CLG Naomh Columba explained

Club Gaa:Naomh Columba
Irish:CLG Naomh Columba
Founded:1964
Province:Ulster
County:Donegal
Nickname:Glen, Gleann
Colours:Gold and Green
Grounds:Páirc na nGael
Coordinates:54.9524°N -8.3521°W
Pattern La:_greenborder
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Pattern Ra:_greenborder
Pattern Sh:_yellow_stripes_adidas
Pattern So:_hoops gold
Leftarm:fcd02f
Body:09a461
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CLG Naomh Columba is a Gaelic football-only GAA club based in Gleann Cholm Cille in the south-west of County Donegal in the west of Ulster, the northern province in Ireland. The club fields both men's and ladies' teams from underage as far as senior level. They enjoy an intense rivalry with their neighbours, Cill Chartha (Kilcar), although the rivalry has subdued somewhat in the last number of years as the clubs have played in different divisions.

History

Naomh Columba, in their current existence were founded in 1964, although football was played in the parish for decades before this and a Junior club existed since 1944.[1] They have won the Donegal Senior Football Championship twice, in 1978 and 1990.

Michael Oliver McIntyre captained the team to the 1978 title.

The club also won the Donegal Junior Football Championship in 1974. The club has won 2 Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta titles and 7 Division 1 League titles. The club's most successful season came in 1978, when they claimed the championship, league and Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta treble, as well as the county under-21 title. They remain the only Donegal club to complete this treble, although Gaoth Dobhair won a league, championship and Ulster championship treble in 2018.[2]

Naomh Columba were once one of the most feared and respected teams in Donegal, reaching 6 senior county finals in 9 years between 1990 and 1998, but since their relegation to the Intermediate Championship and Division 3 of the league in 2007, the senior team have struggled to make any great impact on the Donegal club scene. 2024 saw the club's return to Division 1 of the Donegal league, and the return of the Naomh Columba-Cill Chartha derby.[3]

They defeated Na Cealla Beaga in the 1990 Donegal SFC final.[4] Among the winning players were Noel Hegarty and two uncles of Dessie Farrell, Noel Carr and Séamus Carr.[5] Indeed, Séamus Carr at half-forward was man of the match in the final, scoring five points (each one from play), while John Joe Doherty was captain.[6] 1978 captain McIntyre (by then a team mentor alongside Paddy "Beag" Gillespie and Seán Burke) played at full-forward in the 1990 final, which Hegarty won a with a last minute free.[6] However, the club lost the 1992 final to the same team.[4]

The Donegal county team which won the 1992 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship had two Naomh Columba players on the panel — Noel Hegarty and John Joe Doherty.[7] John Joe Doherty was selected as an All Star in 1993. As of 2022, Aaron Doherty was playing for the county team at senior level, having featured, and scored, in a number of matches during the 2022 National League campaign.

Notable players

Managers

YearsManager
1964– 1990?
1990Michael McNelis
1990–2008?
?John Joe Doherty[15]
2008–2009Noel Hegarty[16]
2010–2011Anthony Molloy
2012Paddy J. McGinley
2013Brendan Doherty
2014Paddy J. McGinley
2015–2016Brendan Doherty
2017–2018Paddy J. McGinley
2019–2021Pauric O'Donnell[17]
2022-2023Paddy J. McGinley[18] [19]
2024Brendan Doherty[20]

Honours

Honour!scope=col
No.scope=colYears
scope=rowDonegal Senior Football Championship21978, 1990
scope=rowComórtas Peile na Gaeltachta21978, 1986
scope=rowDonegal Senior League71976, 1978, 1980, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1995
scope=rowDonegal Junior Football Championship11974
scope=rowDonegal Under-21 Football Championship21978, 1987
scope=rowDonegal Minor Football Championship21975, 1986

Notes and References

  1. Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta, 2008
  2. The Book of Donegal G.A.A. Facts, 2007 (sixth edition)
  3. https://www.donegallive.ie/news/gaa/1472952/the-glen-kilcar-division-1-rivalry-back-after-22-year-gap.html
  4. News: Killybegs 1991, one of the greatest Donegal teams. 14 October 2016. 14 October 2016. They lost the 1990 final to Naomh Columba… They were champions again in '92 — they defeated Naomh Columba in the final….
  5. News: Connie. Duffy. New Dublin GAA boss had strong Donegal connections. 12 December 2019. 12 December 2019. In fact, two of Farrell's uncles, Noel Carr and Seamus Carr, won a county title alongside Hegarty for Naomh Columba in 1990..
  6. News: Harry. Walsh. 1990: Naomh Columba end twelve year jinx. Donegal News. 15 October 2015. 15 October 2015.
  7. News: Liam. Ryan. Where are they now: Donegal's All-Ireland champions of 1992. The Irish Times. 14 May 2001.
  8. https://www.donegallive.ie/news/sport/507691/finian-ward-a-back-to-back-donegal-sports-star-in-1979.html
  9. https://www.donegallive.ie/news/gaa/1254864/one-of-the-greatest-club-rivalries-to-be-re-ignited-next-year-between-naomh-columba-and-kilcar.html
  10. https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/sport/gaa/it-day-after-shankill-bomb-27971733
  11. News: Pat. Nolan. Donegal's Manus Boyle explores Dessie Farrell's Tir Chonaill county roots. 22 February 2020. 22 February 2020. 'He grew up in the summers along with John Joe Doherty and the Hegarty brothers, Noel and Paddy', [Manus] Boyle explains..
  12. https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/sport/gaa/it-day-after-shankill-bomb-27971733
  13. News: Chris. Nulty. 1992–2011: The best XV not to win Ulster…. Donegal News. 22 July 2011. 22 July 2011. The Naomh Columba man is remembered as being on the receiving end of a barge from Derry's Geoffrey McGonagle in the build-up to Joe Brolly's winning goal in the Ulster final of '98.. 2 April 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160402182556/http://donegalnews.com/2011/07/1992-2011-the-best-xv-not-to-win-ulster/. dead.
  14. News: Alan. Foley. Peter. Campbell. When Donegal minors lit up the summer of 1996. Their story and 'where are they now?'. 30 July 2021. 30 July 2021. Molloy was assisted by Michael Oliver McIntyre from Naomh Columba and Downings' Paddy McBride, with Barry Campbell of Kilcar and Dr Austin O'Kennedy, Four Masters, also on the sideline..
  15. News: Mulgrew and Bonner's joint ticket. BBC Sport. 14 October 2008. 14 October 2008. Doherty has also managed his own club Naomh Columba and the Donegal under-21 team..
  16. News: Alan. Foley. The heroes of '92 - Where are they now?. Donegal Democrat. 8 January 2009. 8 January 2009. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20151218180946/http://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/sport/the-heroes-of-92-where-are-they-now-1-1989654. 18 December 2015. Having only made his championship debut a year earlier, Hegarty and Tony Boyle were the babies of that team. A builder and developer, he is currently player-manager of his hometown club..
  17. News: Chris. McNulty. Naomh Columba seek new manager for 2021. 16 December 2020. 16 December 2020. Former goalkeeper O'Donnell succeeded Paddy J McGinley in the post for the start of the 2019 season..
  18. Web site: Campbell . Peter . Back to the future at Naomh Columba as Paddy J McGinley returns as manager . 2022-04-11 . www.donegallive.ie . en.
  19. https://www.donegallive.ie/news/gaa/1194815/paddy-j-mcginley-happy-to-lay-naomh-columba-s-cards-firmly-on-the-table.html
  20. https://www.donegallive.ie/news/gaa/1412471/naomh-columba-announce-brendan-doherty-as-the-new-senior-manager-for-2024.html