In Rice College, Westport we are renowned for our sporting achievements, but in football we have a considerable reputation for building successful teams.
These teams, which are made up of young men from Kilmeena, Burrishoole, Westport, Islandeady, Ballintubber and Louisburgh, come together to create something special in order to challenge for county, provincial and All-Ireland honours.
In 2001 the First Year team won the school's premier 'B' Connacht Championship and in 2004 many of those young men would go on to announce themselves on the Senior stage as Kilmeena's Vinnie Ryan lifted our very first Senior ‘B’ Connacht Championship Cup. More finals followed, then Tom McGing from Ballintubber led his teammates to glory in 2007, and in 2008 we won Connacht once more and Burrishoole's Shane Moran came within a point of lifting the cup after an epic Senior ‘B’ Colleges All-Ireland Final against Coláiste Íosagáin of Portarlington. This team was full of special players, but three would go on to represent the Mayo Senior team in the All-Ireland Final of 2012 against Donegal. These were Kevin Keane (Westport), Jason Doherty (Burrishoole) and the five time Allstar and 2016 Footballer of the Year; Lee Keegan (Westport).
Over the next few years the school endeavoured to challenge at a higher level. Connacht 'A' League and Championship honours came our way in First year, Second year, Juvenile and Junior competitions. Then in 2018 the school's first Connacht Senior 'A' Championship (The Aonghus Murphy Cup) was finally achieved. A group of young men came together who wanted to work hard, who were resilient, who always put the team first and were eager to learn. The highlight of that year, and a memory that will last forever, was the display this team gave in the Hogan Cup Final (The Senior ‘A’ All-Ireland Colleges Final). We finished one point in arrears to St. Ronan's of Lurgan in the final of a competition that has only been won twice before by schools from Co.Mayo since the very first All-Ireland Colleges Final in 1946 (St.Colman's Claremorris in 1977 and St.Nathy's Ballaghaderreen in 1957).
Westport's Pat Lambert captained this inspiring group and club mates; Rory Brickenden, Eoghan McLaughlin, Mark Moran and Kilmeena's Jack Carney would go on to join Fionn McDonagh, Lee Keegan and Jason Doherty as part of the current Mayo Senior football panel.
In Rice College we strive for footballing excellence, but in order to achieve this, we do not coach footballers; we coach young men who happen to playfootball. The difference is, the person will always be put first in Rice College. The wellbeing of the young people in our care will always be first.
"Coaching involves improving skills and creating a sense of belonging and ownership. It involves educating young people with regard to making positive life choices and affirming their efforts. Finally, coaching should help to develop a culture whereby young people want to become good and proactive adults and hopefully stay involved in some capacity-on or off the field-with their club or county." ( Shane Conway, Rice College, GAA.ie 2018)