Leinster final test ‘a massive ask’ – Marist College coach

Kevin Fagan, Paul Kelly and Fergal Wilson know better than most what it would mean for the Marist College to finally land the holy grail of a Leinster Schools senior football title.

After all, all three are past pupils of the Athlone school and they are now part of the management team preparing for Saturday’s eagerly awaited final against defending champions Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar.

The trio are joined by Marist College stalwart John Parker, a retired teacher who has been associated with football teams from the school for decades, and Fiona Dempsey, a PE teacher in the school.

In any discussion relating to the Marist College and the Leinster Schools football championship, it’s virtually impossible to ignore their record of reaching five previous finals and losing them all.

Yet Wilson insists that the past has little or no relevance to what will happen at TEG Cusack Park on Saturday (throw-in 1pm).

“The last time we were in the final (2018), none of these lads were in the school, they were all in primary school. So it’s really irrelevant; every year it’s a different group and they can’t control what happened in the past. I don’t think it really has any relevance,” said the former Tubberclair and Westmeath star.

“All of us here, we’re all past pupils, so it would be massive for us obviously. But what went on in the past, you can’t control.

“I remember when Páidí (Ó Sé) came into Westmeath, that was his mantra; he’d say, ‘lads, there’s 120 years of history behind us, nothing got to do with us’. It’s something similar here; every year there’s a new group and you work with them, and you try and do as well as you can with them,” continued Wilson, a Leinster championship winner with Westmeath in 2004.

Marist had to cope with some injury setbacks in their dramatic semi-final win over Ardee CS and they still have major injury concerns, with Andrew Henson almost certainly out for the final due to a hamstring injury.

“To be honest with you, we’re planning without him. We don’t think he’s going to be right.

“He’s got a serious hamstring (injury), practically a grade 3 tear, which is a six-week injury, so it’s highly unlikely that he’ll have any involvement,” said Fergal when asked about the highly rated Henson, who is also an accomplished rugby player.

Diarmuid O’Higgins was unable to start the semi-final and Darragh Lough, who came on when injury forced Henson off, subsequently went off injured himself. In addition, Adam Smyth carried an injury into the game, though he managed to play on until the end.

“Diarmuid hasn’t trained yet, he played his last match on the 17th of December. We haven’t had him since and he’s a big doubt still, and with Darragh Lough, it’s a hamstring injury as well,” said Fergal.

While the Marist camp is hopeful that O’Higgins, Lough and Smyth will be able to play, Fergal acknowledged the need to have “contingency plans” in place.

“Look, when a fella is out, it’s an opportunity for someone else to step up, and the last day the lads who came in acquitted themselves well. Obviously, it would be great to have the full panel to pick from, but that’s football and you just have to pick what you have and move on.”

With Marist and Coláiste Mhuire having met each other several times at various levels in recent years, the two teams are very familiar with each other.

“The lads know each other well, and like they’re obviously a very good team, a brilliant team in fairness,” Wilson remarked.

Wilson believes “the physicality” of the Coláiste Mhuire team will pose a major challenge, also pointing to the high level of representation on underage county panels in the squad.

“They’re probably the most physical team I’ve ever seen in colleges level. They’re phenomenal in that sense and they have brilliant players, and we’re under no illusions as to the huge task facing us.

“I know it’s a cliché to say it but it’s going to be a massive ask and we’ll have to be at our top levels to be able to compete,” said Fergal.

“They’re a phenomenal team all over the pitch. The fact that they’ve been there, they’ve won it last year, that experience will stand to them as well,” he added.

In addition to his role with the team, Castledaly’s Paul Kelly is Marist College deputy principal and he’s keenly aware of the boost a Leinster final victory would give the school.

“We’ve been trying most years to try and do it,” said Paul, who coached the Marist team (alongside Con O’Meara) who reached the 2014 final, losing out to a Coláiste Eoin team featuring future Dublin star Con O’Callaghan. Current coach and Tubberclair goalkeeper Kevin Fagan was on that Marist team.

“Every year is different, it’s a new group. We try and do what we can for the group itself, but overall as a school, excitement is building, and I imagine it’s no different in Mullingar (Coláiste Mhuire) as well. For ourselves, it would be fantastic (to win), there’s no point in saying otherwise, but look, we just have to try and perform as best we can on the day,” said Kelly.

All three of the Marist coaches have no issue with the choice of TEG Cusack Park as the venue for Saturday’s decider.

With two Westmeath schools involved, Paul feels that it’s an occasion which should “promote Westmeath football overall” and, in that regard, the county grounds seemed the ideal venue.

“When we found out who we were going to be playing (Coláiste Mhuire’s semi-final was two days after the Marist vs Ardee CS game), we expected it to be in Cusack Park and we’re delighted it’s going to be there,” said Paul, a Westmeath SFC medal winner with Castledaly in 2008.

“We’ve a lot of lads that have played there with Westmeath (underage) teams, and indeed the team has played there in the past, so I don’t think it (the venue) is going to have any bearing on it.”

Coláiste Mhuire will be playing very close to home, but Paul is hopeful that the Marist will also bring huge levels of support to the final.

“When you get to the latter stages such as semi-finals and finals, you do get a lot of the community and the clubs around here getting behind the team so we would expect that, along with the student body, we will have great support. I’d say there will be a big crowd supporting both sides.”

Wilson added: “It’s a unique occasion, hasn’t happened in 40-something years, and it was a no-brainer to play it in Mullingar. Two Westmeath schools heading to Tullamore, the optics of it wouldn’t look great.”