Colaiste Choilm joint captains Oisin Keenan-Martin and Jack Bryant lifted the first piece of silverware post-lockdown as the Tullamore school claimed the Leinster B Colleges football title.
Their 4-5 to 2-7 defeat of Cnoc Mhuire, Granard at a rainswept TEG Cusack Park in Mullingar seemed assured when Sean Courtney hit their fourth goal in the second half, though they had to withstand a nervy finish after Marc Cunningham and Cormac Brady struck late goals for the Longford school.
In what was the first competitive game of Gaelic football since March, Colaiste Choilm (formerly Tullamore CBS) were somewhat fortunate to lead 2-3 to 0-5 at the break but tightened their grip as the second half progressed to win the title for the first time since 1990.
A steady hand at wing-back was John Furlong, whose father Ken, the current Offaly minor manager, was part of that team 30 years ago, while his legendary grandfather Martin was a three-time All-Ireland winning goalkeeper with the county.
Ken’s uncle Tom, who was later on the books of the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons of the NFL, was the school’s blue-chip forward when they previously won the title in 1961.
The current manager Niall Stack and his right-hand man, James Buckley, are two gardai who came on board two years ago with the sole aim of raising their alma mater’s standards after a period of underachievement, alongside school stalwart John Lydon.
Two years ago, the school won the All-Ireland B hurling title despite having little tradition with the small ball, when they also made the most of some outside assistance.
Pulling in players from some eight different clubs, it’s a school that is helping to form a better template in a county striving to make up ground.
