{{Use Hiberno-English|date=January 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}} {{Short description|Donegal-based Gaelic games club}} {{Infobox GAA club | club gaa = Naomh Columba | irish = CLG Naomh Columba | crest = | founded = 1964 | province = Ulster | county = Donegal | nickname = Glen, Gleann | colours = Gold and Green | grounds = Páirc na nGael | coordinates = {{coord|54|57|08.48|N|8|21|07.55|W|display=it|region:IE_type:landmark}} | pattern_la = _greenborder | pattern_b = _2yellowshoulderstripes | pattern_ra = _greenborder | pattern_sh = _yellow_stripes_adidas | pattern_so = _hoops gold | leftarm = fcd02f | body = 09a461 | rightarm = fcd02f | shorts = 09a461 | socks = 09a461 | f3 = 2| }} '''CLG Naomh Columba''' is a [[Gaelic football]]-only [[Gaelic Athletic Association|GAA]] club based in [[Glencolmcille|Gleann Cholm Cille]] in the south-west of [[County Donegal]] in the west of [[Ulster]], the northern [[Provinces of Ireland|province]] in Ireland. The club fields both men's and [[Ladies' Gaelic football|ladies']] teams from underage as far as [[List of Gaelic games terminology#S|senior]] level. They enjoy an intense rivalry with their neighbours, [[CLG Chill Chartha|Cill Chartha]] (Kilcar), although the rivalry has subdued somewhat in the last number of years as the clubs have played in different divisions.
==History== Naomh Columba, in their current existence were founded in 1964, although football was played in the parish for decades before this and a Junior club existed since 1944.<ref>Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta, 2008</ref> They have won the [[Donegal Senior Football Championship]] twice, in 1978 and 1990.
[[Michael Oliver McIntyre]] captained the team to the 1978 title.<ref name=dn_15102015/>
The club also won the [[Donegal Junior Football Championship]] in 1974. The club has won 2 [[Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta]] titles and 7 Division 1 League titles. The club's most successful season came in 1978, when they claimed the championship, league and Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta treble, as well as the county under-21 title. They remain the only Donegal club to complete this treble, although [[CLG Ghaoth Dobhair|Gaoth Dobhair]] won a league, championship and Ulster championship treble in 2018.<ref>The Book of Donegal G.A.A. Facts, 2007 (sixth edition)</ref>
Naomh Columba were once one of the most feared and respected teams in Donegal, reaching 6 senior county finals in 9 years between 1990 and 1998, but since their relegation to the Intermediate Championship and Division 3 of the league in 2007, the senior team have struggled to make any great impact on the Donegal club scene. 2024 saw the club's return to Division 1 of the Donegal league, and the return of the Naomh Columba-Cill Chartha derby.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.donegallive.ie/news/gaa/1472952/the-glen-kilcar-division-1-rivalry-back-after-22-year-gap.html | title=The Glen-Kilcar Division 1 rivalry - back after 22 year gap | date=11 April 2024 }}</ref>
They defeated [[CLG Na Cealla Beaga|Na Cealla Beaga]] in the 1990 Donegal SFC final.<ref name=dlive_14102016>{{cite news|url=https://www.donegallive.ie/news/sport/219570/killybegs-1991-one-of-the-greatest-donegal-teams.html|title=Killybegs 1991, one of the greatest Donegal teams|date=14 October 2016|accessdate=14 October 2016|quote=They lost the 1990 final to Naomh Columba… They were champions again in '92 — they defeated Naomh Columba in the final…}}</ref> Among the winning players were [[Noel Hegarty]] and two uncles of [[Dessie Farrell]], Noel Carr and Séamus Carr.<ref>{{cite news|first=Connie|last=Duffy|url=https://www.donegallive.ie/news/news/501559/new-dublin-gaa-boss-had-strong-donegal-connections.html|title=New Dublin GAA boss had strong Donegal connections|date=12 December 2019|accessdate=12 December 2019|quote=In fact, two of Farrell's uncles, Noel Carr and Seamus Carr, won a county title alongside Hegarty for Naomh Columba in 1990.}}</ref> Indeed, Séamus Carr at half-forward was man of the match in the final, scoring five points (each one from play), while [[John Joe Doherty]] was captain.<ref name=dn_15102015>{{cite news|first=Harry|last=Walsh|url=https://donegalnews.com/2015/10/1990-naomh-columba-end-twelve-year-jinx/|title=1990: Naomh Columba end twelve year jinx|work=[[Donegal News]]|date=15 October 2015|accessdate=15 October 2015|archive-date=16 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016133615/http://donegalnews.com/2015/10/1990-naomh-columba-end-twelve-year-jinx/|url-status=dead}}</ref> 1978 captain McIntyre (by then a team mentor alongside Paddy "Beag" Gillespie and Seán Burke) played at full-forward in the 1990 final, which Hegarty won a with a last minute free.<ref name=dn_15102015/> However, the club lost the 1992 final to the same team.<ref name=dlive_14102016/>
In recent years, Naomh Columba have contested three [[Donegal Intermediate Football Championship]] finals, having lost to [[Dungloe GAA|An Clochán Liath]] in 2022, and to [[Termon GAA|An Tearmann]] in 2024. In 2025, the club finally prevailed, defeating [[Malin GAA|Malin]] in the final to promote the club back to senior football for the 2026 season, the first time the club has played at that level in almost two decades.<ref>https://highlandradio.com/2024/10/06/termon-are-intermediate-champions-after-dominant-win-over-naomh-columba/</ref><ref>https://donegalnews.com/curran-goal-helps-dungloe-to-intermediate-title/</ref><ref>https://www.donegallive.ie/news/gaa-lgfa/1911623/naomh-columba-end-famine-to-defeat-malin-and-win-intermediate-title.html</ref>
The [[Donegal county football team|Donegal county team]] which won the [[1992 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship]] had two Naomh Columba players on the panel — Noel Hegarty and John Joe Doherty.<ref>{{cite news|first=Liam|last=Ryan|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/where-are-they-now-donegal-s-all-ireland-champions-of-1992-1.307772|title=Where are they now: Donegal's All-Ireland champions of 1992|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|date=14 May 2001}}</ref> John Joe Doherty was selected as an All Star in 1993. In recent years, [[Aaron Doherty]] has played for the county team at senior level, having scored the winning penalty to defeat Armagh in the [[2024 Ulster Senior Football Championship|2024 Ulster Championship]] final.<ref>https://www.donegallive.ie/news/gaa/1500492/i-just-blocked-all-the-noise-out-aaron-doherty-on-ulster-final-shoot-out-glory.html</ref> In 2026, Paul O'Hare joined the county panel, and made appearances in both the McKenna Cup and National League.<ref>https://highlandradio.com/2026/01/03/two-senior-debutants-in-donegal-starting-line-up-to-face-derry/</ref><ref>https://www.gaa.ie/article/allianz-fl-d1-donegal-impress-against-mayo</ref>
==Notable players== <!-- Notable players = [[WP:NGAELIC]], i.e. those who have represented their county. --> * [[Aaron Doherty]] — 2019 Ulster SFC winning panelist; 2022 Ulster SFC playing finalist; 2024 Ulster SFC winner * [[John Joe Doherty]] — 1992 All-Ireland SFC winner * [[Noel Hegarty]] — 1992 All-Ireland SFC winner * [[Finian Ward]] — 1974 [[Ulster Senior Football Championship|Ulster SFC]] and two-time [[GAA Interprovincial Championship|Railway Cup]] winner <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.donegallive.ie/news/sport/507691/finian-ward-a-back-to-back-donegal-sports-star-in-1979.html | title=Finian Ward - a back-to-back Donegal Sports Star in 1979 | date=11 January 2020 }}</ref> * Pádraig Carr – 1983 Ulster title winner with Donegal <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.donegallive.ie/news/gaa/1254864/one-of-the-greatest-club-rivalries-to-be-re-ignited-next-year-between-naomh-columba-and-kilcar.html | title=One of the greatest club rivalries to be re-ignited next year between Naomh Columba and Kilcar | date=22 July 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/sport/gaa/it-day-after-shankill-bomb-27971733 | title='It was the day after the Shankill bomb: Players were terrified.' | date=24 October 2023 }}</ref> * [[Paddy Hegarty]] – brother of Noel;<ref>{{cite news|first=Pat|last=Nolan|url=https://www.dublinlive.ie/sport/donegals-manus-boyle-explores-dessie-17795919|title=Donegal's Manus Boyle explores Dessie Farrell's Tir Chonaill county roots|date=22 February 2020|accessdate=22 February 2020|quote='He grew up in the summers along with John Joe Doherty and the Hegarty brothers, Noel and Paddy', [Manus] Boyle explains.}}</ref> 1987 [[GAA Football Under-20 All-Ireland Championship|All Ireland U-21 Championship]] winner and county senior player in the 1990s <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/sport/gaa/it-day-after-shankill-bomb-27971733 | title='It was the day after the Shankill bomb: Players were terrified.' | date=24 October 2023 }}</ref> * [[Noel McGinley]] – 1998 Ulster SFC finalist<ref>{{cite news|first=Chris|last=Nulty|url=https://donegalnews.com/2011/07/1992-2011-the-best-xv-not-to-win-ulster/|title=1992–2011: The best XV not to win Ulster…|work=[[Donegal News]]|date=22 July 2011|accessdate=22 July 2011|quote=The Naomh Columba man is remembered as being on the receiving end of a barge from Derry's Geoffrey McGonagle in the build-up to Joe Brolly's winning goal in the Ulster final of '98.|archive-date=2 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402182556/http://donegalnews.com/2011/07/1992-2011-the-best-xv-not-to-win-ulster/|url-status=dead}}</ref> * [[Michael Oliver McIntyre]]<ref>{{cite news|first1=Alan|last1=Foley|first2=Peter|last2=Campbell|url=https://www.donegallive.ie/news/sport/653345/when-donegal-minors-lit-up-the-summer-of-1996-their-story-and-where-are-they-now.html|title=When Donegal minors lit up the summer of 1996. Their story and 'where are they now?'|date=30 July 2021|access-date=30 July 2021|quote=Molloy was assisted by Michael Oliver McIntyre from Naomh Columba and Downings' Paddy McBride, with Barry Campbell of Kilcar and Dr Austin O'Kennedy, Four Masters, also on the sideline.}}</ref>
==Managers== {| class="wikitable" |- !Years !Manager |- |1964–{{c.}} 1990?||{{N/A}} |- |1990||Michael McNelis |- |{{c.}} 1990–2008?||{{N/A}} |- |?||[[John Joe Doherty]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/northern_ireland/gaelic_games/7669780.stm|title=Mulgrew and Bonner's joint ticket|publisher=[[BBC Sport]]|date=14 October 2008|accessdate=14 October 2008|quote=Doherty has also managed his own club Naomh Columba and the Donegal under-21 team.}}</ref> |- |2008–2009||[[Noel Hegarty]]<ref>{{cite news|first=Alan|last=Foley|url=http://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/donegalsport/The-heroes-of--3992.4856965.jp|title=The heroes of '92 - Where are they now?|work=[[Donegal Democrat]]|date=8 January 2009|accessdate=8 January 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151218180946/http://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/sport/the-heroes-of-92-where-are-they-now-1-1989654|archivedate=18 December 2015|quote=Having only made his championship debut a year earlier, Hegarty and Tony Boyle were the babies of that team. A builder and developer, he is currently player-manager of his hometown club.}}</ref> |- |2010–2011||[[Anthony Molloy (Gaelic footballer)|Anthony Molloy]] |- |2012||Paddy J. McGinley |- |2013||Brendan Doherty |- |2014||Paddy J. McGinley |- |2015–2016||Brendan Doherty |- |2017–2018||Paddy J. McGinley |- |2019–2021||Pauric O'Donnell<ref>{{cite news|first=Chris|last=McNulty|url=https://www.donegalsporthub.com/naomh-columba-seek-new-manager-for-2021/|title=Naomh Columba seek new manager for 2021|date=16 December 2020|accessdate=16 December 2020|quote=Former goalkeeper O'Donnell succeeded Paddy J McGinley in the post for the start of the 2019 season.}}</ref> |- |2022-2023||Paddy J. McGinley<ref>{{Cite web |last=Campbell |first=Peter |title=Back to the future at Naomh Columba as Paddy J McGinley returns as manager |url=https://www.donegallive.ie/news/sport/749274/back-to-the-future-in-glen-as-paddy-j-mcginley-back-as-senior-team-manager.html |access-date=2022-04-11 |website=www.donegallive.ie |date=21 February 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.donegallive.ie/news/gaa/1194815/paddy-j-mcginley-happy-to-lay-naomh-columba-s-cards-firmly-on-the-table.html | title=Paddy J McGinley happy to lay Naomh Columba's cards firmly on the table | date=14 June 2023 }}</ref> |- |2024-2025||Brendan Doherty<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.donegallive.ie/news/gaa/1412471/naomh-columba-announce-brendan-doherty-as-the-new-senior-manager-for-2024.html | title=Naomh Columba announce Brendan Doherty as the new senior manager for 2024 | date=2 February 2024 }}</ref><ref>https://www.donegallive.ie/news/gaa-lgfa/1874644/naomh-columba-and-ryan-doherty-helping-get-the-as-i-am-message-out-there.html</ref> |- |}
==Honours== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |+Naomh Columba honours !scope=col|Honour !scope=col|No. !scope=col|Years |- !scope=row|'''[[Donegal Senior Football Championship]]''' |2 | 1978, 1990 |- !scope=row|'''[[Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta]]''' |2 | 1978, 1986 |- !scope=row|'''Donegal Senior League''' |7 | 1976, 1978, 1980, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1995 |- !scope=row|'''[[Donegal Intermediate Football Championship]]''' |1 | 2025 |- !scope=row|'''[[Donegal Junior Football Championship]]''' |1 | 1974 |- !scope=row|'''Donegal Under-21 Football Championship''' |2 | 1978, 1987 |- !scope=row|'''Donegal Minor Football Championship''' |2 | 1975, 1986 |}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Donegal clubs}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Naomh Columba}} [[Category:Gaelic games clubs in County Donegal]] [[Category:Gaelic football clubs in County Donegal]] [[Category:The Rosses]]