Trinity establishes Sports Hall of Fame Award

Posted on: 05 December 2006

The first recipients of the annual College Sports Alumni Hall of Fame award were the Dublin University Association Football Club team which won the all Ireland universities championship, the Collingood Cup, for the first time for Trinity in the season 1966/67.

This is the first such award to honour an outstanding Trinity team or individual and its presentation annually will involve a dinner/reception to mark the occasion when sports alumni will be invited back into College.
 
Almost 100 soccer graduates, other College sports personnel and College Officers returned to honour Tommy Nolan Captain of DUAFC 1966/67 and his team mates at a reception in the Pavilion Bar on Saturday 25th November.  The team of that year captured the Collingwood Cup which had been established as the Irish Universities soccer trophy in 1914 by Professor Bertram Collingwood, a professor of mathematics at UCD and nephew of Charles Dodgson, also known as, Lewis Carroll of “Alice in Wonderland” fame.
 
In the course of the evening Terry Mc Auley, Director of Sport at Trinity, provided a brief history of the soccer club while the Secretary to the College, Michael Gleeson, addressed the graduates and presented the award.
 
Tommy Nolan, captain of the 1966/67 side, replied on behalf of his team and gave an interesting and witty account of the days and weeks before, during and after the final win.  The College Secretary presented Tommy with the new Hall of Fame award and each of his team received a commemorative colours tie.
 
A number of other former DUAFC captains who attended were acknowledged on the evening and in particular Jack Sweetman 43/44, Robin Armstrong 44/45, Victor Brennan 47/48, George Wheeler 52/53, Jim Sainsbury 55/56, Bobby Prole 58/59 and Jim Ryan 59/60.
 
Finally, Jack Sweetman unveiled a DUAFC Presidents/Captains board in the Pavilion to bring to an end a most enjoyable evening.