Donal 'Jock' Coleman

Donal Coleman talks about his early experiences of Gaelic games and the deepening of his interest during the 1980s. His adult career with the Blarney junior team began in 1986 and the fortunes of that team in subsequent years appear to have mirrored that of the club itself. Coleman charts the ups and downs and excitement that attended their County Junior Championship victory – a first in 57 years – in 1993. Coleman talks about his departure and return to the Blarney GAA scene and his involvement in the club’s epic county, Munster and All-Ireland club campaign of 2008-2009. The impact of those successes on the village is discussed. In the second half of the interview, Coleman returns to his underage GAA experiences in the 1980s in both school and club and he mentions some of the changes that have taken place since. The interview concludes with Coleman reflecting on the players and individuals who made an impression on him and his assessment of the challenges that the GAA now faces.