Buzz of excitment as Coláiste Mhuire make history
There’s a buzz of excitement around Mullingar as Coláiste Mhuire prepare for their first ever All-Ireland senior football colleges final on St Patrick's Day in Croke Park.
The talented side are aiming to bring home the Hogan Cup for the first time and the magnitude of their achievement has not been lost on some of the former teachers and mentors at the school.
There was wonderful support for Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar, at the GAA’s National Development Centre in Abbotstown last Saturday and, among the hundreds who made the trip, were former teachers such as Frank Dillon, Seán Cleary, Richie O’Donoghue and Eugene Coyle, each of whom coached teams in the proud Mullingar school.
Frank Dillon was thrilled with the All-Ireland semi-final victory.
He toiled with Coláiste Mhuire teams for many years during the 1970s and ’80s and knows full well the formidable challenge presented by competing in the highly competitive Leinster senior ‘A’ football arena.
Remarkably, in 2010, Frank was manager of the Coláiste Mhuire senior football side that reached the senior ‘A’ league semi-final but lost out to St Patrick’s Classical School, Navan, managed by Colm O’Rourke. Playing on that particular Coláiste Mhuire side was Dean McNicholas, currently joint-manager of the Coláiste Mhuire team bidding to make history on St Patrick’s Day.
“We enjoyed great successes and had wonderful victories at different levels, but this is fantastic. This is the top. I couldn’t see it when it went to extra-time, but then the players showed their true character. They dug out the result; they have been doing that for the past two years,” he said.
“Things didn’t seem to go for them at times, but they made it happen. And some of the two-pointers were absolutely crucial. So it’s wonderful to be looking forward to Croke Park on St Patrick’s Day for the All-Ireland senior football final, the first in the school’s history. It’s great to have a full Westmeath team there.”
Seán Cleary, winner of three All-Ireland medals with Galway (1964, ’65 and ’66), was a teacher at Coláiste Mhuire for many years and was joint-manager of the 1983 team which won the Leinster senior ‘A’ football title.
“It’s a proud day, a great occasion, and I’m just absolutely delighted that they have won. I’m really looking forward to St Patrick’s Day; we’ll have another big day out in Croke Park. Well done to all concerned,” he remarked.
Seán agreed that the modern game, played at a faster pace, with two-pointers, marks and the solo-and-go, has reached new levels of excellence.
“The standard of football is very high now. The memories kept flooding back from my time, but I don’t remember the standard ever being as high as it is,” he said.
Paying tribute to Coláiste Mhuire’s resilience, he remarked: “They did very well to win, because for a short while I thought they had missed their chance. I’m looking forward to St Patrick’s Day - it will be a great occasion.”
Like his former colleague, Richie O’Donoghue was also a proud man in Abbotstown on Saturday, noting the impact of the two-pointers and how the new rules have transformed the game - all for the better.
St Patrick's Day will be a proud occasion for Coláiste Mhuire - a novel final against a Kerry side also chasing a first All-Ireland senior football colleges title.