TWO DONEGAL MEN have been entrusted with overseeing the fortunes of Dunedin’GAA club in Edinburgh.
Cormac O’Gara from Glencolmcille and Letterkenny native Jonathan Foley are taking the reins of the men’s and ladies teams respectively.
Formerly of Naomh Columba, O’Gara has been with Connolly’s for over a decade. Having moved to Scotland following a stint in Athlone IT and now employed as a civil engineer, this will be his fourth season at the helm in succession in what is his second stint in charge.
In 2009, he famously led the Edinburgh side to their first and so far only All-Britain success as well as replicating that feat with Napier University a year later in the British Universities Championship.
Having returned in 2012, O’Gara has tasted Championship success on three of the four seasons since. He also guided the Scottish County team to an All-Britain title in 2014.
Foley’s takeover of the ladies sees the former St Eunan’s player/joint-manager of the club’s Junior B side step up from his Maor Fhoirne position where he’s been involved for the past two seasons.
During which time, Connolly’s ladies have graduated from junior to Intermediate standard and have successfully won back-to-back Scottish domestic doubles and All-Britain titles under Damien Holahan and Alan Ward.
The Gortlee native was also a mentor of the Scotland ladies team that featured in the TG4 All-Ireland Final against Louth last September at Croke Park.
Currently a secondary school teacher and former student of the University of Ulster, Foley has previously won two Donegal junior championship titles with St Eunan’s and was joint-manager of that same team in 2013 along with Andrew McGovern.
And while the two Donegal-born managers in the Scottish capital may have to negotiate the training pitch schedule and use of facilities for their respective training nights, they are still bound the club’s junior men’s team.
A reserve/second string of Connolly’s players, where O’Gara also takes the position of manager with Foley occasionally operating in the wing-back position for the team were Scotttish League winners in 2015.
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