Education
McGonagle had a successful school career winning seven Ulster College titles in football and hurling, including the Hogan Cup in 1990.
McGonagle had a successful school career winning seven Ulster College titles in football and hurling, including the Hogan Cup in 1990.
McGonagle plays club football for Saint Canice"s Dungiven and club hurling for Kevin Lynch"son He has had a highly successful career with both clubs. He is a cult hero in Derry Gaelic Athletic Association circles.
He is famed for his highly skilled play in both sports, larger-than-average weight and loud personality.
Former team-mate Joe Brolly said "first and foremost he was a great entertainer and character." In football he played as a forward. Foreign a big player he has extraordinary co-ordination and hand speed and deceptive pace.
He is also famed for his ability to dummy players and goal-getting skills. Brolly said "there were many times when you could only marvel at his wizardry".
Brolly says when McGonagle "was on his game, there wasn"t a football player in the country who could have laced his boots" and described him as a scoring machine.
He also played in the forward line in hurling. He was a prolific scorer, with a keen eye for goal. McGonagle is from Dungiven.
He went to primary school at Saint Canice"s in Dungiven and secondary school at Saint Pat"s College in Maghera.
Club The club also reached the Ulster Senior Club Hurling Championship final in 2003, 2006 and 2007, but were beaten each time. Inter-county Ulster Minor Hurling Championships with the Derry Minor team
Ulster Senior Hurling Championships with the county in 2000?? and 2001. McGonagle produced a "brilliant performance" in the 2001 decider against Antrim scoring 1-08.
He retired from inter-county hurling in June 2005 after exiting the Ulster Championship.
He later returned.
Quotations: "first and foremost he was a great entertainer and character.". "there were many times when you could only marvel at his wizardry".