Paddy Cullen

Paddy Cullen (Patrick Cullen, 18 October 1944 to 6 February 2025) was an Irish Gaelic football manager and player whose league and championship career at senior level with the Dublin county team spanned thirteen years from 1966 to 1979. Born in Stoneybatter and raised in the North Wall area of Dublin, he was introduced to Gaelic football by the Christian Brothers at St Laurence O'Toole National School and later at the North Strand Vocational College. He joined the O'Connell Boys club straight after leaving school and had a club career that spanned four decades from 1959 until 1982. He combined Gaelic football and soccer in his youth, building a reputation as a fine soccer goalkeeper in the local street leagues, and later lined out with McNaughton's in the Athletic Union League. He made his inter-county debut when he captained the inaugural Dublin under-21 team in 1964, made his senior debut two years later against Derry in the 1966-67 league and became Dublin's first-choice for the championship after a tournament game at Easter 1967. Over the thirteen seasons that followed he won three All-Ireland medals.