*David Tubridy. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
DOONBEG’s David Tubridy has landed a new role subsequent to his retirement from inter-county football.
Fresh from calling time on his sixteen year senior career in the saffron and blue, David has been unveiled as one of the new additions to RTÉ’s famed GAA show, The Sunday Game.
With 22-421 to his name, David is the record scorer in the National Football League of all time, a feat he achieved in 2021. Lst season as Clare under Colm Collins’ watch consolidated their Division 2 status for the sixth season in a row, David remained a vital figure of the side and he was again back in the starting fifteen as the Banner reached the All-Ireland quarter-finals for the second time of Collins’ tenure, losing out to Derry in Croke Park.
When Clare began their latest League campaign on Sunday with a one point win against Louth, it was the first time the manager set out without the Doonbeg man in his panel, Collins is the longest serving inter-county football manager since his appointment at the end of 2013. In championship, Tubridy kicked 9-140 in the saffron and blue, making his debut in 2007 under Páidí Ó Sé and playing under subsequent managers including Frank Doherty, Micheál McDermott and Mick O’Dwyer.
Tubridy’s retirement which was first reported by The Clare Echo is the third departure from the county football panel with both Kevin Harnett and Sean Collins also announcing their retirements in the winter.
Of relief to the Magpies will be David’s hope to continue line out at club level for a couple of more seasons at least.
He will be part of a new-look Sunday Game this year, Jacqui Hurley has been announced as Des Cahill’s successor as presenter of the highlights show with Damian Lawlor a Saturday equivalent.
David is one of the new analysts involved this season as is Tyrone great Peter Canavan, four-time All Star Paul Flynn of Dublin, Mayo favourite Lee Keegan, Tyrone’s Enda McGinley. On the hurling front, Joe Canning of Galway joins the team which also includes Clarecastle’s Anthony Daly and former Newmarket-on-Fergus coach Liam Sheedy.
Football fans in Clare will be hopeful that David’s addition will see more insight rather than the usual line trotted out by pundits over the past decade that ‘Colm Collins has done a tremendous job in Clare’.
