Coláiste Mhuire's journey to Croke Park

The day of reckoning is fast approaching for the senior footballers of Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar. The talented side will make history when they grace Croke Park on All-Ireland final day next Tuesday, March 17, to take on Tralee CBS in the Hogan Cup final at 3pm.

Coláiste Mhuire came into this year’s Leinster PPS senior football campaign as defending champions and the pressure was on to deliver in a very competitive province.

Their defence of the Br Bosco Cup began well as they brushed aside Patrician College, Newbridge with five goals. They then went on to defeat St Peter’s Dunboyne and had a seven-point victory over neighbours St Joseph’s, Rochfortbridge in the third round. An epic extra-time victory over St Patrick’s Classical School, Navan, followed in the quarter-final and at that stage belief was starting to grow.

Naas CBS were strong opponents in the semi-final, but they were brushed aside in the second half;wwww the final against Athlone’s Marist College saw Coláiste Mhuire do likewise to win in convincing fashion.

It was then on to the All-Ireland semi-final as the battle for the Hogan Cup began and a thrilling extra-time victory over Abbey CBS, Newry, sent Coláiste Mhuire through to the decider for the first time.

Dean McNicholas said: “There’s been a great buzz around the school since we came back on the Monday after the semi-final. That day was an emotional rollercoaster and it probably took a day or so for everyone to get their feet back on the ground.

“But from the morning after the semi-final we’ve been preparing for Tralee CBS. It’s another big task against a Kerry school. All attentions are turned towards the All-Ireland final now and St Patrick’s Day in Croke Park.”

Brian Murtagh said it will take a big performance to deny Tralee CBS: “They definitely have standout players, but what sticks out to me is how good and how solid they are as a unit,” he said. “They’ve two very strong midfielders and three forwards who would be as good as anything we’ve seen in schools’ football.

“Gearóid White and Ronan Carroll are absolutely fantastic footballers. A lot of them are very comfortable off both their left and right foot. We’re under no illusions about what we’re going to come up against."

Matthew Kearney priased Colaiste Mhuire's resilience which proved crucial in the semi-final victory over Abbey CBS, Newry, after extra-time. It's something he believes is a natural reaction from a tenacious group of players.

“It probably is just in them,” he said. “You try to get messages into them and you wonder how much sticks, but they’re great lads with high football IQ and serious ability.

“We think back to the Leinster final against Athy when we were a point down and got three or four shots away before Ben Sheerin popped up with the winner. Even the experience of extra-time last year against St Pat’s, Navan, and again in the semi-final, it doesn’t faze them.”

Tickets for the big game

Tickets for next Tuesday’s Hogan Cup final are available on gaa.ie, from Supervalu, Mullingar, and O'Brien's Centra, Mullingar. Admission is €20 for adults, with students and OAP €10 and juvenile tickets costing €5. Seating is unreserved in Hogan Stand Lower Tier.

The programme for the day is as follows:

Masita All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Finals Croke Park - Tuesday March 17

Masita All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Croke Cup Final: St. Kieran’s College v Presentation College Athenry - 1pm

Masita All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Hogan Cup Final: Colaiste Mhuire Mullingar v Tralee CBS - 3pm

Leinster PPS Senior Football ‘A’ (Br Bosco Cup)

Coláiste Mhuire 5-19, Patrician College, Newbridge 3-5

Coláiste Mhuire 3-11, St Peter’s, Dunboyne 1-10

Coláiste Mhuire 0-16, St Joseph’s SS Rochfortbridge 1-6

Coláiste Mhuire 1-12, St Pat’s, Navan 0-14 (After extra-time)

Coláiste Mhuire 2-16, Naas CBS 0-14 (semi-final)

Coláiste Mhuire 3-16, Marist College 2-13 (final)

All-Ireland PPS semi-final (Hogan Cup)

Coláiste Mhuire 1-23, Abbey CBS, Newry 3-12 (After extra-time)

Meet the Coláiste Mhuire players

Adam Buckley (Mullingar Shamrocks), Michael Moloney (The Downs), Seán Byrne (St Loman’s, Mullingar), Eoin Donohue (Milltown), Ty Masterson (Mullingar Shamrocks), Kian Loughlin (The Downs), Ben Sheerin (Mullingar Shamrocks), Críostóir Ormsby (Mullingar Shamrocks), Rory O’Brien (Shandonagh), Paul Keating (Mullingar Shamrocks), Michael Weir (capt.) (St Loman’s), Stephen McWade (Shandonagh), Will Scahill (Shandonagh), Finn Higgins (St Paul’s), Conor Cleary (The Downs). Subs: Seán Hayes (St Loman’s), James Flynn (Mullingar Shamrocks), Padraig Monaghan (The Downs), Ronan Byrne (Mullingar Shamrocks), Eoin Meehan (St Loman’s), Seamus O’Brien (St Loman’s), Eoin Mullin (The Downs), Rory McCaul (Mullingar Shamrocks), James Murtagh (Mullingar Shamrocks), Aaron Connaire (The Downs), James Baird (Ballynacargy), Beau Greene (St Loman’s), Killian Mooney (Mullingar Shamrocks), Michael Taggart (Killucan), Tristan Boyce Jordan (Ballynacargy).

*See this week's Westmeath Examiner newspaper for full preview of the Hogan Cup final