St Paul's High School's 2013 MacRory Cup final captain Ciaron O'Hanlon returned to the school as an All-Ireland champion on Friday, and he discussed how influential the coaching he got at St Paul's was on his football journey.
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00:00So Ciarán we're here at St. Paul's today, a very special day obviously for the school and of course you were the
00:05Macquarie captain on the 2013 team. What's it like to be back here, back in the
00:09school again and more importantly back representing Armazda?
00:12Yeah, I suppose like when you were you know coming through the school and stuff you
00:17always dreamed about you know winning the All-Ireland and actually coming back
00:22to relive that you know it's a wee bit surreal like but it's yeah it's good to
00:26be back and seeing some old faces, old teachers and even just seeing the
00:31building itself like it's it's it's great to be back like and I'm sure the
00:35impression that'll have on the young kids starting school today, I'm sure that
00:38once they hear you sitting in that assembly hall they are now. Yeah like it's a you know they're sort of
00:44lucky in a way that they've got you know they had Ciarán McGinney talking there
00:47saying some some nice words, obviously John Rockley and Jimmy Smith like they
00:54all said something that you know what would hit home for me but you know for
01:00them first years to experience that on their on their first day, yeah it's
01:05class for them. Yeah I think they've set the bar quite high now haven't they? Yeah, yeah.
01:09And you know we spoke about it before we started, the Maclaren team in 2012 especially, I think there's seven players on the one squad which is
01:15incredible, there can't be too many counties I would say to win an All-Ireland and have seven players all in the same team at schools.
01:20Yeah I mean I suppose it's you know it's a credit to you know
01:24the PE team and I suppose the teachers and at the time the principal Oliver Mooney
01:29who has moved on but retired, you know they set a foundation for us to go
01:36and you know be successful in football like and you know they didn't just teach
01:42us how to play and coaches and stuff they also taught us the qualities off
01:47the field as well to become you know the people that we are like so I can only
01:52say thanks to them for all that work when I was coming through the school.
01:57And those lads I presume they've been your friends for as long now as you can remember so it must be extra special to be somewhere with your mates since you've known them for so long.
02:06Like obviously friends with all of them but the likes of Lian, Greg, Connor,
02:10you know they're in my closest friend group so it's extra special you know
02:17winning the All-Ireland with them boys because as you said they've been
02:21your friends right through through school.