Patrician Secondary School, Newbridge has just celebrated its Golden Jubilee & neatly intertwined in the school over its 50 Years existence has been the GAA.

Success hasn't been that plentiful over the years, despite many talented footballers having passed through its doors. Patrician can count among its past pupils such footballing luminaries as John Crofton, Niall Buckley, Anthony Rainbow, Shay 'Sos' Dowling, Dermot Earley, Padraig Brennan, Johnny Doyle, Ronan Sweeney and most recently Daryl Flynn, Gary White, Alan Smith & Peter Kelly. Most of these have been named Sportsperson of the Year in the school, but the list of honour also includes names such as Middleton, O'Sullivan, Brennan, Dempsey, Lonergan, Corley, Hanafin & O'Shea, who have gone on to represent their clubs and county.

Uniquely, past-pupils have won the last 3 All-Stars for Kildare in Earley, Doyle and Kelly, while Rainbow, Buckley and Earley were on the 2001 International Rules Team in Australia. Plus it would be hard to find any other school in the country, which had so many past pupils involved with an Inter-County panel at Senior Level. 11 ex-Patricians were members of the panel for Kieran McGeeney's first championship game against Wicklow in 2008 - we won't mention the result - but they were Earley, Rainbow, Barry, Corley, Sweeney, Flynn, O'Neill, Smith, Harnett, Doyle and White.

From its humble beginnings in 1950-51, the love of Gaelic Football was harnessed by Brother Paul Brennan, but it wasn't until the late 70's - early 80's that competition was taken seriously and the School name started getting recognition throughout the Province.

The arrival of Kevin Kehoe (current Wexford U21 Football Manager) as PE Teacher & the infectious Brother Bosco Mulhare changed the fortunes of the school in Leinster competition. 1982 was the year it all began on the double. Peter O'Reilly & Bro. Lucian Phelan trained the likes of Mick Buckley, Ken Herbert and Alan Fagan to the Leinster U14 B title, while Kehoe and Galway's Brian Fahy led the Junior side to a South Leinster crown & a Leinster Final. South Leinster titles followed for the U14s and Juniors in Silver Jubilee year in 85-86, before the school won their first ever Leinster Senior Football title in 1987, when winning the B crown captained by Michael Keogh.

Arguably Patrician's greatest achievement in football was winning the All-Ireland School's Senior B title in 1989 under the tutelage of Kevin Kehoe & Tom Blanche. The team captained by Gerry Moran, included Anthony Rainbow, Niall Buckley, Sean Mulpeter and Liam Sex.

With Kehoe moving on to his current location of Good Counsel, it wasn't until 1993 that silverware returned to the school as new teachers Padraig Gill, Larry Curtin, John Hardiman & John Duggan helped the U14s and Seniors to South Leinster A titles respectively.

Another famine followed before Gill and Chris Forde coached the likes of James Lonergan, Tom Corley, Daryl Flynn and Ross Glavin to a Leinster U14 A crown. South Leinster A titles followed in 2003 and 2004 under Conor Cunnane & Flannan Cleary before another Leinster U14 title was secured in a goal-fest final against Pats of Navan in 2007, ten days after the Seniors were 5 minutes away from a Leinster Final appearance but succumbed to late goals from the Meath school.

In December 2008, Colin O'Shea captained the Seniors to a South Leinster crown, before the 2007 U14 side, managed by Cunnane & Gearoid Leonard brought the school their first Leinster Junior A title in April 2009 captained by Warren Kealy. Unfortunately, time was the enemy for this group of footballers who were to leave school in 2010 without getting their hands on the coveted Senior A crown.

Football is obviously very strong in Newbridge with two top clubs in Moorefield & Sarsfields supplying the Patricians with most of their players. These clubs must be credited for their support of GAA within the school, which includes supplying pitches for matches and training, etc. However, the rural clubs like Suncroft, Raheens, Milltown, Allenwood, Two-Mile-House, Athgarvan & the outposts of Round Towers & Monasterevan must be thanked for their help.

The teachers must also be credited with the amount of personal time and effort they put in to preparing the sides. The GAA department of Padraig Gill, Larry Curtin, Conor Cunnane, Damien Scallan, Pat Moloney and Killian Whelan, has swelled in recent times with the arrival of Galway hurler Rory Gantley and Kildare footballer Martin Dunne. Add to that Irish International Kayaker, Michael Brennan & Mayoman Gary Durkan and students have access to experience at the highest level. The management of Brothers Silverius Heffernan, Joe Doheny and James O'Rourke, along with Seamus Mullooly, Peter O'Reilly & Pat O'Leary must be commended for the support they have given to the development of GAA within the school.

Special mention goes to the effervescent Brother Bosco, who was recognised with a President's Award in 2009 and Joe Mulligan (brother of Offaly great, Eugene) who retired in 2010. Both men's experience & knowledge has helped many teams in preparation for games and hopefully we will continue to see them following the school at matches.

While, the Patricians may not have the tradition of Pat's of Navan, Mel's of Longford or Good Counsel, the teachers above will continue to work hard to create a tradition, which will hopefully lead Patricians to their first Senior A success soon.


A Patrician XV (including all past pupils who have represented Kildare at Senior Level) will take on Kildare in the Patrician Golden Jubilee Challenge on Saturday November 26 at 2pm in St Conleth's Park.

The Patrician XV will be managed by Bro. Bosco Mulhare, Shay Dowling, John Crofton & Dermot Earley Jnr.
Admission: Adults €5, U18s FREE.
All Funds raised go to the Kildare Players Fund. All are welcome to support. Tweet

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