Inside Track: Colin has another string to his bow
Inside Track with Joe Carroll
Colin Goss, known to just about everyone in local GAA circles as ‘Baby’, wasn’t a bad footballer. In fact, he was very good at the game.
He won seven Louth senior championship medals with St Patrick’s, captained the county juniors to provincial championship success, and had an extended career with the seniors.
All of that is far removed from greyhound racing. Or, to be more specific, tipping winners. But Colin is good at that, too, as he proved at the final stage of the Éamon Carroll Memorial Sports Challenge, which our family at Bellurgan Point, in conjunction with Bellurgan FC, stage each year. It commemorates the young man.
The Goss Tiling Solutions team were in good shape going into the final round of four. Gerry White had finished among the leaders in the golf, staged at the splendid Ballymascanlon Hotel course, and then Ben Goss-Kieran put enough penalties away at Flynn Park to keep the team in touch.
Meanwhile, Ronan Goss displayed his free-taking skills at St Patrick’s Pairc Éamonn, and although none of the Goss team won their individual events, they were still nicely on the trip to Dundalk Stadium.
It’s here where the team captain came into his own, tipping enough winners, which included the first past the post in the night’s feature, the Paddy & Éamon Carroll Memorial final, to top the table in the team event.
Dismissing the suggestion that he had gone for numbers and fancy names, Colin said he studied the form astutely, and that’s what done it for him. No-one could dispute that.
Justin McArdle turned in the golf’s best score, while young Niall Rogan retained his penalty hot-shot title. And showing that he had lost none of his accuracy around goals, St Patrick’s and former Louth player, Eoin O’Connor, converted more frees than anyone else.
There was a splendid entry of 27 teams, making it one of the most successful renewals of the Challenge. Front and centre in organising the day was Bellurgan FC’s Martin Finnegan, assisted by his family, Fiona Carroll, and Bellurgan FC and St Patrick’s club members.
Generous sponsorship was received from Brian and Mary O’Connor, Sheelan’s Shop, McGeough’s Bar & Restaurant, Ballymascanlon Hotel and Golf Resort, Yvonne Havern, Fitzpatrick’s Bar & Restaurant, Blue Anchor Bar and Restaurant, McBride’s Driving School, O’Callaghan’s Pharmacy, Lumpers Bar & Restaurant, The Rum House, Madeleine Murphy and Jason Finnegan.
All money raised goes to local causes.