Colaiste Choilm's rich footballing heritage to be celebrated in fundraising match with Offaly

WHEN long serving Colaiste Choilm, Tullamore teacher Ray O'Donovan came up with an idea for a match between past pupils of the school and an Offaly senior football selection, his driving goal was to raise funds for a project very close to his heart.

His brainwave was a “Match for Mumbai” to offset the cost of a trip to India by school students and teachers next January but it has evolved into something much more than that.

The match takes place in O'Connor Park, Tullamore on Sunday next, December 15 at 2.00pm and it will raise considerable funds for the school's India Immersion Project - 15 students, two past participants and four teachers are travelling to Mumbai in India from January 30 to February 15 next year, where they will experience a culture and lifestyle very different to their own while volunteering with a variety of charities and NGOs, all of whom are dedicated to supporting the poorest of the poor.

Getting money in is the priority for O'Donovan and the organisers but the occasion will also be a celebration of Colaiste Choilm's long devotion to the promotion of gaelic games and football in particular.

A lot of Offaly players have went through the schools' doors over the decades and several past pupils are either current members of the Offaly senior football panel or playing club football at a high level in the county. This made the idea of a match between past pupils and Offaly attractive and Colaiste Choilm will be able to field a very strong team in Sunday's challenge.

The strength of the players available prompted one Offaly senior footballer, Declan Hogan to joke on Monday that he may have to inveigle his way onto the Colaiste Choilm team management to be certain of getting his place!

For Ray O'Donovan, it will be a very special occasion. A proud native of football territory in Clonakilty in Cork, he has been a teacher in Colaiste Choilm since the 1980s and has given great service to the promotion of football there. Now on the countdown to retirement, he has also been one of the main promoters of the school's India Immersion Project and this game is a showcase for the quality of footballer that has gone to school there in recent years.

The school won the Leinster Colleges senior “B” football title in 2019 and have competed very well in the A grade since then. They have made steady progress each year, were beaten by Naas CBS in the final last year and have qualified for the quarter-final this year with another very decent outfit.

Colaiste Choilm is Offaly's single most important football school and their emergence into a force to be reckoned with in the highest grade is a very good sign for the county. St Mary's in Edenderry also have a great tradition but they pull in players from across the Kildare and Meath borders whereas nearly all of Colaiste Choilm's pupils come from the county.

O'Donovan explained: “It's an idea I have had for a number of years to do this. The direct reason I am doing this is to promote the India trip but gaelic football is close to my heart and since I came here many moons ago, I have been involved in gaelic football and the GAA in general in the school. We have put a lot of very successful footballers through our books and many have gone onto represent the county in various grades in hurling and football.

“I thought it would be a nice thing to get the more recent past pupils who are still playing with their clubs together for a game. We are encouraging as many people, past pupils, their families, the wider GAA public, even from Ferbane, Edenderry, Rhode, all over to come along. You will see the best of Offaly really between the past pupils team and the Offaly selection. You really have the best of the Offaly footballers.

“We really want to put a good show on and it is a celebration of Colaiste Choilm and Offaly football.”

Tullamore and Offaly footballer Daire McDaid went to Colaiste Choilm from 2016 to 2022 and is relishing the opportunity to play with old school mates in this game. “It is good to be playing with friends again. Schools football was my most enjoyable experience because you are playing with your friends and lads you were in school with.”

A panel member when Colaiste Choilm won the senior “B” title in 2019, McDaid is delighted to see the school “pushing on” and competing so well in A football.

Long serving Offaly and Tullamore footballer Declan Hogan is really looking forward to Sunday. Heading back to training with Offaly this week, he appealed to people to support the fundraiser. “From a football point of view, it is a great chance for lads to get together again and we will see lads we may not have seen in a few years. There is a good mixture of younger and older lads on the team. It is a chance to pull on the school jersey again and play with lads one last time. Hopefully we can get as much money together as possible and raise some much needed funds for the project.”

Hogan did his Leaving Certificate in 2011 and they were in B football back then, losing one Leinster final after winning North Leinster. He retains great memories of his school days. “Look at the facilities here now. It is an unbelievable place and very important for the town but also for the county as well. The school team is going quite well and hopefully they will kick on now. They have had some decent runs over the last couple of years and got to the final last year.

“It is a very important part of the community here. The stronger the school is in football, the better for the town but also the local clubs. It is a feeder school for Geashill, Cappincur, Raheen, all those areas. You'd have lots of clubs represented in the school here. It is a fantastic school to be part of in terms of GAA.”

Hogan smiled: “I had a decent experience here in terms of football and it seems top have kicked on even more since. Ray O'Donovan has put in a massive shift over the years. John Lydon, Barry Scully. They have produced a good few hurlers as well over the years. David Dempsey has taken them this year and is putting in a massive effort. Mark Plunkett put in a huge effort last year. There has been really hard work over the past couple of years and it is great to see.”

The match will attract plenty of interest. It will be a first chance to see Offaly senior footballers under new joint managers, Declan Kelly and Tyrone legend Mickey Harte. Declan Kelly is himself a past pupil of Colaiste Choilm and the match will also whet the appetites of the current school population as well as its vast alumni.

A number of past pupils were on the Offaly senior football panel this year and they will line out for Colaiste Choilm in the match. They include: Declan Hogan, John Furlong (Tullamore), Kevin McDermott (Durrow), David Dempsey (Ballycommon, a teacher in the school), Adam Bolger (Daingean), Jack Bryant (Shamrocks), Cormac Egan (Tullamore), Daire McDaid (Tullamore), Eoin Carroll (Cappincur), Jack O'Brien (Durrow).

Several other past pupils are playing at a high club level in Offaly and could also line out for them, including: Harry Plunlkett (Tullamore), Ross Ravenhill (Durrow), Kieran Dolan (Shamrocks), Lauran Ryan (Cappincur), Robbie Gallagher (Ballinagar), Matthew Dempsey (Ballycommon), Ryan Conway (Daingean), Michael Brazil (Tullamore), Mike and Dan Fox (Tullamore), Paul McConway (Tullamore), Ryan Kenny (Ballycommon), Sean Afobali-Joseph (Tullamore), Sean O'Toole (Shamrocks), Steven Doran (Ballinamere), Tom Furlong (Tullamore), Brian Duignan (Durrow), Ciaran Farrell (Cappincur), Aaron Leavy (Tullamore), Arrron Hensey (Tullamore), Adam Galvin (Cappincur), Bill Carroll (Cappincur), Ciaran Burke (Durrow), Cathal O'Meara (Clara), Ciaran Burns (Tullamore), Johnny Moloney (Moycullen), Dan Bourke (Durrow), David O'Rourke (Shamrocks), Niall Furlong (Tullamore) and many others.

As you can see from that list, there is a very good panel of past pupils to select for and it should make for a very entertaining tournament game. The list includes Offaly senior hurlers in Dan Bourke, Ross Ravenhill, Ciaran Burke and Brian Duignan and they all played senior football for Durrow this year.

Admission is free into the match but there will be a collection on the day while people are also being urged to make online donations.

A fundraising portal has been set up online and participants in the project,, teachers and footballers are seeking donations through this. The site can be accessed on https://matchformumbai.fundmajor.com and all support will be appreciated.

The students going to India are: Owen Og Scully, Matthew Smyth, Daire Boland, Louis Aubin, Evan Murphy, Shayne Tobin, Cillian Gaffey, Ronan Devine, Finn Coleman, Liam Sheedy, Martin Conroy, Donal Connolly, Seosamh Varley, Ronan Cleary, Patrick Duffy.

The teachers travelling with them are: Alan Reddin, Ray O'Donovan, Keir Mannerings, Alexandra Farrell.