Enda Colleran was an Irish Gaelicfootball manager and player. He played football with his local club Mountbellew-Moylough and was a member of the Galway senior inter-county team from 1961 until 1971. Colleran captained Galway to back-to-back All-Ireland titles in 1965 and 1966 and later served as manager of the team.
Biography
Enda Colleran was born in Moylough, County Galway in 1942. He was educated at his local national school before later attending St. Jarlath's College in Tuam. It was here that Colleran first played competitive football, and became a member of the college's senior team. In 1960 St. Jarlath's captured the Connacht colleges' title, with Colleran playing a role in defence. The Tuam college side subsequently faced St. Finian's of Mullingar in the All-Ireland final. A high-scoring game developed over the course of the sixty minutes. At the final whistle St. Jarlath's were the Hogan Cup champions by 3–10 to 3–7, and Colleran picked up his first winners' medal in an All-Ireland competition. Colleran later attended University College Galway where his academic life was augmented by further success on the football field. In 1962 UCG reached the final of the Sigerson Cup, an All-Ireland inter-varsities competition for third level institutions. University College Dublin provided the opposition on that occasion as Colleran made one of his first appearances at Croke Park, which UCD narrowly won by 3–7 to 2–7. UCG contested a second consecutive Sigerson Cup final in 1963, this time with University College Cork providing the opposition. On this occasion Colleran ended up on the winning side by 1–9 to 1–3 and collected an inter-varsities winners' medal. A third successive Sigerson Cup final appearance beckoned for Colleran and UCG in 1964. A 2–10 to 0–5 win gave UCG the title and gave Colleran a second Sigerson Cup winners’ medal. After graduating from university, Colleran worked as a teacher at St. Éinde's College in Salthill. He also served as a pundit on RTÉ's Gaelic games programme, The Sunday Game. Colleran died on 8 April 2004 aged 63.
Playing career
Colleran joined the senior team in the mid 1960s and was selected to play on teams in 1964, 1965 and 1966. Colleran was part of a small group of seven players to captain his county to double All-Ireland successes and, in 1967, became only the fourth Galway player to captain a Railway Cup winning side with Connacht.
Coaching career
Following the end of his playing career Colleran worked as a selector and later a manager of Galway. He managed the side to victory in the Connacht Championship in 1976.
Legacy
Colleran was named on the Football Team of the Century and the "Team of the Millennium". He was also given the same honour on the Galway Team Of The Millennium. GAA PresidentSean Kelly led the tributes, saying: "All in the GAA are saddened at the untimely and early death of a great GAA man and the massive grievous loss to a great sporting family". He expressed his condolences on behalf of everybody in the GAA to the family, friends and teammates of the Galway footballing legend. The Taoiseach at the time, Bertie Ahern said he was "deeply saddened and shocked on learning of the sudden death of such an outstanding player." Hundreds of mourners gathered in Barna on Sunday 11 April 2006 to pay their respects to Colleran who was buried in Rahoon cemetery. In April 2006, former teammates, opponents and friends of Colleran held a special tribute weekend in his native Moylough. The 'Enda Colleran Weekend', which took place on the weekend 28–30 April, included the unveiling by then GAA president Nickey Brennan of a life-size bronze statue of Colleran in Moylough. The statue was sculpted by Colleran's former pupil John Coll.
