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Fri 9th Apr 2010
Hogan Cup final – Saturday in Croke Park
Last month, members of the Down 1960 All-Ireland winning side gathered in St Colman’s Newry as part of BBC TV’s Season Ticket, a programme that saw the players re-enact that memorable September Sunday half a century ago.
The team had met in the College chapel for Mass before heading south to beat Kerry in Croke Park.
A few of those players had earlier cut their GAA teeth in MacRory Cup winning teams from St Colman’s.
Kevin Mussen and PJ McElroy featured on the first ever winning team in 1949, while Patsy O'Hagan, Dan McCartan and Leo Murphy played on the team to reach the first Hogan final in 1957.
During their visit, the Croke Park veterans mingled with the present St Colman’s MacRory Cup champions, wishing them all the best ahead of their Hogan Cup final in Croke Park with Kerry side St Brendan’s Killarney.
Tradition means a lot in the GAA and that link up with the history-making team of 1960 will no doubt have fired the imaginations of the teenagers that will journey south in hope on Saturday.
Kevin Mussen’s nephew Declan and Patsy O'Hagan's nephew Cathal Murray, both St Colman’s past-pupils and MacRory players, head up this year’s management team. Cathal won a Hogan in 1986 and also was in the Down 1991 Senior All-Ireland winning side.
And some of the players also have their own family traditions to live up to.
Corner-forward Colin Stevenson is one of only 2 Armagh club players that started the MacRory final on St Patrick’s Day.
He is the youngest son of former Armagh corner-back Denis, while his uncle Kevin was also corner-back on the MacRory winning sides of 1968 and 1969, and another uncle Canon Liam was involved in coaching teams during his teaching career in the College.
The Johnston brothers, wing-half back Ryan and full-forward Jerome, hit seven points between them in the MacRory decider.
Their father Jerome is part of the present Down management team under James McCartan, who won two Hogan Cups during his time at Violet Hill.
Brothers Jim and John McCartan were on the 1975 Hogan winning team and picked up a second MacRory a year later.
John’s 15-year-old son Shay impressed when he came in as sub during the second half against Omagh in Casement Park. Shay however is unlikely to match his dad’s collection as he has just signed professional soccer forms with Burnley and is off to the Premier League club in July.
This year’s team is a tightly-knit group according to their coach Cathal Murray, something no doubt helped by the presence of no less than three sets of brothers in the starting line-out.
Apart from the Johnstons, there are the Livelys, Paul and Rory, on the left wing of the defence and the McGreevys, Shane and Tony, at corner-back and corner-forward respectively.
Prior to the Hogan Cup semi-final, coach Cathal Murray spoke of his own personal quest for the MacRory Cup that had never been fulfilled as a player nor as a coach in his previous school St Louis Kilkeel.
This year’s St Colman’s team though has already assured itself of a place on the Wall of Champions that already features 17 other winning MacRory Cup combinations from 1949 until 1998.
Their images will fire the imaginations of future pupils who will pass along the corridors of the famous GAA nursery, but their immediate aim this weekend is to emulate the 1998 team that went on to collect a sixth national title for the school in Croke Park.
When the final whistle blows in the Hogan Cup final this Saturday, seventh heaven and their own piece in a rich tradition await the current MacRory Cup champions.
Submitted by: Seamus McAleenan
