Patrick McBrearty
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| Native name | Pádraig Mac Breartaigh (Irish) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nickname | Paddy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 5 August 1993 Dublin, Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Equity trader | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Gaelic football | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Right corner forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| *Inter County team apps and scores correct as of 12:00, 6 December 2025. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Patrick McBrearty (born 5 August 1993) is an Irish Gaelic footballer who plays for Cill Chartha and, previously, for the Donegal county team, which he captained for three years from 2023 until an injury forced his retirement from inter-county football at the end of 2025.
He was usually selected in the full-forward line for his county, often flanking Michael Murphy with Colm McFadden (before Murphy and McFadden's retirements, in, respectively, 2022 and 2016). In 2015, Pat Spillane included McBrearty in his top 40 footballers in the game today.
Among other accolades, he won an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title (2012), seven Ulster Senior Football Championship titles (2011, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2024 and 2025) and two International Rules Series (2013, 2015). With his early success (until 2012), McBrearty was believed to be "the most decorated player of his age ever to represent Donegal." He is also part of an exclusive club to have played minor and senior matches for their county on the same day. Indeed, he was the first Ulster footballer since Benny Coulter of Down to play both grades on the one afternoon — Benny is still waiting on that All-Ireland medal after Cork 2010. By 2025, he was recognised as the most decorated player in the history of Donegal.
A major contributor to Donegal teams since his emergence at the start of the first Jim McGuinness managerial era, McBrearty was considered one of the finest young footballers to have arrived on the Donegal scene since Murphy. Opponents highlighted his "ace" attacking abilities and regarded him as a considerable threat. Like Murphy, McBrearty was a live target for Australian Football League recruitment. He turned down such offers as he wished to further his education in Ireland and to spend time with his family.