Colm O'Rourke
Encyclopedia
Colm O'Rourke is a retired inter-county Irish Gaelic football
er for County Meath
in Ireland, a columnist with the Sunday Independent and a panellist on The Sunday Game
on RTÉ Television
.
Despite becoming famous for playing for Meath, O'Rourke is not a Meathman by birth, he was born in the small parish
of Aughavas within County Leitrim
. He moved with his family as a youngster from Leitrim to County Meath
due to the Land Commission granting land to westerners in Meath and Kildare. O'Rourke is a descendant of the great Uí Ruairc royal house of Breffni. He has, however, been accepted by the people of Skryne
in Meath as one of their own forty years after arriving from Aughavas. He is the secondary school principal in St. Patrick's Classical School
in Navan
where he has trained the Gaelic football
to numerous successes at provincial and national level throughout the past two decades. He has also managed his own sports shop in Navan
Shopping Centre, Colm O'Rourke Sports, during this period. He started working on The Sunday Game with RTÉ in 1991, and has simultaneously been a regular contributor of sports columns in national newspapers.
He is continuously being linked with the Meath GAA manager's job, previously held by another man with strong Leitrim
connections, Sean Boylan
. O'Rourke's son Shane O'Rourke
is a current senior footballer with Meath
while his nephew Paddy O'Rourke
is the new goalkeeper for Meath
.
medals with Meath, in 1987 and 1988. He also won five Leinster Championship medals and three National Football League
wins. He managed the Irish team for the Compromise Rules
competition for two successful outings. O'Rourke received three All-Star for Meath in 1983, 1988 and 1991. His performance, playing with a bandaged knee, in the legendary Dublin-Meath matches of the summer of 1991 are still recounted in Meath and drew admiration from GAA
fans throughout Ireland
. When playing for Meath he was part of a Full Forward line of himself, Brian Stafford
& Bernard Flynn
, widely regarded as one of the best Full forward lines of all time. It should also be noted that O'Rourke in the past few years has managed Simonstown Gaels GFC in Navan guiding them to two Meath Senior Football Finals in 2003 and 2004 losing on both occasions. However he did guide the club to its first adult title in 2005 winning the Meath Football League Division 1.
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
er for County Meath
Meath GAA
The Meath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Meath GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Meath, as well as for Meath inter-county teams.- Pre-1960s :...
in Ireland, a columnist with the Sunday Independent and a panellist on The Sunday Game
The Sunday Game
The Sunday Game is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's main Gaelic games television programme. It is shown on RTÉ Two every Sunday during the Football Championship and Hurling Championship seasons. It is one of RTÉ Two’s longest-running shows, having been on air since 1979, one year after the channel first...
on RTÉ Television
RTÉ Television
RTÉ Television is a department of Ireland's state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann.The first channel to broadcast was Telefís Éireann which began broadcasting on 31 December 1961...
.
Despite becoming famous for playing for Meath, O'Rourke is not a Meathman by birth, he was born in the small parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Aughavas within County Leitrim
County Leitrim
County Leitrim is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the county...
. He moved with his family as a youngster from Leitrim to County Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
due to the Land Commission granting land to westerners in Meath and Kildare. O'Rourke is a descendant of the great Uí Ruairc royal house of Breffni. He has, however, been accepted by the people of Skryne
Skryne
Skryne, officially Skreen , is a village with apopulation of 1403 , situated on and around a hill between the N2 and N3 national primary roads in County Meath, Ireland. It is situated on the far side of the Gabhra valley from the Hill of Tara. This valley is sometimes referred to as the Tara-Skryne...
in Meath as one of their own forty years after arriving from Aughavas. He is the secondary school principal in St. Patrick's Classical School
St. Patrick's Classical School (Navan)
St. Patrick's Classical School in Navan, County Meath is a prominent Roman Catholic Church-run school for boys in the Republic of Ireland. It has produced a number of prominent politicians, journalists, Irish sports personalities, broadcasters and two winners of the famous Perrier Comedy Award at...
in Navan
Navan
-People:Navan was the childhood home of Pierce Brosnan, who appeared in the television series Remington Steele and was the fifth film actor to play James Bond. TV personality Hector Ó hEochagáin, and comedians Dylan Moran and Tommy Tiernan also hail from Navan....
where he has trained the Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
to numerous successes at provincial and national level throughout the past two decades. He has also managed his own sports shop in Navan
Navan
-People:Navan was the childhood home of Pierce Brosnan, who appeared in the television series Remington Steele and was the fifth film actor to play James Bond. TV personality Hector Ó hEochagáin, and comedians Dylan Moran and Tommy Tiernan also hail from Navan....
Shopping Centre, Colm O'Rourke Sports, during this period. He started working on The Sunday Game with RTÉ in 1991, and has simultaneously been a regular contributor of sports columns in national newspapers.
He is continuously being linked with the Meath GAA manager's job, previously held by another man with strong Leitrim
County Leitrim
County Leitrim is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the county...
connections, Sean Boylan
Seán Boylan
Seán Boylan is a former football manager from Dunboyne, County Meath, Ireland. He retired from his position as manager of the Meath GAA Senior Football team on the evening of 31 August 2005 after twenty-three years in charge...
. O'Rourke's son Shane O'Rourke
Shane O'Rourke
Shane O'Rourke is a current intercounty Gaelic football player for Meath. He is the son of Meath footballing legend Colm O'Rourke. Shane was linked to a move to Queensland to play in the Aussie rules AFL championship but he is not believed to be interested in the move...
is a current senior footballer with Meath
Meath GAA
The Meath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Meath GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Meath, as well as for Meath inter-county teams.- Pre-1960s :...
while his nephew Paddy O'Rourke
Patrick O'Rourke (footballer)
Patrick 'Paddy' O'Rourke is an Irish Gaelic footballer who plays as a Forward for Senior Football Championship team Skryne and the Meath intercounty team. O'Rourke is the nephew of former Skryne and Meath player Colm O'Rourke and first cousin to current Meath player Shane O'Rourke...
is the new goalkeeper for Meath
Meath GAA
The Meath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Meath GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Meath, as well as for Meath inter-county teams.- Pre-1960s :...
.
Playing career
O'Rourke is now retired from his footballing career. He won two All-IrelandAll-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
medals with Meath, in 1987 and 1988. He also won five Leinster Championship medals and three National Football League
National Football League (Ireland)
The National Football League is a Gaelic football tournament held annually between the county teams of Ireland, under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The prize for the winning team is the New Ireland Cup, presented by the New Ireland Assurance Company...
wins. He managed the Irish team for the Compromise Rules
International rules football
International rules football is a team sport consisting of a hybrid of football codes, which was developed to facilitate international representative matches between Australian rules football players and Gaelic football players....
competition for two successful outings. O'Rourke received three All-Star for Meath in 1983, 1988 and 1991. His performance, playing with a bandaged knee, in the legendary Dublin-Meath matches of the summer of 1991 are still recounted in Meath and drew admiration from GAA
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
fans throughout Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. When playing for Meath he was part of a Full Forward line of himself, Brian Stafford
Brian Stafford
Brian Stafford is a retired inter-county Irish Gaelic footballer for County Meath in Ireland. He enjoyed much success play inter-county football in the 80's & early 90's on the Meath teams managed by Sean Boylan. For Meath he usually played at Full Forward. He played club football for Kilmainhamwood...
& Bernard Flynn
Bernard Flynn
Bernard Flynn is a retired inter-county Irish Gaelic footballer for County Meath in Ireland. As a teenager he attended secondary school in St Mary's of Drogheda. He enjoyed success play inter-county football in the 1980s and early 1990s on the Meath team's managed by Sean Boylan. For Meath he...
, widely regarded as one of the best Full forward lines of all time. It should also be noted that O'Rourke in the past few years has managed Simonstown Gaels GFC in Navan guiding them to two Meath Senior Football Finals in 2003 and 2004 losing on both occasions. However he did guide the club to its first adult title in 2005 winning the Meath Football League Division 1.
External links
- Official Meath Website
- Colm O'Rourke at the Sunday Independent