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Colm O'Rourke
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Personal information
Sport Gaelic football
Position Full Forward Line Right
Born (1957-08-31) 31 August 1957 (age 67)
Aughavas, County Leitrim, Ireland
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Occupation Secondary school principal
Club(s)
Years Club
1975–1995
Skryne
Club titles
Meath titles 2
Inter-county(ies)
Years County Apps (scores)
1975–1995
Meath 59 (16-105)
Inter-county titles
Leinster titles 5
All-Irelands 2
NFL 3
All Stars 3

Colm O'Rourke (born 31 August 1957) is a well-known person in Gaelic football. He has been a player, a manager, a school principal, and a sports broadcaster. Since 2022, he has been the manager of the Meath senior football team.

Colm O'Rourke played for the Meath county team for twenty years. His career lasted from 1975 to 1995. He played in both the National Football League and the All-Ireland Championship.

He was born in Aughavas, County Leitrim. His family later moved to Skryne in County Meath. Colm grew up there and played Gaelic football at St Patrick's Classical School in Navan. He started playing for the Skryne club when he was young. He helped them win two county senior championships in 1992 and 1993. He also studied at University College Dublin and won a Sigerson Cup medal in 1979.

Colm O'Rourke first played for Meath on the minor team. He then joined the under-21 team. He made his senior team debut in the 1975-76 league season. For the next twenty years, he was a key player for Meath. He won two All-Ireland medals in a row (1987 and 1988). He also won five Leinster medals and three National Football League medals. In 1991, he was named Footballer of the Year. Colm played his last game for Meath in July 1995.

After he stopped playing, Colm O'Rourke continued his teaching job. He also started a new career as a sports broadcaster. He has worked for RTÉ as a studio expert on The Sunday Game for over twenty-five years. Colm also writes a weekly column for the Sunday Independent newspaper.

Colm O'Rourke's Early Life

Even though Colm O'Rourke became a famous Meath footballer, he was not born in Meath. He was born in a small place called Aughavas in County Leitrim. When he was young, his family moved from County Leitrim to County Meath.

Colm O'Rourke's son, Shane, also played for the Meath senior football team. His nephew, Paddy, played as a goalkeeper for Meath.

Colm O'Rourke: A Star Player

As a Gaelic footballer, Colm O'Rourke won two All-Ireland medals with Meath. These wins were in 1987 and 1988. He also won five Leinster Senior Football Championship medals. And he won three National Football League titles. Many people believe he was very important to Meath's success, especially against their rivals, Dublin.

Colm O'Rourke received three All-Star awards for Meath. These awards were in 1983, 1988, and 1991. People still talk about his amazing performance in the Dublin-Meath matches of 1991. He played with a bandaged knee! When he played for Meath, he was part of a famous attacking line. This line included himself, Brian Stafford, and Bernard Flynn. They are often called one of the best attacking lines ever.

Colm O'Rourke: A Successful Manager

Colm O'Rourke has also been a successful manager. He managed Simonstown Gaels GFC in Navan. He led them to two Meath Senior Football Finals in 2003 and 2004. Even though they lost those finals, he guided the club to its first adult title in 2005. They won the Meath Football League Division 1.

He then led Simonstown Gaels to win their very first Senior Championship in 2016. They won it again in 2017. He returned to manage Simonstown for a fourth time in November 2020.

Colm O'Rourke also managed the Ireland team. This team played in the Compromise Rules competition in 1998 and 1999.

In July 2022, Colm O'Rourke was confirmed as the new manager of the Meath senior football team. In 2023, he led Meath to win the 2023 Tailteann Cup. This is the second-tier Gaelic football competition. They beat Down with a score of 2–13 to 0–14.

Colm O'Rourke: A School Principal

For 42 years, Colm O'Rourke worked at St Patrick's Classical School in Navan. He started as a teacher. Later, he became the principal (the head of the school). He also coached the school's Gaelic football team. He led them to many wins at both provincial (regional) and national levels. In October 2022, Colm O'Rourke announced he would retire as principal. This was so he could focus on being the manager of the Meath senior football team.

Colm O'Rourke: A Media Star

Colm O'Rourke started working for RTÉ on The Sunday Game in 1991. He has also written sports columns for the Sunday Independent newspaper.

He sometimes writes articles for the Sunday Independent about education. Colm O'Rourke is also set to appear in an Irish film called "The Rising." This film is about the Easter Rising.

Colm O'Rourke's Views

Colm O'Rourke has shared his opinions on different topics. He has written about his views on the welfare state (government support for people). He has also written about his disapproval of Sinn Féin (a political party).

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