James Loughrey on 800km round trip: 'I'll look back and think I'm absolutely crazy'

Former Cork footballer Loughrey is making the 800km round trip from Mallow to Belfast to play for his home club St Brigid’s in the Antrim SFC

James Loughrey, St Brigid's GAC.

Is this the longest road trip for a club player anywhere in Ireland?

Former Cork and Antrim footballer James Loughrey is making the 800km round trip from Mallow to Belfast to play for St Brigid’s in the Northern Switchgear Antrim SFC. 

He played in group games last Wednesday and on Sunday when his goal led to a win over Ahoghill.

"One of my best friends Ruairí O'Neill is a selector and he twisted my arm. The one that twisted my arm then had to talk to my wife, my mother, and my sister, some of them are still not talking to me," joked Loughrey.

"It was just an opportunity. I'm doing a lot of training by myself. It's just the way the group stages have fallen, if it was knockout it wouldn't be able to happen, and if it was different management.

"I'll probably look back in a couple of months and think I’m absolutely crazy." 

Loughrey has lived in Cork since 2012 but after retiring from inter-county football, he wanted to "give something back" to his hometown club. 

"There's a huge age gap coming through and if I can give anything back, if they can learn one thing off me, then it’s worth it."

- Interview by Ger Treacy, from @MQ_Video Live Stream coverage for Antrim GAA.