Hogan Cup feature: Top of the class

St Patrick’s, Maghera are bidding for a sixth Hogan Cup title on Monday. Michael McMullan looks at the leading schools in the roll of honour.

St Jarlath’s Tuam (12)

THE Kings of the Hogan Cup but they’ve not won the title since 2002.

The Tuam school has backboned many Galway teams down the years.

Arguably their golden team was 1994 when they had stars like Padraic and Tommie Joyce, Michael Donnellan, John Divilly, Tomás and Declan Meehan.

There was also an Ulster influence in the form of St Eunan’s duo Kevin Winston and John Haran.

St Colman’s Newry (8)

THE Violet Hill College lead the way for Ulster but have to go back to 2011 for their last title, retaining the cup from the previous year.

Like St Jarlath’s, St Colman’s used to be a boarding school. The crux of their teams have come from Down and Armagh, with the odd Antrim player thrown in.

When they won the Hogan Cup in 1988, it took three replays to shake of Maghera in the MacRory final.

Interestingly, the school jersey is blue but St Colman’s have always worn white in the Hogan Cup.

St Patrick’s Maghera (5)

THEY didn’t win it until 1989 and retained it the following year with players like Anthony Tohill, Brian McCormick, Eamonn Burns and Karl Diamond who’d win Sam with Derry.

Their last title was in 2013 with a brilliant performance to see off Navan in Croke Park, with a young Conor Glass playing in the first of his three finals.

They were last in the final in 2016 when they were beaten by Killarney.

Three of their winning captains – Terry Bradley, Conleth Murphy and Connor Carville – were from Glen.

St Mel’s Longford (4)

ST Mel’s are one of three schools to have won it four times.

Their last title came in 1987 before St Colman’s ended their back-to-back hopes in the final 12 months later.

Last year, they merged to form Coláiste Mel agus Mhuire.

Coláiste Chríost Rí, Cork (4)

A FAMOUS Cork school that helped coach players such as Billy Morgan, Colin Corkery and Ray Cummins.

They were the last team to beat St Patrick’s, Maghera in a semi-final, on their way to the 1985 title. Their last.

When Maghera lifted the cup for the first time, they needed a replay to overcome Chríost Rí with Corkery and Anthony Tohill the key men.

St Brendan’s Killarney (4)

THE ‘Sem’ won back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017 with a certain David Clifford to the fore.

Before that, Seamus Moynihan was the backbone of their 1992 winning side but they’ve not been back at the top since ’17 with Kerry schools becoming more competitive in the Munster Championship.

Omagh CBS (3)

LAST year’s winners were bidding for three-in-a-row until they were undone by South West Donegal in the MacRory Cup.

Diarmuid McNulty coached both teams that helped Tyrone to All-Ireland u-20 glory. Incidentally, McNulty was on their first winning team in 2007.

After winning the Rannafast Cup, they’ll be again knocking on the door in the MacRory next year.

St Patrick’s Navan (3)

NAVAN were in four finals in the 2000s, winning three of them in a golden generation for the college.

Before that, you had to go back to 1991 for a first final appearance and they last challenge fell short to Maghera in 2013.

They too had back-to-back titles, 2000 and 2001, with final wins over St Patrick’s, Armagh and St Jarlath’s, Tuam.

Carmelite College Moate (3)

THE Westmeath college were in five finals in seven years, 1975 to 1981, winning three in all.

They are now part of Moate Community School after an amalgamation.

St Patrick’s Dungannon (2)

The ‘Academy’ have made it to two Hogan finals and have a 100 per cent strike rate.

They were winners in 1997, captained by Paul McGurk, with players that helped Tyrone to All-Ireland Minor success. An attack that had Brian McGuigan and Richard Thornton as its axis. Ciaran Gourley was another important player.

A Patrick Doherty goal was they key score as they beat Killarney to land the 2008 title and they’d Tyrone ‘keeper Niall Morgan between the posts.

Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne (2)

UNDER the watch of Éamonn Fitzmaurice, Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne from Dingle amassed titles – back-to-back at a time when Kerry minors were cleaning up. Killarney came along to repeat the feat in the two following years.

Picking largely out of the Dingle club, they had a formidable team. Kerry defender Tom O’Sullivan played as a forward. They had Brian Ó Beagláioch as marker and AFL star Mark O’Connor at midfield.