Brendan Kilcoyne

{{Use Hiberno-English|date=December 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}} {{Short description|Irish Gaelic footballer and manager}} {{Infobox Gaelic games player | name = Brendan Kilcoyne | image = | alt = | caption = |  | irish = | sport = Gaelic football | clposition = | icposition = | birth_date = {{Birth based on age as of date|47|2015|11|13}}<ref name=dn_13112015/> | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | feet = | inches = | nickname = | occupation = Collection Accounts Manager<br>with [[Ulster Bank]]<ref name=dn_13112015/> |  | code = Football | clyears = 198?–199?<br>199?–200? | clubs = [[Tubbercurry GAA|Tubbercurry]]<br>[[St Eunan's GAA|St Eunan's]] | clapps(points) = |  | county =  | clcounty =  | province = | clprovince = | clallireland = |  | colyears = | colleges = | colapps(points) = |  | fitz = | sig = |  | icyears = ?–? | counties = [[Sligo county football team|Sligo]] | icapps(points) = |  | icprovince = | icconnacht = | iculster = | icleinster = | icmunster = | icallireland = | nfl = | nhl = | allstars = |  | clupdate = | icupdate = }} '''Brendan Kilcoyne''' (born 1967/8) is an Irish [[Gaelic football]] [[Manager (Gaelic games)|manager]], [[Selector (sport)|selector]] and former player. He has played for [[St Eunan's GAA|St Eunan's]], [[Tubbercurry GAA|Tubbercurry]] and the [[Sligo county football team|Sligo county team]].<ref name=dn_13112015/><ref name=dn_02062022/>

==Career== Kilcoyne won two [[Sligo Senior Football Championship]] titles, in [[1986 Sligo Senior Football Championship|1986]] and [[1991 Sligo Senior Football Championship|1991]] (as [[Captain (Gaelic games)|captain]]). He won two [[Donegal Senior Football Championship]] titles with St Eunan's, in 1999 and 2001 (as well as the [[Donegal Senior Football Championship#History|disputed title of 1997]]).<ref name=dn_13112015/><ref name=dsh_11112015/>

As well as playing for St Eunan's, Kilcoyne has managed the club.<ref name=hr_11112015/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/sport/local-sport/two-final-meetings-that-shaped-strands-of-history-1-4417863|title=Two final meetings that shaped strands of history|work=[[Donegal Democrat]]|date=29 October 2012|access-date=29 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329211252/http://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/sport/soccer/two-final-meetings-that-shaped-strands-of-history-1-4417863|archive-date=29 March 2015|quote=…in 2007 when St Eunan's won a frantic first round third game on their way to a first of a string of successive county championships. After Leo McLoone scored 4–1 in Glenties, Brendan Kilcoyne's team came out fighting and the play-off win sent their history on an upward trend.}}</ref> He led the club to the 2007 Donegal SFC title, but after defeat in the [[2007 Ulster Senior Club Football Championship]], he accused the county board of collaborating with opponent [[Cavan Gaels GAA|Cavan Gaels]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/northern_ireland/gaelic_games/7055344.stm|title=Cavan Gaels edge out St Eunan's|publisher=[[BBC Sport]]|date=21 October 2007|quote=Kilcoyne alleged that an unnamed member of the county board had sent videos of recent St Eunan's games to the Cavan Gaels club. 'Members of our county board were collaborating with them and it was disappointing', said Kilcoyne.}}</ref>

After managing the St Eunan's club to the Donegal SFC title, Kilcoyne was a candidate to replace [[Tommy Breheny]] as Sligo senior manager when Breheny resigned in 2007.<ref>{{cite news|first=Gavin|last=Cummiskey|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/breheny-resigns-as-sligo-manager-1.971568|title=Breheny resigns as Sligo manager|work=[[The Irish Times]]|date=11 October 2007}}</ref> Kilcoyne was part of the Donegal under-21 management team of [[Maxi Curran]], whose players featured in an [[Ulster Under-21 Football Championship]] final in 2015.<ref name=hr_11112015/> Kilcoyne was also a selector with St Eunan's, while working as a selector with the Donegal under-21 team.<ref name=dsh_11112015/><ref>{{cite news|first=Alan|last=Foley|url=https://www.donegalsporthub.com/st-eunans-and-dungloe-face-off-to-join-naomh-conaill-in-championship-quarter-finals/|title=St Eunan's and Dungloe face-off to join Naomh Conaill in championship quarter-finals|date=29 August 2015|access-date=29 August 2015}}</ref> Later that year, Kilcoyne joined the Donegal senior management team for the [[2016 Donegal county football team season|2016 season]].<ref name=dn_02062022>{{cite news|title='Donegal can pick themselves up'|work=[[Donegal News]]|date=2 June 2022|page=72|quote=The former Sligo and St Eunan's star was back-up to Rory Gallagher in 2016 when Tyrone edged out Donegal in similar fashion to the way Derry did last Sunday.}}</ref><ref name=hr_11112015>{{cite news|url=https://highlandradio.com/2015/11/11/brendan-kilcoyne-joins-donegal-senior-backroom-team/|title=Brendan Kilcoyne joins Donegal Senior Backroom Team|publisher=[[Highland Radio]]|date=11 November 2015|access-date=11 November 2015}}</ref><ref name=dn_13112015>{{cite news|first=Harry|last=Walsh|url=https://donegalnews.com/2015/11/kilcoyne-relishing-new-donegal-management-role/|title=Kilcoyne relishing new Donegal management role|work=[[Donegal News]]|date=13 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151116143418/https://donegalnews.com/2015/11/kilcoyne-relishing-new-donegal-management-role/|archive-date=16 November 2015}}</ref> He remained in this position for the [[2017 Donegal county football team season|2017 season]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Colm|last=Keys|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/colm-keys-only-six-new-intercounty-gaelic-football-managers-in-2017-35340059.html|title=Only six new inter-county gaelic football managers in 2017|work=[[Irish Independent]]|date=4 January 2017|access-date=14 January 2017|quote=Brendan Kilcoyne continues as a selector.}}</ref> Although originally from [[County Sligo]], Kilcoyne moved to [[Letterkenny]] in the 1990s, and continues to support Donegal in competitive fixtures.<ref name=dsh_11112015>{{cite news|first=Chris|last=McNulty|url=https://www.donegalsporthub.com/rory-gallagher-to-finalise-donegal-panel-this-weekend-as-kilcoyne-recruited-as-selector/|title=Rory Gallagher to finalise Donegal panel this weekend as Kilcoyne recruited as selector|date=11 November 2015|access-date=11 November 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Frank|last=Craig|title=Donegal have the personnel to mix it up — Kilcoyne|work=[[Donegal News]]|date=2 June 2022|page=70|quote='I'm obviously so disappointed Donegal lost [the 2022 Ulster SFC final] because that's where my loyalties lie. But I'm also delighted for [Derry manager] Rory [Gallagher] because he takes an awful lot of flak'.}}</ref> In 2020, Kilcoyne was a selector with the Donegal minor team.<ref>{{cite news|first=Chris|last=McNulty|url=https://www.donegaldaily.com/2020/03/09/listen-performance-leaves-us-with-a-lot-to-work-on-brendan-kilcoyne/|title='Performance leaves us with a lot to work on' – Brendan Kilcoyne|date=9 March 2020|access-date=9 March 2020}}</ref> In 2023, Kilcoyne had a role with the Donegal minor team, described variously as a mentor and assistant manager.<ref>{{cite news|first=Tom|last=Comack|url=https://www.donegallive.ie/news/gaa/1163941/donegal-disappoint-but-second-half-reaction-a-positive-brendan-kilcoyne.html|title=Donegal disappoint but second-half reaction a positive — Brendan Kilcoyne|date=7 May 2023|access-date=7 May 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Tom|last=Comack|url=https://www.donegallive.ie/news/gaa/1162472/donegal-need-to-bounce-back-from-derry-defeat-brendan-kilcoyne.html|title=Donegal minors need to bounce back from Derry defeat — Brendan Kilcoyne|date=5 May 2023|access-date=5 May 2023}}</ref> Later that year, he was appointed as part of the backroom management team of the Donegal under-20 footballers.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.oceanfm.ie/2023/11/07/shaun-paul-barrett-is-donegal-u20-manager/|title=Shaun Paul Barrett is Donegal U20 manager|publisher=[[Ocean FM (Ireland)|Ocean FM]]|date=7 November 2023|access-date=7 November 2023}}</ref>

Kilcoyne has appeared on [[Highland Radio]] and [[Newstalk]] as a match analyst.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://highlandradio.com/2022/04/20/gaas-disciplinary-process-in-disarray-brendan-kilcoyne/|title=GAA’s disciplinary process in disarray – Brendan Kilcoyne|publisher=[[Highland Radio]]|date=20 April 2022|access-date=20 April 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/otb-gaa-on-off-the-ball/neighbours-clash-in-laois-cagey-clash-in-donegal-naas-looking-for-10-kildare-titles-club-championship|title=Neighbours clash in Laois, cagey clash in Donegal & Naas looking for 10 Kildare titles|publisher=[[Newstalk]]|date=7 October 2022|access-date=7 October 2022}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{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}} }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kilcoyne, Brendan}} [[Category:1960s births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Donegal county football team]] [[Category:Gaelic football managers]] [[Category:Gaelic football selectors]] [[Category:Gaelic games commentators]] [[Category:St Eunan's Gaelic footballers]] [[Category:Sligo inter-county Gaelic footballers]] [[Category:Tubbercurry Gaelic footballers]]