In the first of our player profiles Denis Doolan, footballer, student, manager, Offaly man, comes under the spot light. Keep an eye on the website for future profiles, giving you the chance to get to know Ranelagh Gaels’ players better.

NAME: Denis Doolan
AGE: 32
HOME TOWN/CLUB: Rhode, Co.Offaly
OCCUPATION: PhD student
FACEBOOK STATUS: What?
POSITION (KEEP IT CLEAN): Centre-back or midfield
JOINED THE GAELS: 2003

BEST WORDS OF WISDOM FROM LIAM O’HAGAN:
Hold the centre or they’ll run through us like a dose of salts

FAVOURITE GAELS MEMORY:
Ladies victory in 2010 Junior E Championship final

FIRST THREE SONGS ON YOUR iPOD/MP3 ON SHUFFLE:
Bob Dylan, Changing of the Guards; Creedence Clearwater Revival, Proud Mary; and Neil Young, Heart of Gold

LAST DECENT FILM YOU SAW:
The Kids Are All Right

BLACK PORTER OR RED WINE:
Black Porter

X-FACTOR OR FRONTLINE:
X-Factor, Elisabeth makes me watch it

GRAINNE SEOIGE OR SHARON Ni BHEOLAIN:
Sharon Ni Bheolain

SOCCER OR RUGBY:
Soccer to play but rugby to watch

ALL-TIME FAVOURITE CORONATION STREET CHARACTER:
Norman ‘Curly’ Watts

LEAST FAVOURITE THING ABOUT JUNIOR FOOTBALL:
Physical assault masquerading as a tackle

THE GAELS’ PLAYER THAT SHOULD TAKE OVER AS TAOISEACH, AND WHY:
Ronan Rasdale, his leadership at the Macroom sevens was inspired

YOU’VE JUST WON THE €7,100 TOP PRIZE IN THE RANELAGH GAELS CLUB LOTTO – YOU WOULD SPEND THE MONEY ON:
Gold shoes

RULE CHANGE THAT WOULD MAKE FOOTBALL BETTER:
Abolish the square ball rule

IN TEN YEARS TIME THE GAELS WILL BE:
Thriving

PLAYING JUNIOR C FOOTBALL FOR RANELAGH GAELS IS GREAT BECAUSE:
We’ll be old and fat and unable to play for long enough