So many other clubs around the county will undoubtedly have taken note of the significant strides St. Colmcille's have been making in recent times and that was certainly in evidence during 2004 when they highlighted another progressive year by winning the Under-16 Football Championship. The east Meath club have big ambitions, with the focus firmly on making a return to the senior ranks in the not too distant future, and judging by their under-age progress that would clearly appear to be a very realistic ambition. Significantly, the previous time St. Colmcille's had won the Under-16 FC the team included two players who were to go on and make huge names for themselves - that truly outstanding defender Bob O'Malley and brilliantly gifted attacker Bernard Flynn. Both those players enjoyed under-age success with the Royal County, but they really thrilled everybody associated with the St. Colmcille's club as a result of their magnificent service to the Meath seniors as they climbed back to the top of the footballing tree. They were key figures during a golden era as Sean Boylan guided Meath to so much glory, highlighted by back-to-back All-Ireland SFC triumphs in those never-to-be-forgotten years of 1987 and '88 when supporters had so much to celebrate. And St. Colmcille's had plenty to celebrate last July when they defeated Round Towers - the combined forces of Gaeil Colmcille, Kilmainham and Drumbaragh - in the U-16 final at Pairc Tailteann. It was a memorable and highly satisfactory moment when captain Colm Reilly accepted the Benny Caffrey Cup after St. Colmcille's had won on a 0-13 to 1-6 score line, thus maintaining the fine progress the club has been making in the under-age ranks. However, it was Round Towers who opened the decider on the more promising note as they moved into an early lead with three successive points, but once the St. Colmcille's players found their feet and settled into the match they soon got themselves firmly back into contention with some well-taken scores. Graham Boyle got the east Meath side off the mark with a point from play and the deficit was down to the minimum when John Tuffy found his range, while they were in front early in the second quarter thanks to further points from Eoin Woods and Wayne McCloskey. However, the Gaeil Colmcille-Kilmainham-Drumbaragh combination recovered very well and a goal from a speculative shot which ended up in the net after deflecting off the post helped them to a double scores (1-5 to 0-4) advantage at half-time. St. Colmcille's were undoubtedly very anxious to make a bright start to the second period to keep their hopes of the title alive and they responded to the challenge very positively by scoring four points in the third quarter courtesy of Graham Reilly, who got two, Tuffy and Boyle which enabled them to draw level. Round Towers managed to add only a point to their tally in the second-half and St. Colmcille's hit the front again with 12 minutes remaining when Boyle was on target and the same player was denied a goal soon after when he was thwarted by a magnificent save from Round Towers' goalkeeper Gary McGovern. The match was tight going into the closing stages, but when they needed to produce something extra to take a grip on proceedings St. Colmcille's did so and finished with a significant late surge which secured the title. The St. Colmcille's team which won the Under-16 FC was - D. O'Sullivan; C. Reilly, J. Levins, L. Smith; B. Murphy, R. Madden, D. Adamson; G. Reilly (0-4), E. Woods (0-1); N. Black, J. Tuffy (0-2), P. Lambe; G. Boyle (0-3), W. McCloskey (0-3), M. Gallagher. Sub - M. Eagleton for Adamson. Andrew Towell was team manager, with Colm Hilliard and Michael Levins acting as selectors, and it is highly significant and another sure sign of the talent being produced by the St. Colmcille's club that no fewer than 11 of this year's under-16 side will again be eligible for that grade in 2005. That clearly suggests they will take a great deal of stopping when they go in search of back-to-back titles. "We won the Under-15 Winter League last year and this success was a follow-on from that win," Andrew Towell commented on a highly satisfactory campaign that culminated in championship glory. "It was the same team. We also won the Under-14 Reserve League, so we are following a tradition of under-age achievement in St. Colmcille's. We also reached the MFL Div. 2 final against Parnell's, but lost an eight-point lead and two late goals beat us. So it could have been three titles, but that's the way it goes. "It was also noteworthy that five members of this year's under-16 team made Meath sides at under-15 and 16 levels - John Levins, Graham Reilly, Eoin Woods and Karl Mullen at under-15 and Graham Boyle at under-16. Also, Eoin Woods and Graham Reilly form the current Meath under-15 midfield partnership and Graham is captain. He was our top scorer in the Under-15 League last year and with the under-16s this year." Of course, it's certainly not by accident that St. Colmcille's are achieving success in the under-age grades. "A lot of work has been done in the under-age structures," Andrew added. "I am with the current team eight or nine years. We started coaching sessions on Sunday mornings approximately 10 years ago. "We have also been running a very successful under-10 blitz for a number of years and between eight and 10 clubs come to us each year for that." With so much dedicated work being carried out in the club, the future looks very bright indeed and the fact that they are managing to produce some highly talented players in the older age groups at under-age level certainly suggests that the club's supporters can look ahead with considerable optimism. "Eleven members of the team that won the Under-16 Championship this year are eligible for that grade again in 2005," Andrew said as he contemplated the future. "Looking further ahead we would hope to win back-to-back Minor Championship titles in 2006 and '07. That's our aim. "We have to be optimistic with the crop of young players we have coming through. Within five years we would hope to be playing our football in the senior ranks again. It is a big goal of mine to see the current crop of players playing senior football." Under 14 triumph St. Colmcille's enjoyed another very satisfactory triumph when they won the Under-14 Reserve League, defeating Simonstown Gaels after extra time in a thrilling final played at Curraha. The 'Cilles never trailed and were ahead by 2-3 to 1-2 at the interval in normal time after Cathal Hilliard and Donal Meagher had scored the goals. Simonstown rallied well in the second half and it took some superb goalkeeping from Daniel Myler to rescue St. Colmcille's on a number of occasions. The sides finished level on 2-6 each at the end of normal time and the brief break before extra time appeared to aid the seasiders considerably. Andrew Doake was on target with a point shortly after the change of ends and this was followed by a goal from Cormac Pentony which proved very important as St. Colmcille's won by 3-9 to 2-8. It was a proud moment for Colmcille's captain Cathal Hilliard when he received the cup from Meath Juvenile Board secretary Mairead Delaney and competition sponsor Eddie Battersby of Eddie's Hardware. The victorious St. Colmcille's team was - D. Myler; C. Hilliard, J. Nealon (0-1), B. Brennan; K. Garland, TJ Dixon, E. Jones; F. McCloskey, A. Doake (0-2); D. Meagher (1-3), Cathal Hilliard (1-0), S. Campbell (0-1); C. Pentony (1-1), J. Morgan, A. Garland. Subs - J. Moore, M. Myles, D. Regan, D. Carthy, D. Levins, T. Trinder. Minors go close When St. Colmcille's held a 1-8 to 0-3 interval advantage in the MFL Div. 2 final at Pairc Tailteann they looked sure to take the title but, in the end, they were edged out by Parnell's on a 2-12 to 1-12 score line. Midfielder Mark Magill scored the Colmcille's goal close to the break and with such a commanding advantage they looked set for the title and they were still in front by 1-10 to 0-6 at the three-quarter stage. However, Parnell's gradually reduced the deficit and they were only a goal in arrears (0-11 to 1-11) with a minute of normal time remaining, but a couple of fine saves from goalkeeper Paul Madden kept the 'Cilles ahead. But the goals did come for Parnell's as Thomas Smith found the net twice to earn a sensational three-point victory. The St. Colmcille's team was - P. Madden; C. Reilly, S. Cassidy, D. Browning; D. Stafford, M. Metcalfe, S. Burke; M. Magill (1-0), J. Murphy (0-2); G. Reilly (0-1), B. Coyle (0-1), E. Costello (0-1); M. Farrell, J. Tuffy (0-2), C. Kelly (0-5). Subs - G. Boyle for Farrell, B. Murphy for Costello. Adult championships St. Colmcille's had a mixed bag of results in the Intermediate Football Championship and finished Group B on five points after two wins, a draw and four defeats. The victories came against Rathkenny and Slane; they drew with Donaghmore/Ashbourne and were beaten by Oldcastle, Duleek, Castletown and Syddan. However, it is surely an encouraging sign that the losses were all by narrow margins. They also scored notable Feis Cup wins against senior opponents Walterstown and Cortown. The Junior C combination reached the championship quarter-finals, but lost to Oldcastle by 1-4 to 2-7. Tweet

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