No four-in-a-row for VEC's finest
November 27, 2011
There was to be no four-in-a-row of Ulster titles for the Monaghan county vocational schools football team as they lost out by 1-4 to 2-9 to eventual All-Ireland and Ulster champions Donegal in the provincial final last February.
The defending champions never managed to get a foothold in the match which was played in very poor playing conditions.
The Tir Chonaill lads hit the jackpot after 15 minutes when they broke through for a goal which put them four points in front and helped them sashay their way to a 1-4 to 0-2 half-time lead with Thomas Kerr (free) and Shane McGuinness (29) on target for the Oriel in the first half.
Conditions in Kildress deteriorated in the second half and things didn't get much better, football-wise, for the Shane Donohue-managed side.
Donegal failed to score in the early stages of the second half and their first actual score was their second goal, scored in the 40th minute.
By the 52nd minute, Donegal had opened up a 13 points lead and despite a goal from Thomas Kerr - after good work by sub JP O'Neill - it was a classic case of too little too late for Monaghan.
But given the progression of players to intercounty action from the Vocational Schools team in recent years, with 2009 All-Ireland winning captain Colin Walshe a case in point, it is likely will hear much more about a number of the 2011 side.
The past twelve months may have just been a blip, because there is no doubting that the Monaghan VEC football has never been stronger.
Ulster champions in 2008, '09 and '10, Monaghan contested All-Ireland Vocational Schools senior football finals in each of those years, bringing home the big-time bacon in 2009.
However, this statistic represents just the tip of an impressive iceberg as County Monaghan VEC serves a vital, organic function at the very heart of Oriel County GAA.
It's almost impossible to emphasise just how integral County Monaghan VEC is to the overall wellbeing of Monaghan GAA. We met up with Martin O'Brien to take a closer look…
County Monaghan VEC comprises six schools and three Youthreach centres, with an annual budget of approximately 30 million euro and over 600 employees. Within the auspices of the VEC, there is also a theatre with up to 10,000 patrons and an outdoor education centre providing education to 11,000 participants each year.
Furthermore, an extensive adult and community education programme provides training and supports for around 8,000 people per year. County Monaghan VEC also provides a range of support and advice to others involved in education within the county.
In the GAA world it is on the sporting field that the VEC comes to peoples' attention, with a huge number of the current county team passing through the education system.
From the recent Ulster title successes, many have progressed to play on the Monaghan U21 and senior sides, including Christopher McGuinness, the aforementioned Walshe, Dermot Malone and Ciaran Duffy.
Part of the reason behind this success is that the facilities for sport within County Monaghan VEC are of a very high standard and the schools have built up excellent working relationships with their local clubs.
Everything goes hadn in hand as in addition to the VEC's own facilities, they are very lucky to have access to the facilities at Cloghan. These are made available to VEC teams and the central location and the cooperation of the managers of that facility is acknowledged and appreciated by all involved in the VEC.
The last time Ulster won the Railway Cup, Monaghan had four players on the team, all of whom were former VEC students, namely Paul Finlay, Dick Clerkin, Tommy Freeman and Eoin Lennon. Indeed, Finlay and Freeman have also played their part in the International Rules series.
Many top-class Monaghan players who have now become household names once sat in front of our teachers in VEC schools - Tommy and Damien Freeman at Inver College; Conor McManus at Beech Hill College (where his father Frank is present school principal); Eugene 'Nudie Hughes' at Castleblayney College; Eoin Lennon and Paul Finlay at Ballybay Community College; and Dick Clerkin, is a former student at Largy College.
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