Patrick McBrearty (born 5 August 1993) is an Irish Gaelic footballer who plays for Cill Chartha and the Donegal county team, which he has captained since 2023.
He is usually selected in the full-forward line for his county, often flanking Michael Murphy with Colm McFadden (before McFadden's retirement). In 2015, Pat Spillane included McBrearty in his top 40 footballers in the game today.
Among other accolades, he has one All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (2012), five Ulster Senior Football Championships (2011, 2012, 2014, 2018 and 2019) and two International Rules Series (2013, 2015). With this early success, McBrearty is 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.
A major contributor to Donegal teams since his emergence at the start of the successful Jim McGuinness managerial era, McBrearty is considered one of the finest young footballers to have arrived on the Donegal scene since Murphy. Opponents have highlighted his "ace" attacking abilities and regard him as a considerable threat. Like Murphy, McBrearty has been a live target for Australian Football League recruitment. He turns down such offers as he wishes to further his education in Ireland and to spend time with his family. A 2015 survey — conducted among U.S. women with little or no knowledge of Gaelic games — ranked McBrearty as the seventh sexiest GAA player, second in Ulster and top in Donegal.
Early life
McBrearty is a graduate of the Phoenix Elite Academy.
McBrearty was born in Dublin. His father, Seamus, a former centre-forward, who won three Donegal Under-21 Football Championships and was a panel member with the 1985 Donegal Senior Football Champions.
His mother, Carol, is a cousin of Tommy Conroy.
His brother, Stephen, has been a teammate for club and county.
Playing career
Underage
McBrearty used to play association football with St Catherine's — also the hometown club of Everton's Séamus Coleman — and is a close friend of Irish association footballer Carl McHugh, with whom he played for Ireland and went on trial at Celtic. At Celtic he trained alongside the likes of Bobo Baldé and Thomas Gravesen. He has also played soccer for Finn Harps at underage level. He also played underage for his local club Kilcar and has won many titles alongside his brother Stephen.
He also played in the under-21 teams that lost to Cavan in the 2013 and 2014 Ulster finals.
Inter-county
2011 season
McBrearty was drafted into the senior panel by manager Jim McGuinness in May 2011 ahead of Donegal's opening Ulster Senior Football Championship game against Antrim. He made his senior debut against Antrim as a substitute. He had earlier played for Donegal in the Minor Championship, also against Antrim.
He made his first senior start for Donegal against Cavan at 17 years of age and scored 1–3. His 20th-minute goal was fired first time along the ground into the Cavan net after a pass from Mark McHugh. McGuinness named McBrearty as a late replacement for his clubmate Michael Hegarty in the starting lineup in that game against Cavan.
McBrearty's performances during his debut season at senior inter-county level drew widespread praise, both from local and national media.
2012 season
By the age of 18 he had firmly established himself as a member of the Donegal senior football team.
After his second Ulster medal in 2012, Jim and Rory reckoned he had trained only about 25 times with the senior team.
In the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship quarter-final defeat of Kerry at Croke Park on 5 August 2012, Anthony Thompson knocked McBrearty out of the game with his head, causing him concussion.
McBrearty played in the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final against Mayo, making a notable contribution in the build-up to Donegal's second goal of the game. His attempt at scoring a point came crashing off the Mayo post after eleven minutes of the match and Mayo's Kevin Keane fumbled, dropping the ball into the path of Colm McFadden who promptly slotted it into the back of the net.