{{Short description|Mayo Gaelic footballer}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=September 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}} {{Infobox GAA player |image = |name = Ger Cafferkey |irish = Gearóid Mac Eafarcaigh |nickname = |occupation = Engineer<ref name=stalwart_to_call_time/> |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|8|5|df=yes}} |birth_place = [[Castlebar]], Ireland |height = {{convert|1.88|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}} |sport = Gaelic football |code = Football |county = Mayo |province = Connacht |club = [[Ballina Stephenites GAA|Ballina Stephenites]] |clyears = 2004– |clposition = Full back |clapps(points) = |clcounty = |clprovince = |clallireland = |colleges = [[NUI Galway GAA|NUI Galway]] |sig = |counties = [[Mayo county football team|Mayo]] |icyears = 2009–2019 |icposition = Full back |icapps(points) = 104 (0–0)<ref name=stalwart_to_call_time/> |icprovince = 6<ref name=stalwart_to_call_time/> |icallireland = 0 |nfl = 1 |allstars = 1 |clupdate = |icupdate = }} '''Ger Cafferkey''' (born 5 August 1987) is a former [[Gaelic football]]er who plays for [[Ballina Stephenites GAA|Ballina Stephenites]] and the [[Mayo county football team|Mayo county team]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hoganstand.com/Mayo/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=171604|title=Clarke taking nothing for granted|date=20 June 2012|work=Hogan Stand|accessdate=4 October 2012}}</ref>
==Playing career== Cafferkey studied at [[NUI Galway]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nuigalway.ie/about-us/news-and-events/news-archive/2013/september2013/nui-galway-students-and-alumni-head-for-croke-park-with-mayo-senior-football-finalists-.html|title=NUI Galway students and alumni head for Croke Park with Mayo senior football finalists|date=17 September 2013|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161217102433/https://www.nuigalway.ie/about-us/news-and-events/news-archive/2013/september2013/nui-galway-students-and-alumni-head-for-croke-park-with-mayo-senior-football-finalists-.html|archivedate=17 December 2016|quote=The Mayo squad contains a large number of current and former students including Ger Cafferkey, Jason Doherty, Alan Dillon, Conor O'Shea, Shane McHale, Chris Barrett and Cathal Freeman. Former Inter-County star James Nallen, who is a selector with the Mayo side, is a Chief Technical Officer in NUI Galway's School of Physics.}}</ref> While there he played for the [[NUI Galway GAA|university team]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Tom|last=Kelly|url=https://www.westmeathindependent.ie/sport/gaa/articles/2009/01/14/34746-roscommon-denied-victory-as-bradshaw-earns-nui-galway-a-share-of-the-spoils|title=Roscommon denied victory as Bradshaw earns NUI Galway a share of the spoils|work=Westmeath Independent|date=14 January 2009|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190214102332/https://www.westmeathindependent.ie/sport/gaa/articles/2009/01/14/34746-roscommon-denied-victory-as-bradshaw-earns-nui-galway-a-share-of-the-spoils|archivedate=14 February 2019}}</ref>
Cafferkey played in the [[2006 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship]] final loss to [[Down GAA|Down]].<ref name=stalwart_to_call_time/> He won three [[Connacht Under-21 Football Championship]]s between 2006 and 2008.<ref name=stalwart_to_call_time/> He also won an [[All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship]] in 2006, while playing at full back.<ref name=stalwart_to_call_time/> He first played senior championship for his county in 2009 against [[New York county football team|New York]].<ref name=stalwart_to_call_time/> His first of six [[Connacht Senior Football Championship]] (SFC) medals followed in his first season.<ref name=stalwart_to_call_time/>
Cafferkey started at full back in the [[2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final]], which Mayo lost by 0-13 to 2-11 against [[Donegal county football team|Donegal]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/northern-ireland/19693260|title=Donegal 2-11 0-13 Mayo|date= 23 September 2012|work=BBC Sport|access-date=4 October 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/murphy-rocket-sees-donegal-strike-gold-3239536.html|title=Murphy rocket sees Donegal strike gold|date= 24 September 2012|work=Irish Independent|accessdate=4 October 2012}}</ref> Cafferkey also started at full back in the [[2013 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final]], but Mayo lost again, this time by a single point, in this case to [[Dublin conunty football team|Dublin]].
Cafferkey was named in the 2012 [[List of All Stars Awards winners (football)|All Star]] football team in the full-back position.<ref name=stalwart_to_call_time/> He was nominated again the following year, though did not win.<ref name=stalwart_to_call_time/>
Cafferkey sustained a serious [[hamstring]] injury in 2016.<ref name=stalwart_to_call_time/>
Cafferkey announced his retirement from inter-county football via social media on Monday 9 September 2019, having made 104 appearances in league and championship for his county team.<ref name=stalwart_to_call_time>{{cite news|first=Edwin|last=McGreal|title=Cafferkey latest stalwart to call time on Mayo career|work=[[Irish Examiner]]|date=11 September 2019|page=6}}</ref> Due to his preference for defence he never scored for Mayo in either the league or the championship.<ref name=stalwart_to_call_time/> His last appearance was against Dublin at Croke Park in the [[2019 National Football League (Ireland)|2019 National Football League]], having won the man of the match award in the previous game against [[Cavan county football team|Cavan]], but limping off the field at Croke Park in the first half with one of his customary hamstring injuries, and then having his championship season curtailed by injury. Cafferkey's announcement followed swiftly from a similar one by [[Andy Moran]].<ref name=stalwart_to_call_time/>
Cafferkey did not seek the media spotlight. He only twice appeared before the media: in 2013 (the league defeat of Kerry) and 2019 (the previously mentioned league game against Cavan) to collect two man of the match awards.<ref name=stalwart_to_call_time/>
==Honours== ===Team=== * [[All-Ireland Senior Football Championship]] runner-up: [[2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final|2012]], [[2013 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final|2013]] * [[Connacht Senior Football Championship]]: 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 * [[All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship]]: 2006<ref name=stalwart_to_call_time/> * [[Connacht Under-21 Football Championship]]: 2006,<ref name=stalwart_to_call_time/> 2007,<ref name=stalwart_to_call_time/> 2008<ref name=stalwart_to_call_time/> * [[All-Ireland Minor Football Championship]] runner-up: [[2006 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship|2006]]<ref name=stalwart_to_call_time/>
===Individual=== * [[List of All Stars Awards winners (football)|All Star]]: 2012,<ref name=stalwart_to_call_time/> nominated 2013<ref name=stalwart_to_call_time/> * Man of the match: v Kerry in the 2013 NFL and v Cavan in the 2019 NFL<ref name=stalwart_to_call_time/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20121026174819/http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/2410122229-gaagpa-all-star-football-team-2012/ 2012 All Star Team Announcement]
{{Navboxes |title=Mayo panels |bg=white |fg=#E00000 |bordercolor=green |list1= {{Mayo Under-21 Football Team 2006}} {{Mayo Football Team 2012}} {{Mayo Football Team 2013}} }} {{Navboxes |title=All Stars |bg=black |fg=white |list1= {{2012 All Stars}} {{Mayo All Stars record}} }} {{DEFAULTSORT:Cafferkey, Ger}} [[Category:1987 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:All Stars Awards winners (football)]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of Galway]] [[Category:Ballina Stephenites Gaelic footballers]] [[Category:Engineers from County Mayo]] [[Category:Gaelic football backs]] [[Category:Mayo inter-county Gaelic footballers]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Castlebar]] [[Category:University of Galway Gaelic footballers]]