Proud honour for Thornton and Coláiste Mhuire friends

Matthew Thornton, captain of Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar, could scarcely contain his delight after leading his side to a historic victory in the Br Bosco Cup final against a physically imposing Ardscoil na Tríonóide, Athy.

It was a day filled with emotion and pride for the young Multyfarnham man, his family, and his club as Coláiste Mhuire lifted the coveted trophy for the first time in 42 years and only the second time in their history. For the Mullingar college, this victory is more than just a trophy, it’s a noteworthy achievement, one that will be remembered around the county for generations to come. It was easy to get a sense of that among family members and supporters who were brimming with pride in the aftermath of Saturday's triumph.

“At the start of the year, I couldn’t have told you we’d be in this position,” Thornton admitted. “We were just focusing on the next game, the next performance, and it brought us here today. Thank God we won.”

It was indeed a proud moment for Thornton’s family and his club, as the captain revealed: “There were a few tears in the eyes when I met them up there. But it’s all worth it now; all the hard work.”

The final was anything but straightforward. Athy, chasing their first ever title, proved to be a formidable opponent, forcing Coláiste Mhuire to dig deep in a thrilling contest.

“We knew it was going to be the toughest test of the year, and it played out that way. We were lucky a cornerback stood up at the end when Ben Sheerin popped the ball over the bar at the end of normal time,” observed Thornton.

Trailing by four points at one stage in the second half, Coláiste Mhuire showed remarkable resilience and determination to claw their way back. Thornton credited the team’s character and preparation for their ability to handle such pressure. “In fairness to the managers, they instilled that in us from the start of the year,” he said. “We trained for scenarios where we’d be three or two points down. That’s how we played it out.”

The captain also highlighted the immense support from the school and local community as a crucial factor in their success. “It’s unbelievable to see the support there today,” Thornton said. “That’s what got us over the line in the quarter-final, semi-final, and here in the final.”

Victory in the Br Bosco Cup is particularly special given the illustrious footballing talents who have passed through Coláiste Mhuire over the years. “For the quality that went through the school, players like John Heslin and Luke Loughlin, and all the big names who played for the county - they never won the Br Bosco Cup. And we did it,” Thornton proudly declared.

The team’s journey to the final was remarkable, considering that many of the sixth-year players had not won a senior game in their school careers until this year.

“Our group of lads haven’t won one thing with the school,” Thornton revealed. “We’ve been watching the underage teams, the U16s and second years, winning everything over the last few years. We’ve been kind of envious of them. But you know what? We got the big one.”

Thornton also pointed to the belief that came from their victory over Naas CBS earlier in the campaign, a team that has dominated the competition in recent years. “That Naas game, definitely we believed there was something,” he said.

“But there was never a mention of a Leinster final or the Br Bosco Cup in our camp. It was always about performance.”

Coláiste Mhuire had to show resolve and crucial to their victory were two first-half goals from Will Scahill, who Thornton described as “an unbelievable talent." Paul Keating came off the bench to grab their third goal in extra-time.

“Scahill stood up and did the business,” Thornton said. “And Paul Keating, I don’t know how he got that goal, but he got it.”

With the Br Bosco Cup now secured, Thornton and his teammates are setting their sights on the All-Ireland series: they meet St Colman's, Claremorris in the semi-final on Saturday week. “It’s some feeling. It’s some team,” he said. “Hopefully, we can drive on now in an All-Ireland semi-final.”

Thornton has joined Mullingar Shamrocks' Seán Hynes as a winning captain and Coláiste Mhuire will certainly aim to add to that list in the coming years.