The very tough men of sport

Sir — I found Dermot Crowe’s article on the “tough” Gaelic footballers interesting (Sunday Independent, December 3). I must be one of the few who saw Jim McCullagh playing for Armagh in the 1930s as well as all of the 15 players that Dermot lists.

McCullagh was a big, powerful player: when he played with Fermanagh or Armagh they got to the Ulster finals. I suppose you might say he was a “tough” player, according to your definition of toughness, for he always seemed to be in the middle of a row. I have known him to poleaxe a fast young Monaghan forward, whom I afterwards played against, an impeccably clean player. I also saw the “gunner” Brady poleaxe the late Hugh McKearney in the 1952 Ulster final.

McKearney was a clean, fast forward who played for Ulster and for the Combined Universities against “Ireland” in the early 1950s. He was on the ground, concussed, for at least 10 minutes. Off the football field you could not meet a more decent person than Phil Brady. Eamon Tavey, of Monaghan, was the kind of player you’d rather have on your side than play against. I know a bit, too, about Mickey Joe Forbes whom Brian Mullins dealt with when Tyrone played Dublin.

I have known “footballers” who would break your leg with a kick or “give you a feed of your teeth” which some say is “bending the rules”. Tough men?

I think jump jockeys are real tough men who risk life and limb several times at any race meeting. Or give me a boxer who faces an opponent of equal weight, faces him from the front, each knowing what his opponent hopes to do to him.

Padhraig McGinn, Carrick-on-Shannon