UCC inter-varsity success was the start of a golden age for football in the college 

The change of the seasons will mean a lot of things to many people, especially in the sporting world with the return of inter-county GAA matches and the League of Ireland.

It also marks the beginning of the end of the inter-varsity calendar with tournaments like the Collingwood Cup, which is being held at UCC this year after a nine year tour across the country.

The Skull and Cross bones is forever intertwined with the knock-out competition that brings the best colleges in Ireland together for week-long festival of football, and this year will mark the 10th anniversary of the historic treble that includes the Collingwood, Crowley Cup, and the Harding Cup.

The unique achievement had only ever been achieved by one other college, serial winners UCD.

This marked the start of a historic run for the college under Noel Healy, who took over from John Caulfield after the coach went on to manage Cork City midway through the 2013-14 season.

Their pair were instrumental in UCC’s 2011 Collingwood Cup success and they worked together to guide the college into the Munster Senior League Premier Division. 

What happened next was triggered by a short few weeks between February and March, and it started with the Harding Cup victory on home soil.

Once the freshers tasted silverware, with future Cork City player Sean O’Mahony lifting the trophy, the senior team went to Galway for the Collingwood.

UCC crossed another objective off their list by starting fast at Eamon Deacy Park, and that led to an opening goal against Trinity College in just the 20th minute. 

Calvin O’Callaghan got that when a shot from Daniel Pender was palmed away by David Minihane, a Cork native that would go on to work with various teams under the Rebel Army banner.

UCC led at the break and Pender doubled their advantage following the restart after good work done by former Cork City player Cathal Lordan inside the area.

Trinity poured forward in an attempt to get back in the game and their big chance pull one back saw an Aymen Ben Mohammed cross get knocked by John McDonagh into the hands of the UCC goalkeeper.

The College came through a late burst of pressure and Rufus Holmes sealed the victory, before Ciaran McGahon got a late consolation goal for Trinity from the spot.

The Crowley Cup followed and completed the collection at the end of March. 

The College faced Queen’s University in the final at DCU Sports Complex and a bizarre own-goal got the win.

That came from a penalty appeal by the opposition and Queen’s responded with a back-pass from Robin Redwick to goalkeeper Sam Jones. 

The shot-stopper was focused on an onrushing Armo Tchoubane and never noticed the ball roll in with just five minutes on the clock.

Queen’s reacted by closing down and stopping any supply to Jordan Philpot, a former Ireland underage international that had a brief spell with the Blackburn Rovers academy, but they failed to find an equaliser at the other end of the pitch.

Things actually got better for The College after the Collingwood Cup as they went into the League of Ireland Cup as winners of the Munster Senior League Premier Division and Noel Healy’s side managed to reach the quarter finals, where they played a treble chasing Dundalk side at The Mardyke.

That followed memorable victories over Wexford Youths and Cobh Ramblers, with future Cork City player Sean O’Mahony netting an injury time winner in the local derby.

There was no great upset in the quarter final against Dundalk, Stephen Kenny’s team won 5-0 and they lost to Galway United in the next round on penalties at Eamon Deacy Park.

UCC had well moved on at that stage, with a new taste for silverware. 

The College won the Farquhar Cup the following season, and 2017 saw a unique double consisting of the Munster Senior League Premier Division title and the Collingwood Cup. 

They also came accustomed lifting trophies locally during that same period, while former players stepped up to the League of Ireland.

Sean McLoughlin, who featured in the 2017 team, led that pack by lining out for Cork City and Hull City. Jason Abbot, from the Class of 2015, is now with a Cobh Ramblers tipped for promotion in the First Division.

Their stories can be traced back to the changeover between Caulfield and Healy, and that historic treble success in 2015.