Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Sport | Gaelic football | ||
Position | Full-forward | ||
Born | [1] | 18 October 1996||
Height | 6 ft 3[1] in (1.91 m) | ||
Nickname | Charlie[1] | ||
Club(s) | |||
Years | Club | ||
2015– | Naomh Conaill | ||
Club titles | |||
Donegal titles | 5 | ||
Inter-county(ies) | |||
Years | County | ||
2022– | Donegal |
Charles "Charlie" McGuinness (born 18 October 1996)[1] is an Irish Gaelic footballer who plays for Naomh Conaill and the Donegal county team. He plays as a full-forward.[2]
McGuinness is a nephew of Jim McGuinness.[3] Charles is also the nephew of Charles, Jim's brother who died suddenly in 1986 when he was 16 years old.[1]
McGuinness began playing for Naomh Conaill at senior level in 2015, a year in which the club won the Donegal Senior Football Championship (SFC).[3] After several years as a reserve he rejoined the senior team.[3] His club won the Donegal SFC again in 2019, after a three-game final in which he scored a point in the first game, a penalty in the second game and two frees in the third game.[4] He also scored a goal in the 2019 Ulster Senior Club Football Championship final.[5] Naomh Conaill retained the Donegal SFC title in 2020, with McGuinness scoring a point from a free and playing a part in both goals scored by his club in the final, which was delayed until August 2021 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Gaelic games.[6]
McGuinness won the 2022 Donegal Senior Football Championship, scoring 1–1 in the final against St Eunan's, his goal coming in the second half,[1][7][8] his point from a free.[9] He was in midfield when the ball was thrown in, before taking up a position as full-forward, only to return to midfield for each of Naomh Conaill's kickouts.[1]
McGuinness also won the 2023 Donegal Senior Football Championship, this time scoring 1–2 in the final against Gaoth Dobhair, his goal again coming in the second half (46th minute).[10][11][12]
While still a boy, McGuinness was part of the county's backroom team for the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, which Donegal won.[3] He took an active role at training, taking charge of the balls and water.[1]
First featuring for his county as a player at senior level under the management of Declan Bonner, McGuinness made his debut against Down in the 2022 Dr McKenna Cup — in that competition he played in each of the four games, including the final of the competition.[13] He scored a point in three of the four games, including a free in the final (he did not score in the semi-final).[14][15][16][17]
A leg injury to Donegal captain Michael Murphy caused Bonner to send McGuinness on as a first-half substitute against Kildare in the 2022 National Football League.[18] McGuinness also started the league game against Monaghan, a loss which ended his team's winning run at MacCumhaill Park in Ballybofey that had been active since 2010.[19]