{{Short description|Armagh Gaelic footballer}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=November 2020}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}} {{Infobox Gaelic games player |image = |caption = |name =Ger Houlahan |irish =Gearóid Ó hUallacháin |nickname =''Houlie''<ref name="pearse og site">{{cite web | title=Club history | url=http://www.pearseoggfc.com/index.php?page=Club_History | work=Pearse Óg website | accessdate=7 April 2009 }}</ref> | | | feet = 6 | inches = 2 |occupation =Sports Massage Therapist |sport =Gaelic football |code =Football |county =Armagh |province =Ulster |clposition =Forward |club =[[Pearse Óg]] |clyears =198?-200? |clapps(points) = |clcounty =3 |clprovince = |clubs =[[Pearse Óg]] |counties = [[Armagh county football team|Armagh]] |icposition = Full Forward |icyears =1984-2000 |icapps(points) =? (13-43)<ref name="ulster_125">{{cite news |title=Ulster's 125 - The province's 125 best footballers since 1884 |work=[[The Irish News]] |date=20 March 2009 |accessdate=7 April 2009 |url=http://www.irishnews.com/125/125flip.html }}</ref> |icprovince =2 |icallireland = |allstars =1 |nfl = |icupdate =17:54, 7 April 2009 (UTC)<br/>Championship games only. |clupdate = |birth_place=[[Armagh]], <br/>[[Northern Ireland]]}} '''Gerard Houlahan''' is an [[Irish people|Irish]] former [[Gaelic football]]er who played at senior level for the [[Armagh county football team|Armagh county team]] from 1984 to 2000. He won two [[Ulster Senior Football Championship]] medals and an [[GAA All Stars Awards|All Star award]]. Houlahan played club football for [[Pearse Óg]] and won the [[Armagh Senior Football Championship]] on three occasions. He was a prolific forward, particularly renowned for his left-foot.<ref name="ul_125 - armagh shortlist">{{cite news |title=Ulster's 125 - Armagh shortlist |work=[[The Irish News]] |date=10 February 2009 |accessdate=7 April 2009 |url=https://irishnews125.blogspot.com/2009/02/125-armagh-player-list.html }}</ref> Houlahan was also a crowd favourite with the Armagh fans.<ref name="ul_125 - armagh shortlist"/> In 2009 to mark the 125th anniversary of the [[Gaelic Athletic Association]] he was named by [[The Irish News]] as one of the all-time best 125 footballers from Ulster.<ref name="ulster_125"/>
Houlihan played soccer for [[Sligo Rovers]].<ref name="bbc">[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0l36tct 'The GAA Social: Ger Houlahan. All-star, TV pundit, Armagh captain, life is for laughing (43:00)']. BBC Sport, 8 April 2025. Retrieved 11 April 2025</ref>
==Playing career==
===Inter-county=== Houlahan made his Championship debut for Armagh in 1984.<ref name="retire">{{cite web | title=Houlahan announces retirement | url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/northern_ireland/1136789.stm | work=BBC Sport Online | date=25 January 2001 | access-date=7 April 2009 }}</ref> That year he helped Armagh reach the [[Ulster Senior Football Championship]] final, but they were beaten<ref name="ulster_125"/> by [[Tyrone GAA|Tyrone]]. He also suffered Ulster final defeats with the county in 1987 and 1990.<ref name="ulster_125"/> Houlahan was awarded an [[GAA All Stars Awards|All Star]] for his performances in the [[All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 1993|1993 Championship]]<ref name="ulster_125"/> and was also named best player of that year's Ulster Championship.<ref name="uuj gaa">{{cite web | title=Brief history - Hall of fame | url=http://uujgaelic.servasport.com/html/club/history.jsp?c=1752 | work=UUJ GAA website | accessdate=7 April 2009 }}</ref>
Houlahan finally won an Ulster Championship medal in 1999 - making a substitute appearance in the decider against [[Down county football team|Down]].<ref name="ulster_125"/> He won a second Ulster title the following year.<ref name="armagh minors">{{cite news |first=Paddy |last=Heaney |title=Houlahan takes reins of Orchard minors |work=[[The Irish News]] |date=21 December 2002 |accessdate=7 April 2009 |url=http://www.irishnews.com/searchlog.asp?reason=denied_empty&script_name=/pageacc.asp&path_info=/pageacc.asp&tser1=ser&par=ben&sid=423054 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303212847/http://www.irishnews.com/searchlog.asp?reason=denied_empty&script_name=%2Fpageacc.asp&path_info=%2Fpageacc.asp&tser1=ser&par=ben&sid=423054 |archivedate=3 March 2016 }}</ref> The subsequent [[All-Ireland Senior Football Championship|All-Ireland]] semi-final defeat to [[Kerry county football team|Kerry]] proved to be Houlahan's last appearance in an Armagh jersey.<ref name="retire"/> He announced his retirement in January 2001, aged 34.<ref name="retire"/> Houlahan has since settled down with his wife, Deirdre and his three children, Caleigh (the oldest), Odhran and the Kyran.
===Club=== Houlahan had a successful underage career with Pearse Óg.<ref name="pearse og site"/> In 1985 he helped the club win their first-ever [[Armagh Senior Football Championship]], beating local rivals [[Armagh Harps GFC|Armagh Harps]] in the final.<ref name="pearse og site"/> He won further Armagh Championships with the club in 1988 and 1992. He also reached the 1988 [[Ulster Senior Club Football Championship|Ulster Club Championship]] final with the club, where they were defeated by Burren.<ref name="ulster_125"/>
===Province=== Houlahan won two [[Railway Cup]] medals with [[Ulster GAA|Ulster]].<ref name="ulster_125"/>
===School / college=== Houlahan, playing centre half forward, helped University of Ulster Jordanstown (UUJ) win the 1986 [[Sigerson Cup]]<ref name="ulster_125"/> and was named Player of the Tournament.<ref name="uuj gaa"/>
===Soccer=== Houlihan played one season for [[Sligo Rovers]] in the [[League of Ireland]].<ref name="bbc"/>
==Post-playing career== In late 2001 Houlahan was called in to help the [[Ulster Rugby|Ulster]] [[Rugby union|rugby]] team with their handling skills.<ref name="rugby">{{cite web | title=Houlahan handles Ulster's worries | url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/northern_ireland/1577298.stm | work=BBC Sport Online | date= 3 October 2001 | access-date=7 April 2009 }}</ref> He had also previously helped Ulster fly-half [[David Humphreys (rugby union)|David Humphreys]] with his kicking.<ref name="rugby"/>
Houlahan managed Loughmacrory GFC for one season.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}
He was appointed Armagh minor manager in late 2002 alongside James Byrne and Alan O'Neill.<ref name="armagh minors"/>
Houlihan worked on [[Ulster Television|UTV]]'s Gaelic football coverage in the mid-1990s.
==References== {{reflist}}
{{1993 All Stars}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Houlahan, Gerard}} [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Armagh inter-county Gaelic footballers]] [[Category:Gaelic football managers]] [[Category:Pearse Og Gaelic footballers]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Armagh]]