Bettystown outfit St. Colmcilles have had their fair share of troubles in recent times, but according to intermediate manager Dermot Hilliard, they're on the way back. Who said that St. Colmcille's were a club in decline? A couple of years ago the seaside club's obituary was well and truly written with poor performances on the field reflected in their decision to bow out of the senior ranks, but there were encouraging signs in 1998 to suggest that, once again, they're climbing the ladder and should be reaching the summit in the not too distant future. In the year just ending they narrowly missed out on qualification for the knock-out stages of the championship by a point . . . but gained promotion to Division 2 of the league. One individual who confidentially predicts a swift return to the glory days of O'Malley and Flynn is intermediate team manager - Dermot Hilliard - a man whose name has been intrinsically linked with the sky blues since he first became involved in 1973. He points to the steady improvement in results and the advent of a talented bunch of young players as evidence. "I'd be hopeful that we can make our way back up to the senior ranks by the turn of the century," he remarks. "1998 was a year of progress in the right direction. We were in a strong division in the championship and were unlucky to lose out, while promotion to Division 2 was a great achievement for us. We were never too far away. "Basically we have a young team that came up through the ranks and I believe the future is certainly bright." The youth as epitomised by the likes of Enda Grogan, Colm Laverty and Ronan Kelly have inspired optimism amongst St. Colmcille's followers. An injection of new blood is always welcome by any club . . . and the seasiders would be the first to admit that they needed it more than most. "There is no shortage of young players in the club and with the right dedication and commitment they will have their day in the sun. "Since Enda Grogan came to our club in 1993 he has improved from strength to strength through sheer dedication. He's now on the Meath senior panel and he deserves that for all the effort he put in. Colm Laverty and Ronan Kelly have also represented the county. Dermot continues: "Other stars for the future are Niall Ronan and Ian Mullin who were on this year's Meath U16 team. Hopefully these players will come through and play their part in future St. Colmcille's successes." The feeling of hope that now exists within the club is in stark contrast to 1997 when the club bit the bullet and decided to drop out of the senior grade. The players had become fed up of being cannon fodder for the top teams in the county, and favoured a return to the middle grade where they felt they could compete on a more even par. "Basically it was the players who wanted to go down to intermediate," reveals Dermot, who incidentally was assisted in the management of the intermediates by selectors, Oliver Kavanagh, Finbarr Ronan and former Louth and Longford player, Richie Culhane. "They had suffered a few bad beatings and the wind was knocked out of their sails. They felt they were out of their depth. "I think the problem was that seasoned players like Bob (O'Malley) and Bernard (Flynn) had given up and the young players stepping into their shoes weren't experienced enough for senior level. But now things appear to be coming right. The club has come a long way in three years." Dermot Hilliard, himself, enjoyed a profitable playing career with the Bettystown outfit. He first donned the sky blue in 1973 and was rewarded with a junior championship souvenir in 1983 which was garnered at Moynalty's expense. A year later he was corner back on the St. Colmcille's side which surprisingly went under to Slane in the intermediate decider. "That was probably the biggest disappointment of my playing career. We had a very good team and were hot-favourites going into the game, but we were outmaneouvered tactically by Paul Kenny who was manager of Slane then. "After that there were a lot of good young players around the club and parish so I decided to move aside and give them their chance. It was a decision which I don't regret because they went on to win the Intermediate in '88. I was quite happy playing junior football, with the first team doing so well." Off the field of play, Dermot has continued to make an immense contribution to the development and general welfare of St. Colmcille's GFC. At administrative level he has occupied all the major executive roles. His debut at boardroom level arrived in 1977 when he served as vice-chairman for a year before assuming the onerous role of secretary for four years. Then it was his turn to take over at the top of the table for three, before treasurer for five and another three year stint as chairman. Along with Paddy Brannigan and Pat O'Neill, the affable Hilliard is a trustee of the club. And then of course there's the various teams he has managed at underage and adult level. Dermot is eager to stress that St. Colmcille's is far from a one man show. "There are a lot of good people who are willing to do anything they can for the club. Pat Haigney has worked hard at juvenile and adult level for the last number of years, and Brian Diamond is a person who's always available if there's any jobs need doing. Mick Costello is doing great work with the juveniles and runs mini-leagues every Sunday morning for kids six years and up. "I learned a lot from Pat O'Neill and if I had to single anyone out it would be him. He's a very clever man, always thinking ahead, and has given a tremendous service to the club." The progress of St. Colmcille's is not solely confined to the playing field. The development of their clubhouse is nearing completion and now they can boast facilities which are the envy of many clubs in the Royal County. "The clubhouse is practically finished aside from the surface for the car park and floodlights for the pitch. It's a credit to the people who have brought it to this stage. It's a big asset to the parish and I'd go as far to say that it's one of the nicest in the county." It appears as if the sky's the limit for Dermot Hilliard and St. Colmcille's GFC. St. Colmcille's 'Carry' home 1997 U-15 Division 1 crown A strong second half challenge from Navan O'Mahonys wasn't enough to deprive St. Colmcille's of victory in the final of the 1997 U-15 Div. 1 FL. Played late in the year the seasiders emerged victorious on a scoreline of 2-9 to 1-6. The eventual winners dominated the early exchanges and inspired by the excellent Noel Carry they led by 1-8 to 1-2 at the break. O'Mahonys made their intentions clear immediately after the restart and narrowed the deficit, but in their efforts to grab a late goal they left gaps at the back which St. Colmcille's duly exposed. Niall Ronan, Joe McKenna, Eamonn Sarsfield and Carry were outstanding for the winners. St. Colmcille's scorers - N. Carry 0-7; J. McKenna 1-1, B. Colgan 1-0, D. O'Brien 0-1 Tweet

Most Read Stories