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O’MAHONY BRINGS SAM HOME TO ST. NATHYS!
Although the excitement may be dying down in the rest of the country after September’s nail biting All-Ireland football final between Galway and Kildare, for the West the celebrations continue. The All Ireland win for Galway has been described by many as "the end of the thirty-two year famine for the West" and it appears that the people of Galway are not going to let this victory slip by without memorable celebrations! Since leaving Dublin on the day after the final, ecstatic fans in crowded towns along the route have greeted the team and their manager John O’Mahony. Fortunately the students and staff of St. Nathy’s College Ballaghaderreen also found themselves at the centre of all the excitement. On Tue 29th September John 0’Mahony, a teacher at our College and Mick Beirne, the team physiotherapist presented the 'Sam Maguire Cup' before a packed hall of students and staff. While the spectators stared in awe at the cup, Fr.Convey, president at our college, congratulated John for his magnificent achievement in leading the team to such a deserved victory and, of course, praised the Galway footballers for their spectacular performance. This was followed by a speech from John himself in which he thanked his team. He highlighted the fact that, but for their encouragement throughout the year, he would not have been privileged to be part of such an achievement and he praised the team highly. He also reminded the students that it takes work and dedication to achieve your goal in any sport. At several occasions during his speech the gym was filled with loud applause and shouts of encouragement. But it was not until he held Sam high above his head that the potential roar of the students was reached. At this moment a look of sheer happiness and pride was evident on his face. This look remained during the following photo session which entailed the use of many roles of film. From the reception he received at a school which serves, for the main part, students from Roscommon, Mayo and Sligo, it was evident that this victory by Galway had a significant value for all the Western counties. By bringing such a coveted trophy across the physical barrier of the Shannon the psychological barrier imposed by the absence of a senior title victory for over three decades seems also to have been breached. The seeds of hope have once again been sown in the minds of the people and for the first time since 1966 the often repeated line can truly be shouted aloud, "The West Is Awake".
Left: St. Nathy's prepares to welcome Sam. Right: College President, Fr. Martin Convey congratulates Galway Team Manager and member of St. Nathy's Staff, John O'Mahony. Also included are Patrick Henry and Fr. James McDonagh College Football trainers.
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