They don’t do dual codes like they do them in the Collins family.
Colm Collins might’ve lost his son, Podge, to the hurlers for 2017 – the Cratloe player was finally forced to make a decision after serving both county sides with such distinction for so long – but the Clare football manager has now recruited the services of his nephew.
Eoghan Collins lined out for the Banner footballers on Sunday and helped them to victory over Waterford in the McGrath Cup. An Eoin Cleary goal set them on their way as the Deise were put away in Meelick with five points to spare, 1-10 to 0-8 the final score.
Podge Collins: A footballer, a hurler, a Clare man https://t.co/w3IuTECzfl #GAA
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) July 19, 2016
Whilst Podge Collins kicked football and pucked sliotar with pure class and serious commitment for both his county teams, his cousin Eoghan Collins has divided loyalties for a whole other reason.
He’s a Mayo man.
The Ballyhaunis native played at minor level for the Connacht force back in 2011 and, as a tight, sticky corner back, he made a bit of a name for himself. Now, he has moved to Clare.
If the switching counties wasn’t enough though, to top it all off, Eoghan Collins is also a hurler.
He’s a good hurler too, one who’s won club championships and one who’s even had the experience of winning in Croke Park with his county. Collins was corner back last June as Mayo clinched the Nicky Rackard Cup with a four-point win over Armagh.
Now, his immediate commitments are with the size five ball and they’re with Clare. A fresh face would be doing well trying to break into that Mayo defence in fairness so most people would wish Collins well in Munster.
And it’s not like he has no attachment with the county, coming from the blood of a real GAA families.
Clare's new recruit is a nephew of manager Colm Collins. His father John originally came from Kilmihil #GAA
— Derrick Lynch (@DLynchSport) January 7, 2017
It’s already happened this week too, with two Dubliners declaring for Derry where their parents now reside and where their mother is from.
Huge additions https://t.co/3b4yejgDqG
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) January 8, 2017
Elsewhere, Davy Fitzgerald’s Wexford got off to a winning start, trouncing UCD with 35 points to spare but Seamus McEnaney’s first game with the footballers wasn’t as nice, they were held to a draw against the same opposition.
Dublin won, Kerry won, Mayo lost but no-one really cares because it’s pre-season.
SUNDAY’S RESULTS
Football
McGrath Cup
Clare 1-10 Waterford 0-8
Kerry 3-11 Tipperary 1-3
Connacht Senior Football League
Mayo 2-16 NUIG 1-21
Roscommon 6-21 IT Sligo 0-14
Sligo 0-10 Galway 0-13
Leitrim 5-20 GMIT 2-10
Dr McKenna Cup
Cavan 1-13 Tyrone 0-12
Derry 3-10 Armagh 2-12
Antrim 3-12 St Mary’s 2-16
Donegal 4-13 UUJ 2-20
Down 1-11 Queens 1-08
Monaghan 1-13 Fermanagh 0-15
O’Byrne Cup
Dublin 1-15 DCU 0-11
Meath 2-22 Wicklow 0-9
Carlow 3-17 NUI Maynooth 0-16, Netwatch Cullen Park
Offaly 5-18 IT Carlow 0-4
Westmeath 0-11 Louth 1-9
Wexford 2-14 UCD 1-17
Laois 1-15 DIT 0-8
Hurling
Munster Senior Hurling League
Cork 1-28 Kerry 0-18
Waterford 1-14 Limerick 0-24
Walsh Cup
Wexford 5-31 UCD 1-8
Galway 1-30 DIT 0-12
Kildare 2-14 IT Carlow 4-17
Laois 3-18 NUIG 0-22
Meath 2-10 Offaly 3-12
Westmeath 0-12 Antrim 1-18
