Clare’s David Tubridy seals place in GAA history books as League’s all-time leading scorer

Clare’s David Tubridy and Mattie Taylor of Cork tussle in Sunday's Allianz FL Division Two South game in Cusack Park, Ennis. Picture: INPHO/Ryan Byrne

David Tubridy was as surprised as anyone to learn he had entered the GAA record books at Cusack Park on Sunday.

The 1-8 kicked by the Clare footballer to secure the county’s place in the semi-finals of Division 2 took his overall League tally since joining the Banner set-up 14 years ago to 22-412 (478 points).

And according to statistics passed on to this writer, Tubridy is now the League’s all-time leading scorer, having leapfrogged previous record holder Mickey Kearins of Sligo (469 points) during Sunday’s narrow defeat to Cork.

“I didn’t know that,” replied Tubridy when told of his ascension to top spot on the League’s all-time scoring chart.

“I don’t keep track but it’s great that I have that, I suppose. It’s got tougher over the last few years, you’re moving up and playing against top players, and it’s great to get a chance to compete against those players, but it feels good, I can’t complain about that.”

Certainly, the performance of the 34-year-old in Ennis was befitting of a player rising to the top of a League scoring ladder that has names such as Kearins, Cavan’s Ronan Carolan, and Offaly’s Tony McTague directly below his.

Tubridy’s 1-8 tally was crucial in ensuring Cork never led by the required four-point margin that would have taken Ronan McCarthy’s side into the League semis at Clare’s expense. He won and converted the eighth-minute penalty that wiped out Cork’s early advantage, this green flag part of a 1-4 haul inside the opening 16 minutes that included two stunning points from play. His second-half contribution was equally important, four frees thrown over to keep their opponents within reach at a time when momentum resided with the men in red.

But far more important than scoring records is Clare seizing this rare opportunity to attain Division 1 status. Mayo, at home, the weekend after next is the hurdle that must be overcome to elevate the county to the League’s top tier.

“The thing is, we got this opportunity last year with 10 minutes to go against Armagh,” said Tubridy, recalling their five-point Round 7 defeat at home to Kieran McGeeney’s side.

“If we’d have won that game we’d have gone up to Division 1, and you see what Armagh are doing at the moment, they’re really competitive in Division 1.

“There’s a fine line between going up and going down in this division. You see Cavan, they were top of the table midway through last year’s League and then they ended up getting relegated so it’s touch and go and it’s a credit to the players to maintain Division 2 status for next year again and be one step away from Division 1.

“It’s just great to get another competitive game. They’re better than any challenge game and hopefully it’ll stand to us.”

But irrespective of whether Mayo are defeated, Tubridy, having been part of the Clare panel that began Colm Collins’ tenure in Division 4, is cognisant of the League journey since 2014 and their progression to becoming a permanent fixture in Division 2 the past five years.

“When Colm started off eight years ago, he always said that we were a top 16 team. He got the belief in us. The players believe that they’re good enough to be up there. You saw it there today, we matched Cork.

“We always struggled to play against Cork 10 or 15 years ago, they always got big scores up against us. But we’ve always been touch and go with them the last few years.”

Now into his mid-30s and with almost a decade and a half of inter-county service given, the Doonbeg forward could easily have joined fellow Clare stalwarts Gary Brennan and Gordon Kelly in filing his retirement papers during the long off-season. That he didn’t was solely down to the manner of Clare’s no-show Munster quarter-final exit at the hands of Tipperary last November.

“I didn’t want to go out with that defeat on my mind. It was tough to see Gary and Gordon leave. I wish the boys were here with us today.”

With Brennan and Kelly departed, is he now the father figure of the group?

“I don’t know about that, but there was one of the younger players asking me the other day, if I got the jab yet!”