# John Gildea

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Irish Gaelic footballer

This article is about the Gaelic footballer. For the American football player, see [Johnny Gildea](/source/Johnny_Gildea).

John Gildea Personal information Native name Seán Mac Giolla Dé (Irish) Born (1971-03-27) 27 March 1971 (age 55)[1] Sport Sport Gaelic football Position Wing-forward/midfield Clubs Years Club 19??–200? 1997 2001 Naomh Conaill Donegal New York Donegal Boston Club titles Donegal titles 1 Inter-county Years County 199?–2004 Donegal

**John Gildea** (born 27 March 1971)[1] is an Irish former [Gaelic footballer](/source/Gaelic_football) who played for [Naomh Conaill](/source/Naomh_Conaill_CLCG) and the [Donegal county team](/source/Donegal_county_football_team).

He is originally from [Glenties](/source/Glenties).[2]

## Playing career

Gildea made his championship debut for Donegal as a substitute against [Down](/source/Down_county_football_team) in 1995.[3] [Pat Ward](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pat_Ward_(Gaelic_footballer)&action=edit&redlink=1) and [Michael Gallagher](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_Gallagher_(Gaelic_footballer)&action=edit&redlink=1) were county footballers when Gildea was "coming through".[4] His early career was troubled; suffering a problem (which turned out to be a [Vitamin B12](/source/Vitamin_B12) deficiency) that affected his ability to train, he made no further championship appearances while [P. J. McGowan](/source/P._J._McGowan) was manager of the county.[2] Gildea then played illegally under an assumed name for Donegal New York in 1997, the illegality due to him officially registering to play in Boston.[2] He was suspended for one year, reduced to six months on appeal.[2] Gildea credited McGowan's successor [Declan Bonner](/source/Declan_Bonner) for persisting with him through his difficulties.[2] Fourteen hours after the suspension had ended, Bonner started Gildea in the [1997–98 National Football League](/source/1997%E2%80%9398_National_Football_League_(Ireland)) semi-final at [Croke Park](/source/Croke_Park); Gildea scored two points but his team lost the game to [Offaly](/source/Offaly_county_football_team).[2]

Gildea featured prominently for his county from 1998 onwards.[3] Having played as a wing-forward against Offaly and against [Antrim](/source/Antrim_county_football_team) in the 1998 [Ulster Senior Football Championship](/source/Ulster_Senior_Football_Championship) quarter-final, Bonner moved Gildea into the midfield position where he would make his name when [Martin Coll](/source/Martin_Coll) was sent off early on against [Cavan](/source/Cavan_county_football_team) in the Ulster semi-final.[2] Donegal won that game, with Gildea outmanoeuvring [Dermot McCabe](/source/Dermot_McCabe), but the county then lost the Ulster final to a late [Joe Brolly](/source/Joe_Brolly) goal.[3]

Gildea quit the panel in May 2001, shortly after Bonner's successor as manager, [Mickey Moran](/source/Mickey_Moran), controversially substituted him during a championship loss to [Fermanagh](/source/Fermanagh_county_football_team) in [Enniskillen](/source/Enniskillen); the decision was part of why selector [Michael Houston](/source/Michael_Houston_(football_manager)) also quit, while Gildea went to the United States to play for [Donegal Boston](/source/Donegal_Boston).[5][6] He vowed to retire after 2002, but carried on.[7] By 2003, Gildea was the most senior player in the county team.[8] He started the first game of [Brian McEniff](/source/Brian_McEniff)'s last spell as Donegal manager, a league defeat to [Galway](/source/Galway_county_football_team) in [Tuam](/source/Tuam) in February 2003, during which he scored a point.[9] That year he was an important player during a six-game championship run through the [All-Ireland Senior Football Championship](/source/All-Ireland_Senior_Football_Championship) qualifiers.[7] He played in the [2003 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship](/source/2003_All-Ireland_Senior_Football_Championship) semi-final against [Armagh](/source/Armagh_county_football_team).[10] Gildea continued to play for his county until 2004.[3]

Gildea won a [Donegal Senior Football Championship](/source/Donegal_Senior_Football_Championship) in 2005, his club's first, which came after a [replay](/source/Replay_(sports)).[11]

Gildea first met [Stephen Rochford](/source/Stephen_Rochford), who went on to work with Bonner in his second spell as Donegal manager, during two visits to Australia from twenty years previously.[2]

Gildea is married to Sharon (née Rouse); they have two sons.[12][1] He lives in [Letterkenny](/source/Letterkenny).[1]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-dd_27032021_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-dd_27032021_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-dd_27032021_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-dd_27032021_1-3) Maguire, Stephen (27 March 2021). ["From midfield to midlife as former Donegal player hits 50"](https://www.donegaldaily.com/2021/03/27/from-midfield-to-midlife-as-former-donegal-player-hits-50/). *[Donegal Daily](/source/Donegal_Daily)*. Retrieved 27 March 2021.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-dsh_21112020_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-dsh_21112020_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-dsh_21112020_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-dsh_21112020_2-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-dsh_21112020_2-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-dsh_21112020_2-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-dsh_21112020_2-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-dsh_21112020_2-7) McNulty, Chris (21 November 2020). ["John Gildea — Why Declan Bonner has perfect management to succeed with Donegal"](https://www.donegalsporthub.com/john-gildea-why-declan-bonner-has-perfect-management-to-succeed-with-donegal/). Retrieved 21 November 2020.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-dn_22072011_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-dn_22072011_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-dn_22072011_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-dn_22072011_3-3) McNulty, Chris (22 July 2011). ["1992–2011: The best XV not to win Ulster…"](https://web.archive.org/web/20200723010148/https://donegalnews.com/2011/07/1992-2011-the-best-xv-not-to-win-ulster/). *[Donegal News](/source/Donegal_News)*. Archived from [the original](https://donegalnews.com/2011/07/1992-2011-the-best-xv-not-to-win-ulster/) on 23 July 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Craig, Frank (1 February 2020). ["Gildea pays tribute to departing McLoone"](https://donegalnews.com/2020/02/gildea-pays-tribute-to-departing-mcloone/). *[Donegal News](/source/Donegal_News)*. Retrieved 1 February 2020. When I was coming through Pat Ward and Michael Gallagher were the men you looked to. For us to have a county footballer back then was a huge deal. Myself and Jim (McGuinness) were then part of it at the same time and it was a big thing.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Houston's big problem"](http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/northern_ireland/1359703.stm). *[BBC Sport](/source/BBC_Sport)*. 30 May 2001. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150412200705/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/northern_ireland/1359703.stm) from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2001.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Donegal Boston come of age"](http://hoganstand.com/Donegal/Article/Index/115064). *[Hogan Stand](/source/Hogan_Stand)*. 16 July 2009. Retrieved 16 July 2009.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ii_05112003_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ii_05112003_7-1) Keys, Colm (5 November 2003). ["Royals' seal of approval puts pressure on Boylan"](https://web.archive.org/web/20200224234819/https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/royals-seal-of-approval-puts-pressure-on-boylan-25920872.html). *[Irish Independent](/source/Irish_Independent)*. Archived from [the original](https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/royals-seal-of-approval-puts-pressure-on-boylan-25920872.html) on 24 February 2020. After commiting [*[sic](/source/Sic)*] himself to retirement last year, he's determined not to make the same mistake twice. 'I'll see how the body is after Christmas', said Gildea, the driving force behind Donegal's six-game qualifier odyssey.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Crowe, Dermot (25 February 2007). ["Former wild child wants football's natural high"](https://www.independent.ie/sport/former-wild-child-wants-footballs-natural-high/26285227.html). *[Sunday Independent](/source/Sunday_Independent_(Ireland))*. Retrieved 11 September 2024. In 2003, under McEniff, Fermanagh beat Donegal in the championship… [Kevin] Cassidy went along with the intention of having the dinner and slipping away… I rang John Gildea, he was the most senior player at the time.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Duggan, Keith (3 February 2003). ["Meehan adds spark to Galway attack"](https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/meehan-adds-spark-to-galway-attack-1.347556). *[The Irish Times](/source/The_Irish_Times)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Armagh's double still alive"](https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/armaghs-double-still-alive-25928845.html). *[Irish Independent](/source/Irish_Independent)*. 1 September 2003.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Historic first title for Naomh Conaill"](https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/historic-first-title-for-naomh-conaill/25960828.html). *[Irish Independent](/source/Irish_Independent)*. 10 October 2005.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["Glenties Notes"](http://www.glenties.ie/glenties-notes-5th-january-2009/). *Glenties.ie*. 5 January 2009.

v t e Naomh Conaill – 2005 Donegal Senior Football Champions (1st title) 1 M. Molloy 2 J. McKenna 3 P. Campbell (c) 4 J. Bonner 5 J. Timoney 6 T. Donoghue 7 E. Waide 8 A. Thompson 9 J. Gildea 10 B. McDyer 11 L. Thompson 12 M. Boyle 13 D. Gallagher 14 J. McLoone 15 D. Bonner Subs used in replay L. McDyer for B. McDyer M. McLoone for L. McDyer J. McGuinness for M. McLoone A. Thompson for D. Bonner Sub used in drawn game L. McLoone Manager H. Molloy, J. McGuinness

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [John Gildea](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gildea) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gildea?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.