Only five years old and already going places.
Of all the clubs left in the AIB All-Ireland Club Championships, then Mayo club Hollymount-Carramore must surely be the youngest.
After players from Hollymount and Carramore had been playing at under-age level for 18 years, the two clubs decided to officially amalgamate in 2011 and it hasn’t taken them long to taste success.
Victory over The Neale handed them their first county intermediate title last year and they didn’t stop there.
A truly epic extra-time victory over Melvin Gaels of Leitrim handed them a place in the Connacht Final, in which they overcame Moycullen of Galway by the narrowest of margins.
With a panel including All-Ireland winning Mayo minor captain Stephen Coen, former Mayo corner-back and seasoned campaigner Ray Connelly and more brothers and cousins than you can shake a stick at; they’ll pose a serious challenge for Down outfit Loughinisland on Sunday week.
Before that game, we caught up with a club member who insisted on remaining anonymous for an insight into what goes on inside the four walls of the dressing room; needless to say, there are plenty of characters contained within.
Spotlight on Hollymount-Carramore
Club name: Hollymount-Carramore GAA Club
Club colours: White, Blue, Yellow
Year formed: 2011. The youngest club in Mayo, we’re an amalgamation of Hollymount and Carramore GAA clubs. The clubs played together at under-age level from 1993 to 2011 as St. Gerard’s until they amalgamated fully in 2011 at adult level.
Club manager: Tom Connelly (below, right). He was captain of Hollymount when they won the Mayo Intermediate title in 1989.
He has help from selectors Paul Kane (a Kildare native, now one of our own), Kevin Tierney, Pat McCartan, Eamon Hamrouge and Paul O’Malley, who has all the stats saved on his Disney Frozen covered tablet!
Club Captain: Darren Coen (above, left)
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Best nickname: Kevin ‘Gooch’ Feerick and Alan ‘Scan’ Fahey share this title.
Most likely to be found on Tinder: Clifford Connolly, known as ‘The Slayer’ and runs out of right swipe likes daily. Alan Fahey’s heart was broken when he had to delete the app after he met Sabrina.
Most likely to break a beer ban: Enda Maloney, who has already appeared on JOE and SportsJOE. For breaking a beer ban!
Worst Championship haircut: Barry Sheridan. Has more hair gel in his gear bag than deep heat.
Best-dressed: Louis Macken. Comes to games already dressed to go out after!
Worst-dressed: Robbie Molloy. Loves his favourite jumper.
Most vain: Padraig Feerick. He actually picked himself as the best-dressed in a local paper questionnaire. Also Alan Canny, questions remain over whether he has a tanning booth in his house.
Nicest car: John ‘Turbo’ Walsh. Splashed out and put alloys on his van.
Last guy off the pitch at training: Paul Kane. Leaves no stone unturned.
Worst trainer: Darren ‘my hip is sore’ Coen or Conor Keane, who always seem to be conveniently injured for the hard stuff.
Best trainer: Oisin Gill. Often puts training before his cattle and milking duties.
Celebrity lookalike: Alan Fahey (below, left) bears more than a passing resemblance to Cristiano Ronaldo.
Barry Sheridan (below, right) is also not unlike Manchester United defender Luke Shaw.
The team-mate you would least like to get a shoulder from: Richie Bell has been known to put a few lads back on their arses.
Oldest player: Ray Connelly, still fresh at 40. Dermot Costello is ready to take up this mantle soon.
Ones to watch: Conor Heneghan, mature at 17 and Brian Maloney, up and coming.
Player with longest distance to travel to training: Niall Campbell comes from Monaghan, David Macken comes from Cavan and Darren McHugh comes from Dublin. They are all teachers so they only work half-days anyway.
Last guy you’d want to take a penalty in last minute of a match: A toss-up between Ciaran Brogan and JJ Connelly.
Player you’d most like to mute in club’s WhatsApp Group: Keelan ‘What time’s training?’ McNamara.
Family ties: The Costello Brothers, Dermot, Kevin and Ian, are cousins of fellow players, Darren, Mark and Stephen Coen. The Feerick family have three brothers on the panel, Kevin, Padraig and Declan.
Niall and Dwayne Campbell are brothers, as are Damien and Conor Kelly and Enda and Brian Maloney. Ray Connelly is the brother of manager Tom Connelly.
Interesting fact 1: Ray Connelly (below) was corner-back on the Hollymount team that won the Mayo Senior title in 1994 and was corner-back on the Hollymount Carramore team that won the Mayo Intermediate title last year, 21 years later. Duracell Connelly!
Interesting fact 2: The pitch in Hollymount is still fondly known as ‘The Saucer’, as years ago, before development, it was higher at the edges and lower in the middle. The handball alley running along by the pitch provides ideal shelter.
Interesting fact 3: Stephen Coen was the Mayo minor captain when they won the All-Ireland title in 2013.
Interesting Fact 4: Darren McHugh has represented Ireland at senior level in water polo.
