LESS than 24 hours after helping the boys’ under 15.5 side bring an Ulster title back to the school, St Aidan’s School Principal, Pat McTeggart informed the staff that he will be retiring at the end of this academic year.
And what a way to bow out for a man who has been immersed in St Aidan’s life since he was a student back in 1972. In 1983 he began his teaching career in Derrylin and ten years ago he took up the principal post.
With the school finishing 4th in the NI Exam Performance League this year and having won two boys’ Ulster titles, the first-ever for the school coming back in January when the under 16.5 won the McCormack Cup, it’s little wonder there were tears in his eyes as he embraced the players, teachers, former colleagues and supporters, on the Brewster Park turf at the final whistle on Thursday afternoon;
“It’s been amazing, to get to two finals and then to win two finals, it’s just unbelievable,” said Mr McTeggart proudly.
After 51 long years of waiting, the double cup joy this year has in no small part been down to the sterling efforts of the team manager and coach, Richie O’Callaghan;
“He’s put in a lot of work to get this team (to where it is). Myself and Frances (Crudden) and Eoin Bradley, all saw first hand the amount of work Richie has done.
“To win two finals, we needed a figurehead to lead the team well and coach the team, and as you could see this team is very well coached,” said Mr McTeggart.
Largy College, coached by former Monaghan player Dessie Mone and current Farney player Ryan McAnespie, provided a stern challenge throughout. Indeed, St Aidan’s would’ve been breathing a sigh of relief to have been level at the break;
“I thought in the first half our defence actually kept us in the game, our goalkeeper and defenders, because they could’ve had a couple of goals and we could’ve been in trouble at half time.”
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