Martin Shovlin

Martin Shovlin
Personal information
Sport Gaelic football
Born 1960 or 1961 (age 63–64)[1]
Occupation Eircom employee[2]
Club(s)
Years Club
19??–
 Naomh Ultan
Inter-county(ies)
Years County
19??–?
 Donegal
Inter-county titles
Ulster titles 2
All-Irelands 1

Martin Shovlin (born 1960/1) is an Irish former Gaelic footballer who played for Naomh Ultan and the Donegal county team.

He played against Armagh and scored a point in the 1990 Ulster final, won by Donegal.[3] His performance led him to be awarded the Ulster GAA Writers' Player of the Year.[3]

He was part of Donegal's successful 1992 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship team. He started the semi-final against Mayo at Croke Park.[4] However, he did not play in the final; he had sustained a stiff neck injury which was still affecting him on the morning of the final.[2] John Joe Doherty took his place in the team.[5] Donegal captain Anthony Molloy singled Shovlin out for a special mention in his victory speech.[6]

Earlier that year, Hogan Stand indicated that: "Even objective observers of the game in Donegal recognised that the Shovlin, Gavigan and Reid combination probably represented the best lie of defence in the country. The Dublin trio of Curran, Carr and Heery were the only other combination which vied for that tag, it was suggested".[7]

Shovlin was still playing for Naomh Ultan as recently as 2021.[2][1]

  1. ^ a b "Donegal All-Ireland winner still going strong at 60!". Hogan Stand. 21 September 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Foley, Alan (8 January 2009). "The heroes of '92 — Where are they now?". Donegal Democrat. Archived from the original on 18 December 2015.
  3. ^ a b McNulty, Chris (18 July 2015). "Donegal's 1990 Ulster winners will be honoured tomorrow — here is their story". Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  4. ^ "Donegal's four previous Championship meetings with Mayo: August 16, 1992 - Croke Park". Donegal News. 2 August 2019. p. 65.
  5. ^ "1992 All-Ireland Senior Football Final: Dublin v Donegal". YouTube. 21 March 2020.
  6. ^ "1992 All-Ireland Senior Football Final: Dublin v Donegal". YouTube. 21 March 2020.
  7. ^ "Reid, Donal". Hogan Stand. 31 July 1992.