Derry's Mount Rushmore - Here are the contenders

On Friday's OTB AM the task of selecting Derry's top four sportspeople for their Mt Rushmore falls on Cahair O'Kane of The Irish News and Slaughtneil and Derry dual star Crissy McKaigue. 

The Oak Leaf county is blessed with options in gaelic football with Anthony Tohill likely to be a leading contender. The Swatragh man collected All-Ireland winners medals at both senior and minor level and he was also a Hogan Cup and Sigerson Cup winner during this student days. Tohill landed four All-Starts during his senior inter-county career and captained and managed the Irish International Rules team.

Joe Brolly was also a key cog in Derry's All-Ireland Senior Football success in 1993, a two-time All-Star on the pitch and then became one the best-known GAA analysts on Irish TV after hanging up his boots. Brolly's charity work and promotion of organ donation could also sway our experts to chisel his face onto the side of the mountain.

Also in gaelic football, the man who masterminded that 1993 success, manager Eamonn Coleman, was also an All-Ireland minor winner as a player and he also enjoyed Westmeath Senior Football success with Athlone during his time working in the Lake County.

Two-time European Cup winner Martin O'Neill played 64 times for Northern Ireland, including the 1982 World Cup, before becoming going on to enjoy a successful management career. O'Neill took Celtic to the UEFA Cup final while also winning three Scottish League titles in his time at Parkhead. The Republic of Ireland also qualified for Euro 2016 during the 68-year-old's time in charge.

James McClean and Shane Duffy were both regulars under O'Neill with Ireland and are worthy of consideration. Another major contender is Busby Babes' goalkeeper and Munich Air Crash survivor Harry Gregg, who helped to drag teammates from the burning plane.

Katie Mullan was the leader of Ireland's run to the women's Hockey World Cup final in 2018 while Andrew Trimble grabbed 17 tries in his 70 caps for the Irish rugby team and he also represented Ulster more than 200 times across a distinguished 13-year career.

Away from team sports, Jason Smyth is the world's fastest Paralympian with five Paralympics gold medals across the T-13 100-metres and 200-metres, eight world golds and six European golds as well as a world indoors gold.

Daryl Gurney has won both the World Grand Prix and Players Championship on the PDC darts tour while "The Derry Destroyer" John Duddy was one of the most popular middleweight boxers in the USA in the early 2000s.

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Missed any of our Mount Rushmore county-by-county series? Watch back all episodes here! 

Here is Nathan Murphy's selection of Mayo

Here is Colm Boohig's selection of Cork

Here is Will O'Callaghan and Paul Rouse's selection of Offaly

Here is Shane Hannon and Gráinne McElwain's selection of Monaghan

Here is Diarmuid Lyng and Liam Griffin's selection of Wexford

Here is Neil Treacy and Jack Anderson's selection of Limerick

Here is Enda Coll and Kieran Cunningham's selection of Donegal

Here is Máire-Treasa Nic-Cheallaigh and Michael Lyster's selection of Galway

Here is Adrian Barry and Conor Moore's selection of Westmeath

Here is Ronan Mullen and Dan McDonnell's selection of Louth

Here is Alan Quinlan and Michael Quinlivan's selection of Tipperary

Here is Tommy Rooney and Hector Ó'hEochagáin's selection of Meath

Here is Conor Deegan and Donal O'Neill's selection of Down

Here is Ger Gilroy and Joe Molloy's selection of Kildare

Here is Thom Malone and Paul Howard's selection of Wicklow

Here is Dave McIntyre and Paul Fitzpatrick's selection of Cavan

Here is Arthur O'Dea and Alan Cawley's selection of Sligo

Here is Eoin Sheahan and Kieran Donaghy's selection of Kerry

Here is Cliona Foley and Shane Keegan's selection of Laois

Here is Enda McGinley and Orla Bannon's selection of Tyrone

Here is Oisin Langan and Jessie Barr's selection of Waterford

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