Stephen Griffin

{{Short description|Irish Gaelic footballer}} {{Use Irish English|date=June 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}} {{Infobox GAA player |image = |name = Stephen Griffin |irish = Stiofáin Ó Gríofa |nickname = |occupation = |feet = |inches = |sport = Gaelic football |code = Football |county = Donegal |province = Ulster |club = St Naul's |clyears = ?–? |clposition = Full forward |clapps(points) = |clcounty = |clprovince = |clallireland = |counties = Donegal |icyears = 200?–201? |icposition = Right corner forward |icapps(points) = |icprovince = 2 |icallireland = 1 |nfl = |allstars = |birth_date = |birth_place = Letterkenny, County Donegal }}

'''Stephen Griffin''' is a Gaelic footballer and manager who plays for, and has managed his club St Naul's and also, formerly, played for the Donegal county team.

He made his championship debut in 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/football/2009/0104/243127-mckennacup/|title=Sunday's Dr McKenna Cup Round-up|publisher=RTÉ Sport|date=5 January 2009|accessdate=5 January 2009|quote=Stephen Griffin scored 1–07 for Donegal in their ''Gaelic Life'' Dr McKenna Cup opener at Ballybofey. Griffin, a championship debutant last year, sandwiched a second half penalty in between goals from Donegal captain Brian Roper and Ross Wherrity [sic].}}</ref> In the 2009 championship, he played and scored [at least] one point against Carlow in their All-Ireland qualifier meeting, then came off the bench to score a goal against Cork in their All-Ireland quarter-final encounter at Croke Park.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/football/2009/0704/251504-donegal_carlow/|title=Donegal 2–13 Carlow 1–06|publisher=RTÉ Sport|date=4 July 2009|accessdate=4 July 2009|quote=Smith tagged on a point, as the rain started came down, and it was not until late in the half when Murphy and Stephen Griffin shared out three points that Donegal got back on terms.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/football/2009/0802/252778-cork_donegal/|title=Cork 1–27 Donegal 2–10|publisher=RTÉ Sport|date=2 August 2009|accessdate=2 August 2009|quote=Donegal plundered a second goal through substitute Stephen Griffin…}}</ref>

He scored a goal from a "speculative lob" against Kildare in the 2010 National Football League.<ref>{{cite news|first=Daragh|last=Conchir|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/doyle-eclipses-murphy-as-kildare-cruise-26639071.html|title=Doyle eclipses Murphy as Kildare cruise|work=Irish Independent|date=8 March 2010|accessdate=8 March 2010}}</ref> He also scored a goal against Tipperary, later in the same competition.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/doherty-vows-best-yet-to-come-from-donegal-26643092.html|title=Doherty vows best yet to come from Donegal|work=Irish Independent|date=22 March 2010|accessdate=22 March 2010}}</ref>

A member of the Donegal panel that won the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final against Mayo, he was an unused substitute in the final.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/football/2012/0923/338702-live-all-ireland-football-finals/|title=Live updates from the All-Ireland finals at Croke Park|publisher=RTÉ Sport|date=23 September 2012|accessdate=23 September 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.donegaldaily.com/2012/09/28/sams-world-tour-of-donegal-when-michael-neil-and-gary-arrived-in-the-glen/|title=Sam's World Tour of Donegal|date=28 September 2012|publisher=Donegal Daily|accessdate=16 April 2021}}</ref>

He sustained an injury while playing for hs club in the 2013 Donegal Intermediate Football Championship final and had to be substituted.<ref>{{cite news|first=Chris|last=McNulty|url=https://donegalnews.com/2013/10/report-excellent-naomh-muire-win-intermediate-championship/|title=Report: Excellent Naomh Muire win Intermediate Championship|work=Donegal News|date=13 October 2013|accessdate=13 October 2013|quote=…a well-drilled and disciplined performance could not be matched by St Naul's who were rocked by the enforced substitution due to injury of Stephen Griffin midway through the first half… While Griffin tapped over a free for their first score on 12 minutes, the former Donegal panelist and the St Naul's captain was forced to leave the action in the 17th minute. Griffin landed very awkwardly having taken a hit as he took an early shot at the target and his withdrawal, with a suspected broken ankle, severely blunted the edge of their knife. Griffin hobbled away at the end on crutches. The moment he left the action was the one where St Naul's lost one of the most accurate forward's[sic] in the county…}}</ref>

In the last round of 2015 National Football League fixtures against Mayo, Griffin came on as a substitute and scored the vital point that sent his county into the NFL semi-final at Mayo's expense.<ref>{{cite news|first=Mike|last=Finnerty|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/football/stephen-griffin-leapfrogs-donegal-into-semis-322420.html|title=Stephen Griffin leapfrogs Donegal into semis|work=Irish Examiner|date=6 April 2015|accessdate=6 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Ryan|last=Ferry|title=Another pressurised final day for Donegal|work=Donegal News|date=24 March 2022|page=70|quote=A late Stephen Griffin point secured a draw against Mayo in 2015 and booked a spot in the league semi-finals, while safety was earned against Monaghan despite a defeat in Castleblayney in 2016 on a day when an unlikely series of results could have led to their downfall.}}</ref>

He has acted as player–manager for his club,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://donegalnews.com/griffin-excels-as-st-nauls-relegate-milford/|title=Griffin excels as St Naul's relegate Milford|work=Donegal News|date=7 October 2023|access-date=7 October 2023|quote=Player–manager Stephen Griffin posted 11 points as St Naul's saved their senior status with a win over Milford in Convoy this evening.}}</ref><ref>Bonnar, Dáire. "Griffin's St Naul's nearing full strength". Breaking Ball: Team-by-team guide to the Donegal Senior, Intermediate and Junior Championships (''Donegal News''). 8 August 2024. page 55. …player–manager Stephen Griffin feels the side are nearly back to full strength."</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.donegallive.ie/news/gaa/1634473/st-nauls-on-the-lookout-for-new-boss-as-stephen-griffin-steps-down.html|title=St Naul's on the lookout for new boss as Stephen Griffin steps down|publisher=Donegal Live|date=19 October 2024|access-date=19 October 2024}}</ref> as well as having been captain.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://donegalnews.com/stephen-griffin-chasing-intermediate-honours-with-st-nauls/|title=Stephen Griffin chasing Intermediate honours with St Naul's|work=Donegal News|date=11 October 2013|access-date=11 October 2013}}</ref>

==Honours== ;Donegal * All-Ireland Senior Football Championship: 2012 * Ulster Senior Football Championship: 2012

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20130527063840/http://www.donegalgaa.ie/playerProfile/2820/stephen_griffin Official profile] * [http://www.sportsfile.com/id/669477/ Photograph] at Sportsfile

{{DEFAULTSORT:Griffin, Stephen}} Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:Donegal inter-county Gaelic footballers Category:Gaelic football player–managers