By Cian O'Connell

Galway colleagues for eight years, Gary O'Donnell and Paul Conroy will be sideline foes during Saturday afternoon's Connacht Colleges Senior 'C' final at Tuam Stars GAA complex.

Straight after the game O'Donnell and Conroy will board the Galway bus ahead of Sunday's crucial Allianz Football League Division II trip to Derry.

Presentation College Athenry's remarkable recent sporting success story offers Galway hope in a string of codes with five of O'Donnell's panel tasting 2016 provincial glory in hurling and soccer earlier this month.

Brian Callanan, Fionnan Garvey, Ryan Shaughnessy, Cian Salmon, and Oisin Connolly, grandson of the famous Castlegar stalwart John, have sampled action with the three Presentation Athenry teams.

Coláiste Iognáid, renowned for rowing and rugby, have made encouraging Gaelic Football progress in the past decade with Conroy and Galway's 1998 All Ireland winning captain, Ray Silke, among the staff.

Former Galway hurler Cathal Moore is the principal at Presentation College Athenry where current star Padraig Brehony also works.

Having defeated Gort Community School in the Connacht Hurling decider last weekend O'Donnell, who is in charge of Presentation Athenry with Noel Tyrell (Salthill-Knocknacarra) acknowledges that it is a particularly exciting time. 

“GAA has been going very well in the school recently as well as the soccer,” O'Donnell said. “A huge effort is being put in. The amount of effort being put in regarding training teams and going to matches is huge. Hopefully we can win on Saturday too.

“A handful of lads are starting on all three teams. It is difficult at the moment because it is a very busy time for them. We are trying to manage them by playing a bit of ball, but it is important not to be killing them too.”

Buses leaving for vital matches is a familiar sight at the school. “There has been no lack of effort from teachers taking teams out training and to matches,” O'Donnell admits. “ Nearly everyday we’ve a few buses going out of the school to different games so there is a huge effort being put in.”

The Presentation Athenry squad is sprinkled with immensely talented and promising players such as dual star Cillian McDaid – a key player for the Galway U21 footballers.

Fifteen miles away in Galway city, Coláiste Iognáid, managed by Darragh Leonard (Claregalway) and Conroy, are similarly intent on winning silverware.

A raft of Salthill-Knocknacarra's victorious 2015 Galway and Connacht Minor Championship winning side are involved -including two who are already regulars at senior level for the club - Marcus MacDonnacha and Robert Finnerty, a son of former Mayo forward Anthony, who has made a valuable coaching contribution.

 “It is good for the lads as they have worked hard throughout the year,” Conroy commented about the rapid improvements being made. “We lost a Connacht final last year so it is nice to be back in another one. A few people have been working hard GAA wise in the school so it is good to be in a final.

“We have plenty of fine footballers in fairness to them. A good few of them won a minor county title with Salthill last year and some of them are already playing senior.

“Definitely they have good experience under their belt. We have a couple of lads too from Barna, St Michael’s, and Moycullen too so between the whole lot there is a good bunch. They are good lads too which helps us.”

Indeed, the fact that so many footballers from the city and west currently involved in the various inter-county set-ups hasn't gone unnoticed. “It is good to see the development,” St James' clubman Conroy remarked.

“All parts of the county are strong and there is a good spread amongst the senior panel at the minute. If you look down at the U21 and minor teams from the last few years it is the same way. The city is definitely strong at the minute with three senior clubs and the West of Galway as a whole. That is good to see.”

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