Brendan McCole

Brendan McCole (born 1997/8) is an American Gaelic footballer who plays as full-back for St Naul's and the Donegal county team.

McCole was captain when DCU won the 2020 Sigerson Cup, becoming the third Donegal-based player to achieve this distinction, after Jim McGuinness and Christy Toye. Compared favourably to Neil McGee, he was identified early as his eventual successor at inter-county level.

Early life McCole was born in New York, lived in Rye and has a United States passport. He played basketball and did not kick a Gaelic football before the age of nine.

College McCole studied Education and Training at Dublin City University (DCU) and became captain of the Freshers team that won the All-Ireland title when he was in first year.

That team won the trophy. It did not concede a goal, with McCole at the centre of its defence. He did not feature in the next game against Galway. He made a substitute appearance against Dublin but did not feature against Monaghan. Then the COVID-19 pandemic brought play to a halt. Play resumed behind closed doors on 18 October with a home game against Tyrone; McCole did not play. He played the full concluding game of the league campaign (away to Kerry).

McCole was an unexpected inclusion from the start in the final of the 2020 Ulster Senior Football Championship. He was not named in the team but was put in as a late change for Ciarán Thompson. He had not played in either the quarter-final victory against Tyrone or the semi-final victory against Armagh.

McCole started each of Donegal's four fixtures of the 2021 National Football League, against Tyrone, Monaghan, Armagh and Dublin respectively, and scored a point against Dublin at Breffni Park.

In the 2021 Ulster Senior Football Championship, he started the first and last of Donegal's three fixtures against Down in the opening round and against Tyrone in the semi-final and made a substitute appearance against Derry in the quarter-final.

McCole played every minute of the 2022 National Football League. He also played every minute of the 2022 Ulster Senior Football Championship. His regular appearances coincided with an injury to Neil McGee and the Belfast Telegraph said of McCole: "His man-marking skills, adept covering and willingness to launch counter-attacks have earmarked him as one of the most polished players in the Ulster series".

Personal life As of mid-2022, McCole lived at home in Mountcharles and worked in former team-mate Marty O'Reilly's sports shop in Ballybofey. 2024 The Sunday Game Team of the Year: 2025