Barry Moran part of a special Castlebar Mitchels group that came up through the ranks
WHEN it comes to Castlebar Mitchels GAA, Barry Moran has pretty much done it all.
Alongside Eamon Tiernan, they have a unique collection that includes Mayo honours at Under 14 A, Under 16 A, Minor A, Under 21 A, junior, intermediate and senior.
“We knew coming up, we had some great footballers. You do lose some along the way but guys like Ger McDonagh, Neil Douglas and Donie Newcombe then came in. We went on to do the three-in-a-row and win four overall at senior level.
“We were lucky to have a great team and it’s a great achievement. It’s not something I’ve given much thought about.
“But all of it is thanks to Bord na nÓg.”
The Mitchels Bord na nÓg, celebrating its 50-year anniversary, is where it all began for Moran and many of that young side that came through.
“I was in junior infants, first year of St. Patrick’s NS, and Mitchels started indoor training sessions. It was Under 10s I started with, going in with Joseph Maloney. My father dropped me up and we never left the place since.
“I was six when I played in my first competitive blitz, which was an Under 10s blitz at Parke GAA.”
GLORY
When you had a group of players like Mitchels did coming through and sticking together, success looked a real possibility and, following a period in the wilderness, the club returned to senior football after winning the intermediate championship in 2005.
“It was a great team, guys like Alan Feeney, John Conlon, Neil Lydon, Richie Feeney, Sean Ryder, Tom Cunniffe, Ronan O’Grady. Shane Fitzmaurice was captain. We had a good few years in intermediate and it went from there.”
With additions such as Neil Douglas, Donal Newcombe and Ger McDonagh, Mitchels bridged a 20-year gap when they beat Breaffy for the senior title in 2013, before going on to win Connaught and reach the All-Ireland final in 2014, losing eventually to St. Vincent’s of Dublin in the decider.
More success followed in winning three consecutive Moclair Cups in 2015, 2016 and 2017 and another Connaught title in 2015.
They enjoyed a famous win over Armagh powerhouse Crossmaglen Rangers in the All-Ireland semi-final in 2016 before defeat to another Dublin side in the final, this time against Ballyboden St. Enda’s.
For all the success that Moran has enjoyed with Mayo, ‘nothing beats club’.
“After beating Crossmaglen (in 2016), the celebrations were special. The nights out and the days too are great!”
“We lost the finals but the finals on Paddy’s Day are a special day and you don’t realise how special it is,” he said.
TOUCHLINE
With his playing days now done, Moran is giving back to the club that brought him through. He first got involved with coaching the Under 16s ten years ago, followed by a year or two with the Under 21s and he is now the club’s senior manager.
“I really enjoy it. I like getting involved as I’m a people person. I think there is a responsibility on people like me to give back.
“There are some great young players coming through and if we keep that core group together, we’ll be on track. Those lads coming through are all down to the hard work of Bord na nÓg, their chairperson Kieran Lavelle, the executive and all the coaches.
"It’s a privilege to manage these lads but without the work of everyone from Under 6 upwards, we wouldn’t have these players. When people look at senior, they have to recognise the work done by coaches in Bord na nÓg.”