Gary Connaughton

Gary Connaughton is a Gaelic footballer who played for the Westmeath county team. With a large frame and strong kickouts, he has often been described as one of Westmeath's greatest Gaelic players. He was nominated three times for an All Star award and won one for his performances in 2008. His club team is Tubberclair GAA Club, where he also plays as goalkeeper. He worked in his family's company, Connaughton Sand and Gravel, while playing Gaelic football, before returning to third level education for a degree in Business at Athlone Institute of Technology. He also played League of Ireland soccer with Athlone Town for several seasons and represented Ireland at underage soccer, winning a European Under 19 Championship medal in 1998 under the manager Brian Kerr, where he played one match against France as understudy to the first-choice keeper Alex O'Reilly.