Colm Collins

Colm Collins is a Gaelic football manager, associated with Cratloe GAA club.^[1][2][3]

Colm Collins

Club management
Years Club Clare

Career

Collins is a native of Kilmihil.^[4][5] He began managing Clare in late 2013 and became the longest-serving inter-county football manager when Mickey Harte left Tyrone.^[6]

Collins led Clare from Division 4 to Division 3 of the National Football League, then to Division 2 where he consolidated his team's position.^[7] He led Clare to the 2016 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship qauerter-finals.^[8] He stayed on as Clare's manager for 2018.^[9] At the end of that year he became the fourth longest-serving manager after Mickey Harte, Jim Gavin and Malachy O'Rourke.^[10][11] At the end of 2019, the third longest,^[12] he announced then that he would take time to consider his future after Clare's championship exit.^[13] He led Clare to the 2022 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship quarter-finals, when they had the beating of Roscommon.^[14][15]

With his appointment for a tenth season at the end of 2022, Collins became the longest serving inter-county manager in either code (since Brian Cody had earlier resigned as Kilkenny hurling manager).^[16]

Collins stepped down as Clare manager when his team exited the championship in June 2023, leaving Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney as the longest serving manager in inter-county football.^[17][18]

Personal life

His son, Podge, is a footballer and hurler.^[19][20] Podge concentrated on the football for 2015.^[21] He concentrated on the football for 2021, from '14 up until '16, he did the two teams but only hurling in '17.^[22]