BY RYAN FERRY
CAOLAN McColgan hailed an ‘unbelievable’ triumph as Naomh Pádraig, Uisce Chaoin claimed the Intermediate title on Sunday afternoon.
The Muff club got the better of Carndonagh by 1-16 to 0-18 in what was a tense final in O’Donnell Park.
McColgan is best known as a defender for Donegal but lined out at full-forward for Naomh Pádraig and played his part in their famous win.
The Naomh Pádraig club have enjoyed good success at underage level over the last decade but it is only in recent seasons that they have started to make a mark at senior level.
They won the Donegal Junior title two years ago and got all the way to the All-Ireland Junior Final in Croke Park.
They have kept their momentum going and now have won the Cathal McLaughlin cup.
“It’s just unbelievable.
“We probably didn’t perform to our best but we just dogged it out.
“It’s hard to beat. It’s a real sweet one for us.
“We were the 37th ranked team in the county in my first year and now we’re going to senior football.
“It’s something we wouldn’t have even dreamed about.”
Naomh Pádraig led by 1-11 to 0-4 at half-time but McColgan said their dressing room knew the second half would be tight.
That was the way it proved as Carn battled back.
“We knew it wasn’t over. It was a strong breeze.
“We knew Carn had two-point shooters with Kalvin (McLaughlin) and boys like that.
“With these new rules, anything can happen.
“It was always going to be tight against Carn when we are local rivals. We are all friends with each other and have played together with underage teams in Inishowen.”
Naomh Pádraig will now go back into the Ulster arena and take on the winners of the Fermanagh Intermediate Championship.
That will be either Kinawley or Devenish who are managed by former Donegal Ladies and Kilcar men’s bainisteoir John McNulty.
McColgan and his teammates have a few weeks to get ready for that and they will be keen to do well.
Then next year Naomh Pádraig can look forward to bringing Senior Championship football to Inishowen for the first time since 2019.
“Yeah we can’t wait for that now.
“We will take Naomh Conaill in the first round and see what they are like,” he laughed.