There are many success stories contained in Royal County 2003, but few can match that of Curraha, whose exploits at juvenile level are nothing short of phenomenal. In '03, Curraha captured the U12 Division Two football championship - a truly remarkable feat at this is their FOURTH outright U12 championship success on the trot! Team manager Pat Coyle reflects on the latest spectacular achievement. It's not too often we've got to say this in the past: but Curraha are mixing with the Big Boys and coming out on top! The inroads the club has made at juvenile level under the guidance of manager Pat Coyle and a focussed committee is extraordinary considering the club's limited resources. The success continued unabated in '03. In fact, this was Curraha's most prolific season to date. The all-county U12 Division Two championship was annexed in wondrous fashion, as well as the all-county U14 Division Three 'A' league crown. Pat Coyle managed both winning teams. He is all too well aware of the increasing significance of Curraha's ongoing dominance in juvenile ranks: "It's a great success story," he agrees, "and we're extremely excited about the possible implications of these wins. We've won four U12 championships on the trot now - Divisions 4, 3B, 3A and now Division 2." If one considers that these wins have essentially been earned with four different teams, it becomes immediately evident that the Curraha conveyor belt is fully-laden with young talent. And there's more! Pat continues enthusiastically: "Our U14s won the 'A' league this year and the 'B' league last year. These are our players of the future and they're getting into a winning habit at an early age, which is very important. We've never had that before so it's very important that we look after these players and bring them through at minor and then adult level. If we nurture these players, there are some exciting times ahead for Curraha..." When Pat took over the juveniles four years ago, underage success in Curraha was rarer than a cannibal's steak! A solitary U10 Blitz was about the height of their success in the preceding 30-year period. How times have changed! Four years ago a new juvenile committee was set up under the chairmanship of Tony Dowling, with Eddie Battersby as secretary, Eleanor Laffey as PRO and Pat Coyle as trainer/coach. "We looked at what was wrong with the club and decided that a long-term approach was needed. That's why the juvenile committee was set up. We got two great sponsors in - Marino Catering [who look after the catering in Croke Park] and Emalux [Tony Dowling's company] - and they play a big part in ensuring that the players are well looked after." As well as the quality of their displays, Curraha's U12s and U14s have also come in for a lot of praise for the manner in which they conduct themselves. They're an exceptionally well-behaved group of players and their disciplinary record is second to none. To this end, Pat explains: "I've always placed a major emphasis on discipline and the young lads have responded extremely well. They put in a serious effort in training, learn all the skills, give 100% and behave themselves as well. They're a real credit to themselves and to the club and I know their supreme discipline has won them a lot of admirers." There you have it - great ambassadors for their club at the age of twelve! What a story ... and it's a story that's only beginning. By all accounts, Curraha have some exceptional talent on their hands: "We put serious work into getting our panels together and preparing the teams. With the U12s we go at it two nights a week from April 1st every year. Even though it's a very small parish the young lads put their hearts into it. We only had 21 U14s and 24 U12s, but they all gave an unbelievable commitment. "We did some serious coaching with the teams and it has paid off. They're all very enthusiastic and they're enjoying themselves, which is the secret." Nobody is more committed to securing Curraha's long-term success than Pat himself. He played with the club for 15 years and has three sons currently representing the east Meath outfit at juvenile level. During his time as a player, Curraha weren't exactly regulars on the winners' podium, but Pat has more than compensated for his lack of success on the field of play with some sensational results as a coach. These are all the more incredible when one bears in mind that he has no formal training as a coach but instead applies his boundless enthusiasm, honesty, common sense and first-hand experience of wearing the green jersey. As is now customary in Curraha, he began training the 2003 U12s on April 1st in the depths of mud and rain (Irish weather, eh?) and took them two nights a week right through to the county final at the end of June. In total, that amounts to three months of hard training, which will undoubtedly hold the players in good stead. The Division Two championship was run off on a league basis, comprising eight teams, all of whom played each other once, with the top four going on to contest the semi-finals. Curraha came up against some of the biggest clubs in the Royal County and Pat admits that he was apprehensive when he saw the fixture's list. But his players rose to the challenge superbly... The first game was against Walterstown and Curraha stormed to a 4-12 to 2-8 victory. Next up Clan Na Gael (Athboy) were beaten by 3-15 to 2-7. The spoils were shared with Summerhill (3-10 apiece) but Curraha returned to winning ways with stunning victories over Yellow Furze (5-11 to 4-1) and St Cuthbert's (3-11 to 1-2). With a semi-final place already secured, Curraha's U12s eased their foot off the pedal and slipped to narrow defeats in their final two group outings, against Donaghmore/Ashbourne (3-9 to 2-9) and Duleek (4-10 to 3-11). The semi-final against Yellow Furze was one of the best juvenile games ever seen anywhere in County Meath. The game took place on Ratoath's new pitch on Wednesday June 18th and Curraha booked their place in the all-county decider by virtue of a magnificent 2-10 to 2-8 triumph. The final was a keenly-contested local derby against Donaghmore-Ashbourne (Curraha is in the same parish as Donaghmore). Curraha were complete underdogs, not just because of their group-stage defeat to their opponents but also due to Donaghmore-Ashbourne's disposal of competition favourites Duleek in the other semi-final. But Curraha were having none of it! The final was in Ratoath on June 28th and the underdogs carved out a famous 3-6 to 1-9 win in front of one of the biggest crowds ever to attend an U12 game in the county. Curraha made a great start, with Kevin Mallon (2-0) and David Coyle (0-2) securing an early stranglehold at midfield, and offered their opponents no respite over a sapping hour's football. The Curraha team that made history by bringing an amazing fourth consecutive U12 title to the club: Brain Smith; Patrick Coyle, Anthony Dowling, Jack Hogan; Neil Shortall, Padraig O'Hanrahan, Felim Dowling; David Coyle, Kevin Mallon; Sean Laffey, Neil Mackin, Ruairi McEntee; Karl Delaney, Liam Hogan, Keith Carey. Felim Dowling picked up the Man of the Match trophy, a fitting choice as Curraha's half back line had been their strongest all year. The U14 league commenced earlier in the year, in March. Following a semi-final defeat of Moynalvey, Curraha faced Wolfe Tones in the final on May 14th. Pat takes the story up: "Wolfe Tones had beaten us by 5-11 to 2-10 in the group stage, so we were given no chance. But the lads gave an exhibition of football and we beat them by four points." Four players featured on both the U14 and U12 teams. The U14 Division Three 'A' league winning side: Callum Donnellan; Stephen Carey, Mark Battersby, Padraig O'Hanrahan; Kevin Mallon, Darragh McGrane, Jeremy Harrington; Paddy Marmion, Brian Marmion; Gary Egan, Gavin Coyle, Sean Penderville; David Coyle, Jason Blount, Neil Mackin. Pat Coyle hopes to stay with the crop of players he has cultivated and intends to step up with them to U15/U16 level and then minor grade. The aim is to have a strong minor side in three or four years, with a decent adult team to follow. He notes: "We have a solid platform to build upon. It's a great achievement to have won these four U12 championships in a row. As far as I'm aware, a run like that is unheard of for any club in the county - or in any county for that matter! "We've also had representatives on all the various juvenile county teams for the past four years, which was previously unheard of in Curraha. In 2003 we had Paddy Marmion and Gavin Coyle with the county U14s, Sean Mallon with the county U15s and Michael Dowling with the Meath U16s. "Indeed the word around Curraha is that young Dowling could be another great local midfielder in the mould of John McDermott. A son of Tony, the strapping young midfielder wore the No9 jersey on the Meath U16 team that won all around them this year. "These lads are getting great experience playing for the county and winning trophies with the club. Hopefully we'll soon have some Meath minors at the club. These are great times for Curraha. We've never had so much cause for optimism. We have lads coming through who know what it's like to win and they're capable of winning A LOT more." Every other club in the Royal County be warned: the Curraha revolution is gathering pace! Tweet

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