Frank McGuigan

Francis McGuigan (20 November 1955 – 24 May 2026) was an Irish Gaelic footballer who played for the Ardboe GAA club and the Tyrone county team, with whom he won two Ulster Senior Championship titles. Despite his playing career being cut short by a car crash, in which he broke a leg, McGuigan is considered one of the best players to have come from Ulster and was a legend of the 1980s. McGuigan was known for his scoring ability, primarily from open play. In the Ulster final of 1984 he scored a remarkable 0–11 from play in Tyrone's victory over Armagh, often known as "The Frank McGuigan Final". McGuigan earned an All Star for the 1984 season and a Railway Cup medal with Ulster. All four of his sons represented Tyrone. McGuigan's fellow player and Tyrone manager Mickey Harte called him the best Gaelic footballer he had ever seen.

Club McGuigan, who began as a goalkeeper, won a league medal with Ardboe in 1970. He won the Tyrone championship three years in a row with Ardboe from 1971 to 1973, then again in 1984. The next year McGuigan captained the minor team to another Ulster final victory and eventually to the All-Ireland final. He also won an Ulster U-21 Championship medal. McGuigan returned from America in 1983 and played in the Ulster final of 1984. Against rivals Armagh, McGuigan scored eleven of Tyrone's points from open play (not five from either foot and one fisted – as is often reported – but eight from the left foot, two from the right and one fisted) in what is often called "The Frank McGuigan Final". He topped the championship scoring list with a total of 0-19. In a career total of 69 appearance for Tyrone, 18 in the Ulster Championship, McGuigan scored 7–137.

He also won a Railway Cup medal with Ulster in 1984.

On 3 November 1984 McGuigan was involved in a bad car crash that ended his playing career and from which he was lucky to survive, being drunk behind the wheel at the time.

Had McGuigan been available when Tyrone reached the All-Ireland final for the first time, in 1986 against Kerry, his fluent scoring ability would have been a major advantage.

McGuigan was named on the GAA team of the 1980s, composed of players who did not win an All-Ireland medal. Long-time Donegal manager and mentor Brian McEniff felt McGuigan was "one of the best players that I have ever seen". Mickey Harte, who played with McGuigan in the Ulster Minor-winning team of 1972, said that the "effortless" McGuigan was undoubtedly one of the best players never to lift an All-Ireland Senior medal. "I don't think I've ever seen a footballer with as much natural talent as Frank McGuigan and I've seen a lot of players playing football - he was the best I've ever seen. He could do everything: field ball with anybody, pass the ball, vision, power and was deceptively fast", added Harte.

Personal life and death McGuigan's parents were Thomas, a fisherman, and Annie and he was one of 12 children; he was married to Geraldine, whom he met in New York in 1977, In 2024, he spoke of the effect of alcohol abuse on his family life and on his Gaelic football. McGuigan attended Rainey Endowed School and was a good rugby player. Following news of McGuigan’s death, his Tyrone colleagues received messages from former opponents all over Ireland, including Jimmy Barry-Murphy.