Paul Durcan (born 22 April 1984) is an Irish Gaelic footballer and coach who plays as goalkeeper for Drumcliffe–Rosses Point and the Donegal county team.
A member of the Donegal county team (senior) since 2004, he has also played soccer for Finn Harps in the League of Ireland.
Durcan has won two All Stars, one All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, three Ulster Senior Football Championships (2011, 2012 and 2014) and one National Football League with his county.
Until transferring to Ballyboden St Enda's in 2015, Durcan played his club football with Four Masters, with whom he won a Donegal Senior Football Championship in 2003. With Ballyboden St Enda's Durcan won a Dublin Senior Football Championship and Leinster Senior Club Football Championship (both 2015) and then an All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship in 2016. He lives in County Sligo, and made his championship debut for the Drumcliffe–Rosses Point club in 2020.
Early life
His father John Durcan is a retired garda, originally from Foxford, County Mayo. He watched his son rise through the ranks at Four Masters alongside Karl Lacey and Barry Dunnion, winning numerous underage titles along the way. He said, "He was always an outfield player, until Martin McHugh made a goalkeeper of him for the U16 Ted Webb Cup in 1999. Although he was nine years younger than his brother Adrian and six younger than Sean, they always had Paul in goals, smashing shots at him. They never let him out!" Durcan's heroes include his fellow Donegal goalkeepers Gary Walsh, Packie Bonner and Shay Given. At the age of nine he watched Donegal win the 1992 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, which he later described as the greatest game he had ever been to in any sport.
Playing career
Club
Durcan originally played his club football for Four Masters, sometimes playing outfield for the club. His club achievements include winning the 2003 Donegal Senior Football Championship.
In 2015, he transferred to Ballyboden St Enda's, the paperwork going through on 10 April. That team also featured his cousin, Robbie McDaid. It was McDaid who put Durcan in touch with the Firhouse Road club. Durcan later explained: "I decided to play with Ballyboden to cut a bit of time coming and going from Donegal. I was up there all weekend for club and county but when I switched clubs I had more time around the weekends. I had been living on the northside but I had the connection with Ballyboden through Robbie. Then (manager) Andy McEntee rang me himself. Robbie, I suppose, may have said something to him. I met Andy, I got on well with him and he brought me around the club." Durcan dislodged fellow goalkeepers Darragh Gogan and Conor Dooley to win Dublin and Leinster titles in 2015 and an All-Ireland Club Championship in 2016.
He joined Drumcliffe–Rosses Point and made his championship debut against Tubbercurry at Connolly Park in Collooney on 1 August 2020, playing in the club's first Sligo Senior Football Championship final the following month (lost to Tourlestrane).
College
Durcan notably saved two penalties for Sligo IT during the 2005 Sigerson Cup, the first in the semi-final and the second in the final.
Inter-county
Durcan was called up to the Donegal senior football team on the back of club success with The Four Masters. He made his inter-county debut in a 2004 league game against Monaghan in Ballyshannon.
At this time, Tony Blake was Donegal's established first choice goalkeeper. Durcan deputised for Blake and then saw off the challenge of Sean Sweeney to take over when Blake was forced to retire due to a persistent knee injury in May that year. Gary Walsh coached Durcan and Sweeney at this time, having been called in by Donegal manager Brian McEniff.
Durcan played against Armagh in the 2004 Ulster final at Croke Park. He played in the 2006 Ulster final against the same opponents at the same venue. He was part of the Donegal team that won the 2007 National Football League.
Michael Boyle would later rival Durcan, occasionally taking his place on the first team. That was just what happened in a 2009 All-Ireland SFC qualifier — after Durcan fouled Clare player Gary Brennan and conceded a penalty, Boyle was sprung from the bench at half-time. Boyle retained his starting place for the games against Galway at Markievicz Park and Cork at Croke Park.
He played more league and championship matches under Jim McGuinness's management than any other player.