Stephen Attride (born 1993)[1][2] is a Gaelic footballer who has played for the Killeshin club and the Laois county team, serving as captain of his county for the 2017, 2018 and 2019 seasons.[3]

Attride was primarily interested in athletics from a young age, specifically middle-/long-distance running, at which he competed both nationally and internationally.[1] However, while in his last year at school, he developed shin splints and this affected his future progress in athletics.[1] He attended Dublin City University (DCU), where he played for the university football team.[1] Initially playing at wing-forward, Attride developed into a corner-back.[1]

Laois manager Justin McNulty noticed his progress and invited him onto the county panel in 2013.[1] He scored a goal against Dublin in Laois's 2016 Leinster Senior Football Championship quarter-final loss to the then All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title holders.[4] In 2017, the then Laois manager Peter Creedon appointed Attride as captain of the team.[1] Creedon's successor John Sugrue allowed Attride to retain the county captaincy.[1] Sugrue led Laois to the National Football League Division 4 title in his first year.[1] It meant that Attride became the first Laois captain since Ian Fitzgerald to raise a trophy aloft in the Hogan Stand of Croke Park.[3] Laois then advanced to a first Leinster Senior Football Championship final since 2007.[1]

However, Attride was unavailable. While blocking a ball during stoppage time of his county's 2018 Leinster Senior Football Championship semi-final victory over Carlow at Croke Park, Attride collided with the knee of an opponent, was knocked unconscious, stretchered from the field of play and spent a night in the Mater Hospital after sustaining a double fracture to his skull.[5][6][7] The injury also ruled him out for the remainder of the season.[8] Attride's teammate Ross Munnelly and former Laois player Colm Parkinson both praised Attride's intervention.[9][10] He later recovered.[3]

Attride took a break from teaching (he teaches physical education and science)[3] at Knockbeg College to travel to Australia ahead of the 2020 season.[11] He was accompanied by his girlfriend and others he knew.[2] He took up a teaching position at Bondi High School and trained with the Clann na Gael club.[12]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Adjusting to leading role on sidelines". Sunday Independent. 8 July 2018. Age given as 24 in July 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Former Laois captain Attride hopes to represent county again when Down Under journey ends". Laois Today. 5 November 2020. Age given as 27 in November 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Laois captain Stephen Attride sewing seeds for managerial future". Sky Sports. 13 March 2019.
  4. ↑ "Skull fracture victim Attride ready to support Laois team-mates". RTÉ. 20 June 2018.
  5. ↑ "Laois captain Stephen Attride suffers double fracture to skull". The Irish Times. 11 June 2018.
  6. ↑ "Laois captain Stephen Attride to miss Leinster final after suffering double-fracture to his skull". Irish Independent. 11 June 2018.
  7. ↑ "Laois captain Attride ruled out of Leinster final after suffering horror double skull fracture". The42.ie. 11 June 2018.
  8. ↑ "Laois captain Stephen Attride suffers double fracture to his skull". Irish Examiner. 11 June 2018.
  9. ↑ "Colm Parkinson pays tribute to Laois' pair of heroes after courageous acts". Joe.ie.
  10. ↑ "Ross Munnelly Hails 'Unbelievable Level Of Bravery' From Laois Captain Stephen Attride". Balls.ie. 12 June 2018.
  11. ↑ "Attride blow for Laois". Hogan Stand. 25 October 2019.
  12. ↑ "Why three players swapped inter-county football for Sydney". RTÉ. 1 June 2020.
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