Willie Doonan is a former Gaelic football

Gaelic football

Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...

 player for Cavan

Cavan GAA

The Cavan County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Cavan GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Cavan...

.

County career

Doonan served with the British Army in Italy during World War 2. He was shot and injured his knee and ankle and was honourably discharged in 1945 when he was selected for Cavan in the Ulster campaign and subsequent all Ireland Final defeat to Cork. He went on to win 2 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...

 medals. He was right back on the 1947 and 1948 teams and he won every honour the game could bestow including All-Ireland Minor Football Championship

All-Ireland Minor Football Championship

The All-Ireland Minor Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for under-18 competitors of the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland...

 Minor in 1938. He also won the National Football League

National Football League (Ireland)

The National Football League is a Gaelic football tournament held annually between the county teams of Ireland, under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The prize for the winning team is the New Ireland Cup, presented by the New Ireland Assurance Company...

 in 1949/50 season. He was also a noted soccer player and played for Dundalk F.C.

Dundalk F.C.

Dundalk Football Club is a professional Irish football club based in Dundalk, County Louth. The club currently play in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. Founded in 1903, they are the second most successful team, in terms of trophies won, in the history of the League of Ireland. The...

 for a couple of seasons missing out on Cavan’s All Ireland final defeat to Meath in 1949. Willie Doonan's brother was apparently better than him but he could not play for Cavan reasons unknown.

Club career

He won 1 Cavan Senior Club Football Championship

Cavan Senior Club Football Championship

The Cavan Senior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic Athletic Association club competition between the top Cavan Gaelic football clubs. It was first competed for in 1888. The winners get the Oliver Plunkett Cup and qualifies to represent their county in the Ulster Club Championship and in...

 with Cavan Slashers 1941 and a Senior League medal Cavan Harps 1949. He later returned to England for a period of 15 years but came home to assist the Cavan Gaels

Cavan Gaels

Cavan Gaels is a Gaelic Athletic Association club from County Cavan in Ireland. They are affiliated to Cavan GAA.Cavan Gaels have appeared in nine of the last ten Cavan Senior Football Championship finals...

as Team Manager in their League win of 1971.