Enda Colleran
Encyclopedia
Enda Colleran was an Irish
Gaelic football
manager
and player. He played football with his local club Tuam Stars
and was a member of the Galway
senior inter-county team from 1961 until 1971. Colleran captained Galway to back-to-back All-Ireland
titles in 1965 and 1966 and later served as manager of the team. He is regarded as one of the greatest players of all-time.
, County Galway
in 1942. He was educated at his local national school before later attending the famous St. Jarlath's College
in Tuam
. It was here that Colleran first displayed his great football talents and quickly became a key member of the college’s senior team. In 1960 St. Jarlath’s captured the Connacht colleges’ title, with Colleran playing a key role in the last line of defence. The Tuam college side subsequently faced St. Finian’s of Mullingar
in the All-Ireland final. An exciting and high-scoring game developed over the course of the sixty minutes. At the final whistle St. Jarlath’s were the Hogan Cup
champions by 3-10 to 3-7, and Colleran picked up his first winners’ medal in an All-Ireland competition.
Colleran later attended University College Galway (UCG) where his academic life was augmented by further success on the football field. In 1962 UCG reached the final of the Sigerson Cup
, an All-Ireland inter-varsities competition for third level institutions. University College Dublin
(UDC) provided the opposition on that occasion as Colleran made one of his first appearances at Croke Park
. The game was not a happy one for the Galwegians, as UCD narrowly won by 3-7 to 2-7. UCG contested a second consecutive Sigerson Cup final in 1963, this time with University College Cork
(UCC) providing the opposition. On this occasion Colleran ended up on the winning side by 1-9 to 1-3 and collected a coveted inter-varsities winners’ medal for his effort. A third successive Sigerson Cup final appearance beckoned for Colleran and UCG in 1964. UCC provided the opposition once again; however, they failed to match their Galway-based counterparts for the second year in-a-row. A 2-10 to 0-5 trouncing gave UCG the title and gave Colleran a second Sigerson Cup winners’ medal.
After graduating from university Colleran worked as a teacher at St. Éinde’s College in Salthill
. He also served as a pundit on RTÉ
’s Gaelic games programme, The Sunday Game
.
Enda Colleran died on 8 April 2004 aged 61.
Colleran was part of an elite group of seven players to captain his county to double All-Ireland successes and, in 1967, became only the fourth Galway player to captain a Railway Cup winning side with Connacht
.
Following the end of his playing career Colleran worked as a selector and later a manager of Galway. He managed the side to victory in the Connacht Championship in 1976. He also had a career as an analyst on RTÉ
s The Sunday Game
and as a teacher in Colaiste Einde in Salthill, Galway.
He was honoured by the GAA by being named on the "Team of the Century" and the "Team of the Millennium". He was also given the same honour on the Galway Team Of The Millennium as well.
Enda Colleran died suddenly at his home in Barna
on April 8, 2004 aged 61. GAA President Sean Kelly
led the tributes, saying that "All in the GAA are saddened at the untimely and early death of a great GAA man and the massive grievous loss to a great sporting family" He expressed his condolences on behalf of everybody in the GAA to the family, friends and team-mates of the Galway footballing legend. The Taoiseach
at the time, Bertie Ahern
said he was "deeply saddened and shocked on learning of the sudden death of such an outstanding player." Hundreds of mourners gathered in Barna on Sunday 11 April to pay their respects to Colleran who was laid to rest in Rahoon cemetery.
In April 2006, Former team-mates, opponents and friends of Colleran celebrated his life with a special tribute weekend in his native Moylough.
The highpoint of the Enda Colleran Weekend, which took place on the weekend April 28–30, was the unveiling by current GAA president Nickey Brennan
of a life-size bronze statue of Mr Colleran in Moylough. The statue was sculpted by Mr Colleran’s former pupil John Coll.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
manager
Manager (Gaelic games)
In Gaelic games, a manager or coach is an individual involved in the direction and instruction of the on-field operations of a team. Managing, or coaching, entails the application of sport tactics and strategies during the game itself, and usually entails substitution of players and other such...
and player. He played football with his local club Tuam Stars
Tuam Stars
Tuam Stars is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Tuam area in County Galway, Ireland. The club is a member of the Galway GAA. Underage teams up to U-16's play in the Galway league and championships while Minor, Junior, and Senior compete in their respective competitions in the North...
and was a member of the Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
senior inter-county team from 1961 until 1971. Colleran captained Galway to back-to-back All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
titles in 1965 and 1966 and later served as manager of the team. He is regarded as one of the greatest players of all-time.
Biography
Enda Colleran was born in MoyloughMoylough
Moylough is a small rural village located in County Galway in Ireland. It is located on the N63 national secondary road , and is served also by the R328 and R364 regional roads. It is 50 km from Galway, 30 km from Roscommon, and 5 km northwest of Mountbellew...
, County Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
in 1942. He was educated at his local national school before later attending the famous St. Jarlath's College
St. Jarlath's College
St. Jarlath's College is a Roman Catholic secondary school for boys in Tuam, County Galway, Ireland. It is an amalgamation of the former St. Jarlath's College and St...
in Tuam
Tuam
Tuam is a town in County Galway, Ireland. The name is pronounced choo-um . It is situated west of the midlands of Ireland, and north of Galway city.-History:...
. It was here that Colleran first displayed his great football talents and quickly became a key member of the college’s senior team. In 1960 St. Jarlath’s captured the Connacht colleges’ title, with Colleran playing a key role in the last line of defence. The Tuam college side subsequently faced St. Finian’s of Mullingar
Mullingar
Mullingar is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act of 1542, proclaimed Westmeath a county, separating it from Meath. Mullingar became the administrative centre for County Westmeath...
in the All-Ireland final. An exciting and high-scoring game developed over the course of the sixty minutes. At the final whistle St. Jarlath’s were the Hogan Cup
Hogan Cup
The Hogan Cup 1946-48 & 1957-) is the cup presented to the winners of the colleges All-Ireland "A" senior football championship, the top level Gaelic football championship for secondary schools in Ireland. The competition itself is regularly referred to by reference to the trophy's name.St...
champions by 3-10 to 3-7, and Colleran picked up his first winners’ medal in an All-Ireland competition.
Colleran later attended University College Galway (UCG) where his academic life was augmented by further success on the football field. In 1962 UCG reached the final of the Sigerson Cup
Sigerson Cup
The Sigerson Cup is the top division of Higher Education Gaelic football in Ireland, It is administrated by the Higher Education committee which is part of the Gaelic Athletic Association...
, an All-Ireland inter-varsities competition for third level institutions. University College Dublin
UCD GAA
UCD GAA or University College Dublin Gaelic Athletic Association club is a Dublin based Gaelic games club in University College Dublin. The UCD hurling club was founded in 1900 and boasted the motto's "Ad Astra" and "Cothrom Féinne". The first team was an amalgamation of students from UCD and...
(UDC) provided the opposition on that occasion as Colleran made one of his first appearances at Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
. The game was not a happy one for the Galwegians, as UCD narrowly won by 3-7 to 2-7. UCG contested a second consecutive Sigerson Cup final in 1963, this time with University College Cork
UCC GAA
UCC is a football and hurling club associated with University College Cork. UCC teams play in the Cork Senior Football Championship and Cork Senior Hurling Championship as well as the two main third-level competitions namely the Sigerson Cup in football and the Fitzgibbon Cup in hurling...
(UCC) providing the opposition. On this occasion Colleran ended up on the winning side by 1-9 to 1-3 and collected a coveted inter-varsities winners’ medal for his effort. A third successive Sigerson Cup final appearance beckoned for Colleran and UCG in 1964. UCC provided the opposition once again; however, they failed to match their Galway-based counterparts for the second year in-a-row. A 2-10 to 0-5 trouncing gave UCG the title and gave Colleran a second Sigerson Cup winners’ medal.
After graduating from university Colleran worked as a teacher at St. Éinde’s College in Salthill
Salthill
Salthill is a seaside area of Galway city, Ireland. It lies within the townland of Lenaboy and attracts many tourists all year round...
. He also served as a pundit on RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
’s Gaelic games programme, The Sunday Game
The Sunday Game
The Sunday Game is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's main Gaelic games television programme. It is shown on RTÉ Two every Sunday during the Football Championship and Hurling Championship seasons. It is one of RTÉ Two’s longest-running shows, having been on air since 1979, one year after the channel first...
.
Enda Colleran died on 8 April 2004 aged 61.
Playing career
Colleran joined the senior team in the mid 1960s and was a key player on the teams three-in-a-row in 1964, 1965 and 1966.Colleran was part of an elite group of seven players to captain his county to double All-Ireland successes and, in 1967, became only the fourth Galway player to captain a Railway Cup winning side with Connacht
Connacht
Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...
.
Following the end of his playing career Colleran worked as a selector and later a manager of Galway. He managed the side to victory in the Connacht Championship in 1976. He also had a career as an analyst on RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
s The Sunday Game
The Sunday Game
The Sunday Game is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's main Gaelic games television programme. It is shown on RTÉ Two every Sunday during the Football Championship and Hurling Championship seasons. It is one of RTÉ Two’s longest-running shows, having been on air since 1979, one year after the channel first...
and as a teacher in Colaiste Einde in Salthill, Galway.
He was honoured by the GAA by being named on the "Team of the Century" and the "Team of the Millennium". He was also given the same honour on the Galway Team Of The Millennium as well.
Enda Colleran died suddenly at his home in Barna
Barna
Bearna is a Gaeltacht village west of Galway city in County Galway, Ireland, on the R336 regional road. Once a satellite of Galway city, the village is now rapidly becoming one of its suburbs. Officially the village is regarded as Irish speaking and is therefore a constituent part of the regions...
on April 8, 2004 aged 61. GAA President Sean Kelly
Sean Kelly
Sean Kelly may refer to:* Sean Kelly , Professor of philosophy at Harvard University* Sean Kelly , Irish professional road bicycle racer...
led the tributes, saying that "All in the GAA are saddened at the untimely and early death of a great GAA man and the massive grievous loss to a great sporting family" He expressed his condolences on behalf of everybody in the GAA to the family, friends and team-mates of the Galway footballing legend. The Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
at the time, Bertie Ahern
Bertie Ahern
Patrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 26 June 1997 to 7 May 2008....
said he was "deeply saddened and shocked on learning of the sudden death of such an outstanding player." Hundreds of mourners gathered in Barna on Sunday 11 April to pay their respects to Colleran who was laid to rest in Rahoon cemetery.
In April 2006, Former team-mates, opponents and friends of Colleran celebrated his life with a special tribute weekend in his native Moylough.
The highpoint of the Enda Colleran Weekend, which took place on the weekend April 28–30, was the unveiling by current GAA president Nickey Brennan
Nickey Brennan
Nickey Brennan is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Conahy Shamrocks and with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team in the 1970s...
of a life-size bronze statue of Mr Colleran in Moylough. The statue was sculpted by Mr Colleran’s former pupil John Coll.