BY DIARMAID DOHERTY
LETTERKENNY’S Triona Coll says she was completely overwhelmed after being named Coach of the Year at the Local Women Sport Magazine’s gala awards held in Belfast last Friday night.
Triona (née Kavanagh) was honoured for her contribution to ladies football at Down club St Michael’s GAC, Magheralin.
She was among a host of award winners across a range of sports who gathered for the first ever Women’s Sports Awards which took place in the Europa Hotel in Belfast on Friday night.
Triona was joined at the event by her proud parents Charlie and Agnes and her sister Alma, along with Triona’s husband Ronan and their daughters Fiona and Grainne.
The event was held to honour inspirational women from various sporting fields including football, hockey camogie, LGFA, rugby, athletics, golf and equestrian.
Main pic: Triona Coll with her proud parents Charlie and Agnes Kavanagh
Triona, along with her sisters Alma and Donna, were part of the St. Eunan’s team which dominated the Donegal Senior County Championship, winning 13 of the first 14 titles after the competition started in 1992.
Indeed the Kavanagh family have a long association with St. Eunan’s and Triona’s brother Rory is current manager of the senior men’s team.
Last month she was home in Letterkenny for a special 30 year reunion of that all-conquering St Eunan’s ladies team.
All these years later, Triona, still pulls on the boots with St. Michael’s GAC and last season she was goalkeeper on the team that won a first ever Junior B Championship in Co. Down. The team also included her eldest daughter Fiona.
But off the field, Triona’s contribution to club teams has been immense and she has helped transform the underage structure at St. Michael’s which now has girls teams playing from U-8 up to U-16. She also helped introduce a Gaelic for Mothers and Others team which has also been a big success.
Triona with family and friends at the awards night in Belfast
Triona works in Clinical Research, but any spare time is put into her local GAA club and given that she lives right beside the club grounds, most of her evenings are spent at the pitch.
She has also held various positions on the club’s committee including Coaching Officer and Youth Development Officer and this year, she is Assistant Secretary.
“It’s a small club, but we are growing all the time,” Triona said.
“It’s brilliant to see so many children now playing and because we have these teams now, our membership numbers are really taking off.”
Triona’s four children Fiona (16), Grainne (14), Daniel (11) and Emer (10) all play too.
She said receiving an award at last Friday night’s event was an honour.
“It’s great for our club to be recognised,” she said.
“It was quite overwhelming when my name was called out, and I was thrilled.
“I’ve always been involved in GAA and wherever I have been, in Dublin or London and even Australia, I have been lucky to have played with clubs there.
“I’ve made friends for life from playing the game, and I tell the girls on our teams the same.”
Also at Friday night’s awards event, Glenfin club member Maggie Farrelly won the Referee of the Year award while the highlight of the night saw Lady Mary Peters presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
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