Enda Colleran

Enda Colleran (May 1942 – 8 April 2004) was an Irish Gaelic football manager and player. He played football with his local club Mountbellew-Moylough 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.

Biography

Enda Colleran was born in Moylough, 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 63.^[1]

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.

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 RTÉs The Sunday Game and as a teacher in Colaiste Einde in Salthill, Galway.

He was honoured by the GAA by being named on the Football 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 buried 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.

See also

• List of people on stamps of Ireland

References

External links