Sligo midfielder Niall Murphy.
In this week’s ‘My Club’ feature, Sligo footballer Niall Murphy tells us all about the Coolera/Strandhill GAA club.
One of the oldest GAA clubs in Sligo Coolera/Strandhill field two adult mens teams, a ladies football team, a hurling team and a host of underage outfits in the different codes.
Coolera/Strandhill won the Sligo Senior Football Championship title in 2005 and have been serious competitors at that level in recent years.
Since 2000 Coolera/Strandhill have contested four Sligo SFC finals with several players for the club featuring at inter-county level.
Further details about the club are available on the Coolera/Strandhill website.
Q: Can you tell me a bit about your club and how you started playing?
A: Coolera/Strandhill is based just outside Sligo town. The club started in 1886. It now has football and hurling teams at all age groups and also has underage ladies football.
The club's last county title was back in 2005. My father was very involved with the GAA so I was playing Gaelic Football from a very young age. I started playing with our local rivals St Mary's and then moved out the road to Coolera/Strandhill.
Q: Growing up who influenced you in the club?
A: Growing up I would have always attended Sligo matches so watching the likes of John McPartland, Kieran Quinn, Karol O' Neill, and Alan Costello, who all played with my club would have influenced me a lot.
Q: Are other members of your family involved in the club?
A: My brother Sean is playing with the minors and my father helps out a bit with underage coaching.
Niall Murphy remains a key performer for Sligo.
Q: Were you involved with successful teams?
**A: **We have always had strong teams at underage and at senior level. We have probably been a top five team in Sligo over the last couple of years. Unfortunately, I have lost finals at under 16, under 21, and at senior level.
Q: What have you won with the club?
A: I have a good few underage hurling titles and an under 12 football medal.
Q: Down through the years have many guys from the club represented Sligo?
A: Yes, we have always had a strong contingent representing Coolera/Strandhill and growing up going to Sligo games there were always Coolera lads involved.
John McPartland, Karol O'Neill, and Kieran Quinn were involved with Sligo when they last won the Connacht title back in 2007. Last year we had four lads involved with the county so our club has been lucky in that respect.
Q: Do you do some coaching with the club?
A: Unfortunately, I have not been able to help out too much this year, but last year I helped out a bit with the under 16s. It's something I enjoy doing and I hope to do more of in the future.
Kieran Quinn celebrating following the 2007 Connacht final win.
Q: Would you be viewed as contenders for the Sligo SFC title?
A: Over the last couple of years we have been contesting semi and quarter finals. We lost a senior final too back in 2011, but have not been in a final since.
This year we have lost six lads who have gone to America and another six for other reasons so we are sort of going through a transition stage at the minute with lots of young lads getting plenty of games.
Q: Are people in the club optimistic about the future?
A: As we are down a lot numbers wise from last year young lads are getting a great chance to step up to senior level. With these young lads getting plenty of game time it can't but be a positive thing for the future of the club.
We also had a few lads involved with Summerhill College, who won the Connacht Colleges title this year which again was great for the club.