Caolan Ward (born 18 August 1992)[3] is an Irish Gaelic footballer who plays for St Eunan's and the Donegal county team.
[2] Ward was a member of Letterkenny Athletic Club until his late teens, where he competed against and relayed with Mark English, before focusing on his football.
[3] First featuring for his county at senior level under the management of Rory Gallagher, Ward was first called up ahead of the 2016 season, the eldest of twelve new recruits and travelling from Carlow to train with the team.
[3] Ward made his first league start for Donegal against Kerry in the opening fixture of the 2017 at O'Donnell Park (his club's home ground), completing the full match.
[5] Then he got to play at Croke Park in the 2019 All-Ireland quarter-final match against Kerry when the likes of Neil McGee and Eoghan Bán Gallagher were injured, leaving Donegal lacking their first-choice back line.
[26] However, the COVID-19 pandemic then brought all competition to a halt and, upon resumption in October, Ward's only part in the first game back (against Tyrone) was as a late substitute.
[36][37][38] Ward played every minute of the 2022 National Football League, against (respectively) Mayo, Kildare, Kerry, Tyrone, Monaghan, Dublin and Armagh.
[42] In the 2022 Ulster Senior Football Championship, Ward played every minute of Donegal's three fixtures, the quarter-final against Armagh, the semi-final against Cavan and the final against Derry (which included extra-time).
[43][44][45] He also started the 2022 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship qualifier loss to Armagh, though — with his team trailing — was substituted for forward Conor O'Donnell late in the game.