Newly crowned champions set their sights on a clean sweep

Shortly after 5pm on Sunday, May 2, 2023, is when the journey began for Castlebar Celtic to go one step further and win this season’s Connacht Cup.

A heartbreaking defeat to Athenry on penalties in Milebush was not the end but the beginning of the next road trip for Stevie Gavin’s squad, one where the mission was to summit the mountain which they did, last Sunday afternoon, when beating Maree/Oranmore.

The journey was not without bumps along the way. The referees’ appointment saga following their semi-final against Salthill Devon last month dragged on with appeals, proposed replays and other twists and turns.

Castlebar Celtic captain Ioseph O’Reilly, when accepting the Connacht Cup trophy on Sunday, blasted the Connacht FA over their handling of the affair, with his manager Stevie Gavin also admitting the events had been an unwelcome distraction.

“It wasn’t easy, to be honest. It upset the group because we won the semi-final fair and square. We felt denigrated with all the talk because we deserved to beat Salthill. It wasn’t easy but we got here,” said Gavin afterwards. “We just concentrated on playing week in and week out. After the initial upset, we had a meeting and put it aside.” 

The final itself could have been a bit less nervy down the home stretch had Castlebar Celtic taken some chances late on but the misses proved insignificant in the end and the emotion was evident in Stevie Gavin’s voice after the game.

“It’s brilliant. I suppose there was a lot tied up in it. My voice was gone before the game so I knew I wouldn’t get booked today as I couldn’t shout loud enough!

“There’s a lot of personal stories in that group. It’s brilliant. I normally don’t get too emotional but I’m so happy for the players and the club that we got over the line.” Gavin added: “We knew we needed a quick response (after conceding the first goal), as I said to Jono Heffernan on the line. We did it. We did enough today. We could have added a few more on the board to make it easier towards the end but we’ll take it, we don’t care.

“In the last three years we’ve been in four semi-finals, if you count the one cancelled. We’ve been in two finals and we’ve set standards for teams to come, I feel, in external cups. That’s what we want to do but ultimately we couldn’t set a proper standard unless we won it.” 

Celtic defender Cathal Coyne was part of the club’s 2019 Super League-winning side and he has watched teammates like O’Reilly, Jordan Loftus, Mark Howley and Jason Hunt solider on. Coyne returned to Celtic this year after a stint in the United States and he’s delighted those players have got their just reward.

“I’m lost for words here. This is the one we set out for at the start of the year. We want to win everything but this is the main one. I’m just happy for Ioseph, Jordo, Mark Howley, Jayo, the lads who have been here for the last few years who have been chasing that. This is the one I wanted to come home and win. I’m happy to be part of it.” 

Ioseph O’Reilly was a colossus at the back and was rightfully named man of the match.

“I don’t know how he does it,” said Coyne of his centre-back partner. “He’s 35 and he’s still able to go. He’s a brilliant leader at the back there. He knows how to get the best out of us, out of the young lads. I’m so happy for him because he deserves it.” 

Castlebar Celtic will return to Super League action this Sunday away to their arch rivals Westport United. Top of the league, in a Westaro Cup final and still in the Super Cup, Cathal Coyne believes they can win the lot, especially given the depth of their squad.

“We want to win it all and we’re more than capable of doing it. It’s not just the 11, we’ve 15, 16, 17 players there. The likes of Bahso Hay, Fionn Mahon, Eoghan Hughes, Mark Howley... they didn’t start today. It shows how deep of a squad we have. We want to win everything.”