Terrific Trim's moment of glory - reunion of St Michael's team planned

‘This was Trim’s moment of glory, a dream come true at the end of a campaign which has suggested great days down the road for a team with rich talent, astute mentors, and the right attitude’.
So wrote Meath Chronicle sports reporter Paul Clarke in March 1992, of the St Michael’s Diocesan Secondary School team that had just won the Leinster Colleges Junior Football Championship A Final, under the headline 'Terrific Trim'.
The Trim school team had beaten a proud Meath GAA school, Franciscan College, Gormanston, by 2-9 to 0-9 in a final at Pairc Tailteann in Navan, in what the Chronicle described as ‘a triumph of graft and craft against a school which has long been established as a recognised footballing force’.
Now, a quarter of a century later, the Trim lads are planning a get-together of that under-16 outfit that was to go on to produce a number of All-Ireland winners, as well as an All-Ireland referee.
St Michael’s was captained by Paul Nestor from Batterstown, who along with Summerhill’s Gary Thompson, was responsible for the most of the Trim scoring. ‘Nestor’s five star showing’ declared the Chronicle.
Narrowly pipped at senior levels at the later stages of the championship in 1990 and ’91, late March 1992 was a momentous time for the Trim side as the juniors captured the Leinster title.
Trim was generally seen as a hurling town at the time, but the success of Sean Boylan’s Meath teams in the years leading up to the early 90s, with players from Trim and surrounding clubs such as Summerhill, led to a burst of interest in football, harnessed by teachers Sean O’Leary and Ray Tully, the junior team coaches.
Before that 1991-’92 season, it seemed as if St Michael’s were destined never to overcome Navan rivals St Patrick’s CS, but they finally made the breakthrough not only in North Leinster, but ended the season as the premier team in Leinster.
Looking back on the campaign in that year’s school annual, it was reported that the first match against St Pat’s showed the true character of the team which became increasingly evident as the campaign progressed. Although the Trim forwards showed some fine approach work, their finishing was erratic. In a low scoring game, the team mainly depended on its defence and midfield dominance before coming through with two points to spare over their rivals.
Games against a feeble Tullamore side and a skilful Portarlington team followed, and then, Trim’s only defeat in Kells. One of the most important moments in Trim’s whole season came in the North Leinster championship semi-final against St Mel’s of Longford, when Darren Fay blasted home after a fabulous run from midfield. It was a crucial score, as at half-time Trim seemed doomed, trailing by five points.
In the North Leinster final, Trim qualified to meet the ‘auld enemy, St Pat’s, playing in Dunderry, when a Gary Thompson hat-trick capped a brilliant team performance, and extra time against Good Counsel of New Ross following a Brian Smith point saw Trim prevail by a goal and set up the Gormanston challenge.
The entire school set off for Pairc Tailteann that March day, for what was described as a ‘game dominated by the wind’. The viewing crowd included the Bishop of Meath, Dr Michael Smith. It was Gormanston who opened the scoring, kicking into the gale, with Brian Smyth from Skryne (there was a Brian Smyth and a Brian Smith playing), and St Colmcille’s Robbie Doran scoring for Gormanston. But after that, it was Trim that dominated.
Jimmy McGovern tore through the Gormanston defence before being taken down, but Hugh Dorgan’s low-hit penalty was well turned out by Emmet Dempsey diving to his right. By half time, Trim had a 1-5 to 0-4 lead. Nestor kicked two of the points from frees, and Mark Hayes, Gary Thompson and Brian Smith scored excellent efforts from play to knock the sting out of Gormanston’s early charge.
In the Weekender Newspaper, Noel Coogan wrote that the Trim School side served up a scintillating display which proved too much for the pre-match favourites from Gormanston.
'Two early points against the wind suggested that the Franciscan under-16s might prevail, but the battling qualities and delightful skills of the Michael's boys were soon in evidence,' he wrote.
Thompson’s 25th minute goal really gave Trim cause for optimism, after he sent a high lob towards the posts which unexpectedly went straight into the net. On the restart, Nestor knocked over a third point, and with two more points from Dorgan, it was becoming clear that this was going to be Trim’s day.
Fiachra Geraghty saved brilliantly from Danny Keohane, before Nestor put Thompson through for a simple second goal, making amends for a bad miss earlier in the half.
Nestor shone at midfield, Mark Sheridan and Brian Elliott in defence and Mark ‘Scruffy’ Hayes and Jimmy McGovern in attack. Hugh Dorgan scored almost impossible points.
The panel was made up of Fiachra Geraghty, Morgan Hughes, Nigel and Gary Thompson, MJ O'Rourke, Tosh Barry, Brian Smith, Mark Hayes, captain Paul Nestor, Jeremy Ennis, Brian Elliott, Kevin Smith, Aaron Fitzpatrick, Darren Fay, David Troy, Ronan McCole, Jimmy McGovern, Aidan Heavin, Mark O'Reilly, David Coldrick, Hugh Dorgan, Ciaran Greene, Brian Gilsenan, Mark Sheridan, Justin Costello, and Darragh Maguire.
Gormanston’s Meath players included Paddy Reynolds from Walterstown, Brian Smyth, Tom Finn from Castletown, Robbie Doran, Curraha’s Danny Keohane, and another St Colmcille’s man, John Carolan.
Hopefully Franciscan Fr Bob Doyle, of the Leinster Colleges Committee, wasn’t too upset at having to hand the cup over to Paul Nestor.
Paul, along with his brother, Nigel, was to go on to play for Meath, gracing the hallowed Croke Park turf in an All-Ireland minor final, as of course did Darren Fay, who was to become one of the Royal’s greatest full-backs, winning All Ireland SFC medals in 1996 and ’99 alongside Mark O'Reilly. David Coldrick is currently one of the country’s top referees, and has refereed All Ireland finals.
A get-together is planned for Marcie Regan’s Pub from 9pm on Thursday 20th April, and anybody who was associated with the team or school at the time is welcome to go along to mark the anniversary.