland/gaelic_games/6581961.stm|title=Donegal win National League title|publisher=[[BBC Sport]]|date=22 April 2007|access-date=11 August 2011|quote=Roper's third score of the first half edged Donegal two ahead and the margin was the same at the break as Brian McIver's side led 0–7 to 0–5. By that stage, Devenney's injury problems had forced his departure with McMenamin coming on.}}</ref><ref name=dt_25042007>{{cite news|url=http://www.donegaltimes.com/2007/04_2/sport.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412230842/http://www.donegaltimes.com/2007/04_2/sport.html|archive-date=12 April 2015|title=Donegal achieve historic win - First national league title comes to county after victory over Mayo|work=Donegal Times|date=25 April 2007|access-date=25 April 2007}}</ref> He made a substitute appearance against Armagh in the 2007 Ulster SFC quarter-final at [[MacCumhaill Park]] on 27 May that year and scored the last-minute goal which defeated the Orchard County by a single point on a scoreline of 1–9 to 1–8.<ref>{{cite news|first=Colm|last=Keys|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/donegal-end-hoodoo-26293742.html|title=Donegal end hoodoo|newspaper=[[Irish Independent]]|date=28 May 2007|access-date=28 May 2007}}</ref> However, he was excluded from the squad in 2008.<ref>{{cite news|first=Cliona|last=Foley|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/devenney-still-waiting-on-call-from-mciver-26449385.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130218065118/http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/devenney-still-waiting-on-call-from-mciver-1388081.html|archive-date=18 February 2013|title=Devenney still waiting on call from McIver|newspaper=[[Irish Independent]]|date=27 May 2008|access-date=27 May 2008}}</ref> He confirmed his retirement from football's top level on 29 December 2009.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

Devenney never won the [[Ulster Senior Football Championship]] during his career.<ref name=dn_22072011>{{cite news|first=Chris|last=Nulty|url=https://donegalnews.com/2011/07/1992-2011-the-best-xv-not-to-win-ulster/|title=1992–2011: The best XV not to win Ulster…|work=[[Donegal News]]|date=22 July 2011|access-date=22 July 2011|archive-date=2 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402182556/http://donegalnews.com/2011/07/1992-2011-the-best-xv-not-to-win-ulster/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Shortly after his departure Donegal [[The System (Gaelic football)|won an All-Ireland Senior Football title in 2012]]. Devenney said, {{cquote|I try not to look back. I try to blank it [the past] out. Because there are too many regrets. It hurts too much. There were good days and good bits, for sure, but the big things like an Ulster and All-Ireland that you were looking for, you never got to and that's why I'm afraid to look back. As I've grown older I'd be wild angry about it. We'd be knocked out of Ulster for playing conventional football, then out of Ulster we could play conventional football as good as anyone. We'd be in the qualifiers and tear through the Longfords and Tipperarys, beat the likes of Meath and Galway. They were the games that sustained you, that's why we played football. But see going up to Clones? I'd be dreading going in the door. There were times I'd be thinking, 'What am I doing here?' That was my mindset before a championship match. I didn't want to be there. How the hell was I going to perform? Looking back on it, there was no way it could go right. Because Armagh and Tyrone had us figured out. They'd lock down space. You look at Bernard and Alan Brogan against Dublin in that [All-Ireland] semi-final a couple of years ago. They looked like they wanted to walk off the pitch. Donegal messed with their heads. Bernard was in there on his own. He couldn't make a channel run. When he did get it, right away he was running into three boys. That was me for years.<ref>{{cite news|first=Kieran|last=Shannon|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/kieran-shannon-donegal-are-dancing-to-new-tunes-232361.html|title=Donegal are dancing to new tunes|work=[[Irish Examiner]]|date=25 May 2013|access-date=25 May 2013}}</ref>}} He spoke again in 2020 of the "dread" he experienced ahead of playing for Donegal against other Ulster teams.<ref name=rte_21052020>{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2020/0521/1139816-devenney-lifts-lid-on-the-times-he-dreaded-games/|title=Donegal legend Brendan Devenney lifts lid on the times he 'dreaded' games|publisher=[[RTÉ Sport]]|date=21 May 2020|access-date=21 May 2020}}</ref>

===National team=== Devenney represented [[Ireland international rules football team|Ireland]] in the [[1998 International Rules Series]]. He scored one over (worth three points) in the second test, which was held at Croke Park on 18 October, as Ireland won the series by an aggregate score of 128–118.<ref name=footystats_aust-irl_1998>{{cite web|url=http://footystats.freeservers.com/Footystats/Aust-Ireland.html|title=Australia v Ireland 1998|access-date=6 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006072553/http://footystats.freeservers.com/Footystats/Aust-Ireland.html#1998|archive-date=6 October 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> He was his country's leading scorer against [[Australia international rules football team|Australia]] in the [[2001 International Rules Series]], as Ireland romped to victory in Australia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.steunansgaa.com/contentPage/78477/a_l_l_i_r_e_l_a_n_d_f_i_n_a_l_p_l_a_y_e_r_s|title=All-Ireland Final Players|publisher=St Eunan's|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412222131/http://www.steunansgaa.com/contentPage/78477/a_l_l_i_r_e_l_a_n_d_f_i_n_a_l_p_l_a_y_e_r_s|archive-date=12 April 2015|df=dmy}}</ref> He scored four overs in the first test, held at the [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]] on 12 October, as Ireland won 59–53.<ref name=footystats_aust-irl_2001>{{cite web|url=http://footystats.freeservers.com/Footystats/Aust-Ireland.html|title=Australia v Ireland 2001|access-date=6 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006072553/http://footystats.freeservers.com/Footystats/Aust-Ireland.html#2001|archive-date=6 October 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> He scored two overs in the second test, held at [[Football Park]] in [[Adelaide]] on 19 October.<ref name=footystats_aust-irl_2001/>

==Association football== While playing for Donegal, Devenney would often pass the time during the 2000s by playing [[association football]] matches for [[League of Ireland]] club [[Finn Harps F.C.|Finn Harps]].<ref name=balls_29052014/> He was involved in the [[2001–02 League of Ireland Premier Division]] relegation playoff [[Penalty shoot-out (association football)|penalty shoot-out]] loss to [[Longford Town F.C.|Longford Town]] after Finn Harps qualified via the [[2001–02 League of Ireland First Division]].<ref name=balls_29052014/>

In 2006, he became disillusioned and began playing association football in the [[Northern Ireland|Irish League]] with [[Portadown F.C.|Portadown]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/return-of-the-prodigals-26266649.html|title=Return of the prodigals|newspaper=[[Irish Independent]]|date=20 April 2007|access-date=20 April 2007}}</ref>

There was also [[Limavady United F.C.|Limavady United]] somewhere.{{when|date=May 2020}}

Devenney, however, was not sufficiently interested in the sport to take up an offer of a two-year contract with Finn Harps in 2007, preferring to play football for Donegal.<ref name=balls_29052014>{{cite news|first=Conor|last=Neville|url=https://www.balls.ie/football/league-ireland-gaa-xi-117834|title=Our Inter-County GAA Players Who Have Played League Of Ireland XI|publisher=[[Balls.ie]]|date=29 May 2014|access-date=29 May 2014}}</ref>

Devenney has also played for association football club Gweedore United in the Donegal Junior Football League.

==Coaching and media work== As of 2012, Devenney was coaching his local club and doing radio commentary for the BBC.<ref>{{cite news|first=Martin|last=Breheny|author-link=Martin Breheny|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/martin-breheny-brendan-devenney-comments-highlight-the-problem-facing-gaelic-football-28893434.html|title=Brendan Devenney comments highlight the problem facing Gaelic football – Message to the public: 'Don't expect a good match'; Message to a player: 'You're not going to enjoy this'; Message to the GAA: 'You'll have empty stadiums'|newspaper=[[Irish Independent]]|date=7 November 2012|access-date=7 November 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Keith|last=Duggan|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/more-than-a-club-the-extraordinary-dominance-of-the-side-from-south-armagh-1.1252598|title=More than a club: the extraordinary dominance of the side from south Armagh|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|date=16 February 2013|access-date=16 February 2013|quote='I have seen them play so much doing radio commentary with the BBC', says Brendan Devenney. 'And being honest, I have become a fan'. Devenney managed his club, St Eunan's, against the Armagh champions in the Ulster club quarter-final last November.}}</ref> He was critical of the qualifiers the GAA brought into the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, saying in 2009 that they had "diluted the Championship season a bit."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/devenney-qualifiers-diluting-championship-416911.html|title=Devenney: Qualifiers diluting championship|publisher=BreakingNews.ie|date=30 June 2009|access-date=30 June 2009}}</ref> He was also involved in a national radio debate hosted by [[Marian Finucane]] on the topic of money.<ref name=ii_10052002/> He predicted Derry would beat Donegal in the [[2014 Ulster Senior Football Championship]] quarter-final.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/av/northern-ireland/27519111|title=Meet the legend - Brendan Devenney|publisher=[[BBC Sport]]|date=22 May 2014|access-date=22 May 2014}}</ref>

===''DL Debate''=== On 10 February 2020, a weekly programme called ''DL Debate'' began airing on [[Highland Radio]]. It originated in discussion between Devenney and Oisín Kelly between games on a Sunday, with Devenney concluding that a Monday evening programme to discuss the weekend's fixtures was necessary.<ref>{{cite news|first=Jonathan|last=Foley|title=DV's 'DL Debate' podcast is on the air|work=The Leader|date=20 February 2020|page=69}}</ref> Devenney's guests on the first episode included [[John Haran]], [[Colm Parkinson]] (Laois) and [[Ciarán Whelan]] (Dublin).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.highlandradio.com/2020/02/10/podcast-dl-debate-ep-1/|title=Podcast – DL Debate Ep 1|publisher=[[Highland Radio]]|date=10 February 2020|access-date=20 February 2020}}</ref> Others in later episodes included [[Neil Gallagher (Donegal footballer)|Neil Gallagher]], [[John Gildea]], [[Enda McGinley]] (Tyrone), [[Rory Kavanagh]], [[Donal Reid]], [[Bernard Flynn]] (Meath), [[P. J. McGowan]] and [[David Brady]] (Mayo).<ref>All [[Highland Radio]]: *{{cite news|url=https://www.highlandradio.com/2020/02/17/podcast-dl-debate-ep-2/|title=Podcast – DL Debate Ep 2|date=17 February 2020}} *{{cite news|url=https://www.highlandradio.com/2020/02/24/podcast-dl-debate-ep-3/|title=Podcast – DL Debate Ep 3|date=24 February 2020}} *{{cite news|url=https://www.highlandradio.com/2020/03/02/podcast-dl-debate-episode-4/|title=Podcast – DL Debate Ep 4|date=2 March 2020}} *{{cite news|url=https://www.highlandradio.com/2020/03/09/podcast-dl-debate-episode-5/|title=Podcast – DL Debate Ep 5|date=9 March 2020}} *{{cite news|url=https://www.highlandradio.com/2020/03/16/podcast-dl-debate-episode-6/|title=Podcast – DL Debate Ep 6|date=16 March 2020}} *{{cite news|url=https://www.highlandradio.com/2020/03/23/podcast-dl-debate-episode-7/|title=Podcast – DL Debate Ep 7|date=23 March 2020}} *{{cite news|url=https://www.highlandradio.com/2020/03/30/podcast-dl-debate-episode-8/|title=Podcast – DL Debate Ep 8|date=30 March 2020}} *{{cite news|url=https://www.highlandradio.com/2020/04/06/podcast-dl-debate-episode-9/|title=Podcast – DL Debate Ep 9|date=6 April 2020}} *{{cite news|url=https://www.highlandradio.com/2020/04/20/podcast-dl-debate-episode-10/|title=Podcast – DL Debate Ep 10|date=20 April 2020}} *{{cite news|url=https://www.highlandradio.com/2020/04/27/podcast-dl-debate-episode-11/|title=Podcast – DL Debate Ep 11|date=27 April 2020}} *{{cite news|url=https://www.highlandradio.com/2020/05/11/podcast-dl-debate-episode-12/|title=Podcast – DL Debate Ep 12|date=11 May 2020}}</ref> Devenney presented ''DL Debate'' live from [[Donegal (town)|Donegal Town]] on the evening of the homecoming after the [[2025 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://highlandradio.com/2025/07/28/donegal-team-to-be-welcomed-home-this-evening/|title=Donegal team to be welcomed home this evening|publisher=[[Highland Radio]]|date=28 July 2025}}</ref>

==Personal life== He is the son of Paddy and Imelda Devenney.<ref name=dn_18112021>{{cite news|title=GAA stars (and more) at gala ball|work=[[Donegal News]]|date=18 November 2021|page=28}} A photograph at the bottom left of the page is captioned: "Paddy and Imelda Devenney and their grandson Shane at their son Brendan's Charity Ball in the Mount Errigal Hotel on Friday night". The photograph above this is captioned: "Guests at the charity ball organised by Brendan Devenney in the Mount Errigal Hotel on Friday night to raise funds for three charities, [[Focus Ireland]], [[Plan International]] and Cancer Care West".</ref> His father died of an illness in September 2022, while his sister Margaret also died — suddenly — the next day, and the two were given a joint funeral.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hoganstand.com/Article/Index/325120|title=Brendan Devenney bereaved|work=Hogan Stand|date=23 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://extra.ie/2022/09/23/news/donegal-gaa-legend-loses-father-sister-hours-apart|title=Donegal GAA star loses father and sister in space of a few hours in double tragedy|first=John|last=Murphy|date=23 September 2022}}</ref>

===Charairy balls=== "DV's Charity Ball", as it was termed, was held in November 2021 at Letterkenny's Mount Errigal Hotel.<ref name=dn_18112021/><ref name=dn_18102023/> €24,000 was collected for Cancer Care West, [[Focus Ireland]] and [[Plan International]] Ireland.<ref name=dn_18102023/>

According to Devenney, 2018 was when he first became involved with Plan International.<ref name=dn_18102023/> [[Fasting]] has been part of his involvement with the charity.<ref name=dn_18102023/> In June 2023, Devenney went to [[Togo]] to see what was happening with his funds for Plan International.<ref name=dn_18102023/>

Another of Devenney's balls was held at Letterkenny's Mount Errigal Hotel on 24 November 2023.<ref name=dn_18102023>{{cite news|url=https://donegalnews.com/brendan-devenney-to-host-second-charity-ball/|title=Brendan Devenney to host second charity ball|work=[[Donegal News]]|date=18 October 2023|access-date=18 October 2023}}</ref> Devenney said his second ball would involve a drinks reception, four-course meal, an auction and music.<ref name=dn_18102023/> Donegal Hospice, [[Epilepsy Ireland]] and Plan International were the charities targeted on this occasion.<ref name=dn_18102023/> Devenney linked his second ball to the memory of his father and sister, who had both died since he held his first ball.<ref name=dn_18102023/>

==Honours== ;Club * [[Donegal Senior Football Championship]]: 1999,{{citation needed|date=May 2020}} 2001,{{citation needed|date=May 2020}} 2007,{{citation needed|date=May 2020}} 2008,{{citation needed|date=May 2020}} 2009{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

;County * [[National Football League (Ireland)|National Football League]]: [[2007 National Football League (Ireland)|2007]]<ref name=dt_25042007/>

;Country * [[International Rules Series]]: [[1998 International Rules Series|1998]],<ref name=footystats_aust-irl_1998/> [[2001 International Rules Series|2001]]<ref name=footystats_aust-irl_2001/>

;Individual * [[Ulster Senior Football Championship]] final man of the match: 1998<ref name=rte_21052020/> * [[GAA GPA All Stars Awards|All Star]] nomination: 2001<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2001/1101/159735-allstars/|title=Tohill left out of All Star nominations|publisher=[[RTÉ Sport]]|date=1 November 2001}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{Twitter}} * [https://archive.today/20130123144109/http://www.gaainfo.com/players/football/donegal/Brendan%20Devenney.php Brendan Devenney] at gaainfo.com * [https://www.donegaldaily.com/2013/07/23/charlie-collins-is-talking-sport-with-brendan-devenney/ Charlie Collins is TALKING SPORT with …Brendan Devenney]

{{Donegal Football Team 2007}} {{Navboxes |title=St Eunan's squads |bg=gold |fg=black |bordercolor=black |list1= {{Donegal Senior Football Champions 1999}} {{Donegal Senior Football Champions 2001}} {{Donegal Senior Football Champions 2007}} {{Donegal Senior Football Champions 2008}} {{Donegal Senior Football Champions 2009}} {{Donegal Senior Football Champions 2012}} }} {{Navboxes |title=Ireland squads |bg=green |fg=white |list1= {{1998 Ireland international rules football team}} {{2001 Ireland international rules football team}} }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Devenney, Brendan}} [[Category:1976 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:BBC sports presenters and reporters]] [[Category:Donegal inter-county Gaelic footballers]] [[Category:Donegal New York Gaelic footballers]] [[Category:Gaelic footballers who switched code]] [[Category:Gaelic football forwards]] [[Category:Gaelic games commentators]] [[Category:Irish expatriate sportspeople in the United States]] [[Category:Irish international rules football players]] [[Category:People educated at St Eunan's College]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Letterkenny]] [[Category:St Eunan's Gaelic footballers]] [[Category:Ulster inter-provincial Gaelic footballers]] [[Category:Association footballers from County Donegal]] [[Category:Finn Harps F.C. players]] [[Category:League of Ireland players]] [[Category:Limavady United F.C. players]] [[Category:Men's association football players not categorized by position]] [[Category:NIFL Premiership players]] [[Category:Portadown F.C. players]] [[Category:Republic of Ireland men's association footballers]]