St.Eunan’s College in Letterkenny is to go back in time to celebrate the opening of its new ‘front pitch.’
The pitch will be officially opened on September 29th and a golden age of football at the school will be recalled to commemorate the occasion.
St. Eunan’s College were both Rannafast Cup winners 1955 and MacRory Cup Finalists 1956 and now all members of those teams ave been invited to the opening.
Principal Chris Darby said “This will be a major event for us with our Parents’ Association unveiling a new billboard listing sponsors of the St. Eunan’s College Sports Development Fund.”
The ‘front pitch’, which has nurtured many Donegal GAA stars including Michael Murphy, was first opened in 1992 but has undergone a major redevelopment.
The background
Rannafast is the A level competition played at under – 16 ½ age group and the Mc Rory Cup (under-18) A level both played for by Ulster Colleges.
A new teacher was appointed to the College in 1953 John Wilson; a Cavan man who held an All
Ireland winners medal which he won playing for Cavan in the Polo grounds, New York (the only All Ireland played outside of Ireland). It would be fair to say that St. Eunan’s College had to step it up in Gaelic football and John Wilson realised the College had a wealth of talent from all over the county. In his early years he concentrated on the younger boys and within 2 years he succeeded in winning the Rannafast A competition.
The team was captained by Very Rev. Canon Austin Laverty originally from Stranorlar, later to become a President of the College and today parish priest in Ardara. This was a huge achievement and still the only A competition won by the College.
He then set his sights on the coveted Mac Rory Cup and in September 1955 the boys were brought together and the training was planned. In the 1st match against Mc Rory cup favourites John Campbell and Anton Mc Gettigan gave a great display as the Sentry Hill boys served notice. Eventually they qualified for the Mc Rory Cup Final.
On the day St. Mac Cartan’s , Monaghan were the opponents. A large crowd gathered in Omagh as the Donegal set out to win their 1st Mac Rory Cup. In a thriller the St. Eunan’s gave it all and lost by a point.
The team was captained Anton Mc Gettigan from Downings.
