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Philip "Philly" McMahon (born 5 September 1987) is a Gaelic footballer who plays for the Ballymun Kickhams club and, previously, for the Dublin county team.

Since retiring from inter-county football in 2021, McMahon has written for the Irish Independent and provided commentary for the BBC.

Playing career

Club

McMahon is a member of the Ballymun Kickhams Senior Football team. in 2013, Ballymun reached the 2012–13 All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship final. McMahon scored a goal as Ballymun were defeated by St Brigid's of County Roscommon by a single point, on a scoreline of 2-11 to 2-10.

Inter-county

McMahon won the 2008 O'Byrne Cup with Dublin, defeating Longford in the final. He made his Championship debut that year as a sub against Louth. He played Interprovincial Championship Football for Leinster and won 2 Dublin Under 21 Football Championships with Ballymun. He was named on the 2010 GPA Gaelic Team of the Year. He replaced James McCarthy as a sub in the second half of the 2011 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final, a game which Dublin won by 1-12 to 1-11 against Kerry.

On 22 September 2013, McMahon made his first start of the championship in the All-Ireland Final. He was a key performer in Dublin's defeat of Mayo on a scoreline of 2-12 to 1-14.

McMahon helped Dublin to win the 2015 All-Ireland final. Throughout the season he became a strong attacking threat despite being named at left corner back. He scored 1-02 in the replayed semi final against Mayo, notably holding Aidan O'Shea to a single point in over both games. McMahon was a key performer in the final where Dublin defeated reigning champions Kerry 0-12 to 0-09, with McMahon scoring a point in the 1st half while keeping marker Colm Cooper scoreless. McMahon received his first All Star Award, while he was also named on the shortlist for GAA Footballer of the Year, ultimately won by teammate Jack McCaffrey.

McMahon was again a key performer in 2016 as Dublin again defeated Mayo by a single point after a replay on a scoreline of 1-15 to 1-14 to retain the Sam Maguire Cup. McMahon received his second All Star for his performances.

In 2017, Dublin were narrowly defeated in the National League final by Kerry by a single point. They then went on to win a record 7 Leinster titles in a row. On 17 September, McMahon was heavily involved as Dublin claimed an historic 3-in-a-row of All-Ireland titles with another narrow 1-17 to 1-16 victory against Mayo. Having been outplayed in the first half, the Dubs turned the game around to win a thrilling game courtesy of a 75th minute Dean Rock free.

McMahon announced his retirement from inter-county football on 17 December 2021.

International rules

McMahon made his debut in the 2015 International Rules Series. Ireland edged out the single game series against a strong Australia side on a scoreline of 56-52.

Work with association football clubs

In November 2012, McMahon was the strength and conditioning coach at Shamrock Rovers.

In May 2021, McMahon began working with the Bohemians club's first team as a performance coach.

Media work

McMahon writes regularly for the Irish Independent.

He has provided television commentary for the BBC.

Personal life

McMahon changed his surname from Caffrey, his mother's name, to McMahon, his father's name, whom he was named after. His father died from cancer at the age of 64 in 2018.

McMahon is a business owner and operates multiple gyms. He also launched a health food company. He is a saxophonist.

In 2017, after winning his fifth All-Ireland Senior Championship, McMahon released his autobiography called The Choice, which was co-written by sports journalist Niall Kelly. The book won the 2017 Eir Sports Book of the Year award in December 2017. The book also won the Sports Book of the Year award at the 2017 Irish Book Awards.

He married his long-term girlfriend Sarah Lacey in December 2019.

McMahon's brother died in 2012 from a drug overdose, and McMahon has spoken about the effects of drugs in his community. He has spoken in support of safe injection centres, and criticised Fine Gael TD Paul Kehoe in 2022 for his usage of the term "druggies".

McMahon has set up a charity called Half Time Talk, which aims to motivate young adults with social problems. He has been involved with charity fundraising, such as the Focus Ireland "Shine A Light Night" to raise money for homeless families.

McMahon has spoken openly about having had a hair transplantation.

Honours

Team

Dublin

• All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (8): 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
• Leinster Senior Football Championship (12): 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
• National Football League (5): 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
• O'Byrne Cup (1): 2008

Ballymun Kickhams

• Leinster Senior Club Football Championship (1): 2012-13
• Dublin Senior Football Championship (2): 2012, 2020

Ireland

• International Rules Series (1): 2015

DCU

• Sigerson Cup (2): 2010, 2012

Individual

• All Star Awards (2): 2015, 2016

References

1. "News". hill16.ie.
2. Return trip to Dublin by Conor McKeon, Evening Herald Wednesday 9 June 2010
3. "News". hill16.ie.
4. "Dublin are All Ireland champions after seeing off Kerry in Croke Park". Independent. 20 September 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
5. "Dublin secure back-to-back All Ireland titles with one-point victory over Mayo in titanic battle". Independent. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
6. "A record seventh Leinster title in a row for ruthless Dublin but Kildare escape with credit". Irish Times. 16 July 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
7. Sweeney, Peter (17 September 2017). "History-making Dublin inch past heroic Mayo to make it three in a row". rte.ie. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
8. "Dean Rock wins the All-Ireland Final for Dublin in the last minute". Joe.ie. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
9. "Philly McMahon retires from Dublin duty". RTE Sport. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
10. "Trevor Croly new manager". 7 November 2012. Archived from the original on 30 August 2015.
11. Keane, Paul (26 August 2015). "Cross-channel call tempts Philly McMahon". Irish Examiner. The former Shamrock Rovers strength and conditioning coach has started every game for Dublin...
12. "Dublin star Philly McMahon joins Bohemians' back-room team". RTÉ. 31 May 2021.
13. "Philly McMahon".
14. "GAA All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-finals live on BBC Sport NI". 11 July 2024.
15. "Philly McMahon: The reason Shane Walsh is the classic virtuoso pianist and why I owe Pádraic Joyce a fiver". 19 May 2023. I've been Shanghaied in Ulster for the past few weekends working for the BBC.
16. "Philly McMahon opens up and reveals brother's death from heroin overdose was 'the half-time talk of my life'". 20 October 2018. Philly, who changed his surname from Caffrey – his mother's – to McMahon – his dad's – to distance himself from his brother... The documentary was filmed before the GAA star's dad Phil lost his battle with cancer earlier this year aged 64 and it opens with him blowing out candles on his birthday cake.
17. "Dublin GAA star Philly McMahon marries girlfriend Sarah Lacey in stunning wedding". 8 December 2019. Philly wrapped up the night with a saxophone performance on stage.
18. "Philly McMahon's 'The Choice' named the 2017 winner for the eir Sports Book of the Year award". The 42. 13 December 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
19. "Dublin GAA star Philly McMahon's 'The Choice' named Sports Book of the Year". The 42. 28 November 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
20. "Dublin GAA star Philly McMahon marries Sarah Lacey in gorgeous Kildare ceremony". Independent.ie. 8 December 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
21. "A tale of two brothers: 'Philly stayed with football. John went into drugs'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
22. ^ "'I was embarrassed by my brother' - GAA star Philly McMahon gets personal about Dublin's drug overhaul". independent. 7 September 2016. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
23. "Fine Gael TD says Dublin's O'Connell Street is full of 'druggies'". BreakingNews.ie. 19 October 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
24. Gallagher, Katie (14 September 2022). "Dublin GAA legend gets triggered every time he sees person living on streets". DublinLive. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
25. Donohoe, Amy (17 April 2024). "'I was self-conscious and embarrassed' – Dublin GAA star Philly McMahon on his hair transplant".

v t e Ireland football team – 2015 International Rules Series
1 Morgan (gk) 2 Begley 3 Brennan 4 Brogan (c) 5 Cadogan 9 Donnelly 10 Doyle 11 Harte 13 Hughes 15 Keegan (vc) 17 Kerrigan 19 McCaffrey 20 McDonald 22 McMahon 23 McManus 25 O'Carroll 26 O'Loughlin 28 O'Shea 29 Quinn 31 Walsh 33 Connolly 34 Cribbin 35 McBrearty Manager Kernan

• All Stars Awards winners (football)
• 1987 births
• Living people
• Ballymun Kickhams Gaelic footballers
• Bohemian F.C. non-playing staff
• DCU Gaelic footballers
• Dublin inter-county Gaelic footballers
• Gaelic football backs
• Gaelic games commentators
• Irish Independent people
• Shamrock Rovers F.C. non-playing staff
• Strength and conditioning coaches
• Winners of eight All-Ireland medals (Gaelic football)
• 21st-century Irish sportsmen