Naomh Padraig ace Caolan McColgan finding his groove at just the right time 

Caolan McColgan says it’s taken some time to put a serious hamstring injury completely behind him. 

Back in late October, 2023, just as Naomh Padraig, Uisce Chaoin were gathering themselves ahead of 2024’s unprecedented success, their star player was facing some time on the sideline. 

A hamstring issue, where the muscle tissue detaches itself from the bone, meant that McColgan had to go to London for surgery. 

Donegal teammates Michael Langan and Patrick McBrearty have suffered similar injuries in the past and the same expert hand that managed to get that pair back in accelerated time, Dr Fares Haddad, also looked after McColgan. 

The player missed most of the NFL for Donegal but did return to play his part in an Ulster SFC win and the side’s subsequent All-Ireland run, all the way to the last four. 

Naomh Padraig’s sustained campaign has now bridged three calender years as they picked up a first-ever Donegal JFC before following that up with the Ulster crown. 

Their extra-time and penalty shootout win over Cork’s Killmurry has now put a single hour between either them, Galway and Connacht champions An Cheathrú Rua and climbing the steps of the Hogan Stand. 

McColgan ended the intercounty season with a Division 2 league medal and, much more significantly, a provincial one. 

In relation to what he’s already got in the bag with Naomh Padraig, he distinguishes between both hauls by describing his club’s success as “a different kind of special”. 

“It's crazy really, when you sit down and think about it” he explained. “You always dream about playing in Croke Park. 

“I’m lucky enough to have done that with Donegal but this - heading up there with your club - it’s just beyond belief. It's really special for everyone associated with Naomh Padraig”. 

Looking around the Naomh Padraig clubhouse last Sunday morning at their official All-Ireland final press event, it was hard not to notice just how young so many of their squad looked. 

And whatever happens at the weekend, McColgan says the hope is that this crop is only just getting started in terms of reaching their full potential. 

“We have an average age of 22-23 right now. So the hope, moving forward, is that we're only going to improve. 

“I grew up with these boys in primary and secondary school classes all through the years. They're best friends. I’m as happy for them as I am for myself. So in that sense, this is a sort of different kind of special. 

“We’ve struggled for so long to make a dent but we’re doing that now. But now is not the time to really look around at that. 

“Sunday is ‘a once in a lifetime’ opportunity and we have to do our absolute best to make it count”.   

Donegal also held a press conference last  Wednesday evening in Convoy ahead of their NFL opener away to Kerry this Sunday. 

McColgan was floating around the periphery of all of that but he says Jim McGuinness has given him a wide berth to date as Naomh Padraig look to create what would be a quite stunning feat this coming Saturday. 

“Yeah, I’ve been dropping in and staying part of that as well. Jim has been really good with all of that. 

“It's working well so far. When this is all over, I’ll be looking forward to getting back in with the boys there too, properly, in a couple of weeks' time.

“They are so interested and supportive of what we’re looking to do as well. You'll have the same conversation with every player there. 

“Without fail, they’ll all ask how we're getting on, how's training going and so on”.

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Having missed a large chunk of the season with Donegal, McColgan says that the extra game-time since with Naomh Padraig has also been beneficial in getting his hamstring even stronger.  

The manner in which he left three Kilmurry defenders in his wake in Parnell Park last time out before winning a crucial spot kick was as good an endorsement as any that he’s hitting top gear at just the right time. 

“I got that hamstring surgery and I just needed a little time to get back up to speed and to get the confidence back in the hamstring. We're good to go now, definitely”.

Naomh Padraig had set the tone in most of their matches right up until that semi-final tangle with Kilmurry. 

McColgan says to come out on the right side of extra-time and penalties showed that there is a steeliness there too when things aren’t going right. 

“They gave us the kind of challenge that we maybe hadn't got all year. They were hard-hitting and they were strong, big men. But we found a way and that was more pleasing than anything”.

Naomh Padraig’s big strength to date has been the variety to their play and their ability to mix a running game, as well as being able to go direct to Kevin Lynch, makes them a very difficult proposition for anyone. 

“There's a lot of variety there - definitely. We're a good, athletic team as well so we have legs when we need them.

“And we’re so lucky to have big Kevin inside. You can really send it into him any way you like and he’ll more often than not make it look like a good ball”.

The colour of the bunting and flags that greet you along the way into Muff Village shows you the pride the locality has in a team that has really put them on the map in a footballing sense.   

But their exploits so far means so many more have also sat up and taken notice along the way. 

“Yeah, it's great that so many other clubs and parishes have got in touch and wished us well. The whole of Inishowen and Donegal are now behind us. 

“The support has been brilliant from the club and everywhere else. I see clubs putting posts up on Facebook and social media as well wishing us luck.

“It does mean a lot to us and we’d love to do the business now at the weekend and see the thing through to what would be a perfect end”.