The Trim GAA Hall of Fame recipient for 2018 is Sean Colgan a man whose name has been synonymous with the club, and with the GAA on a broader level, for most of his life.

Sean's outstanding contribution has come through a wide variety of roles...particularly as a top-class dual player, and, as a much respected administrator.

The background to his career stretches all the way back to 1954 when he was wing-forward on the Trim team that won the Juvenile Hurling Championship and, 3 years later, in 1957, he was corner-back on the team that won the Minor Hurling Championship.

Sean's progress was impressive and, in 1959, he was wing-back on the team that won the Senior Hurling title...and, while it was his 1st SHC medal, it was the club's 4th in 5 years, having won 3-in-a-row in 1955, '56 and '57. They made it 5 out of 6 when beating Ratoath in the 1960 final with the man that we honour here tonight, playing at corner back. And while the honours in his early career were on the hurling fields, he was also making a name for himself as a footballer.

Sean was at wing-back when Trim qualified for the Senior Football final in 1961...they were narrowly beaten by Navan O'Mahonys, who were winning the Keegan Cup for the 5th successive year.

But 12 months later, Trim were back in the final and they came home with the Cup after a fine win over Ballinlough, with Sean again at left-half-back.

The longevity of Sean's career is heavily underlined by the fact that his next major honour came all of 14 years later when he was centre-half-back on the team that beat Ballivor in the Feis Cup final. He also won an Intermediate Hurling League in the same year, although it was the delayed 1974 final.

Sean was also on the Junior Hurling Team team that won were the Junior Hurling championship winners of 1985...making it Championship successes in the 1950's, '60's, '70's and '80's.

Throughout those years, the Trim club had more than it's share of disappointments in both hurling and football...but, thankfully, there was always a hard-core of dedicated Gaels who kept the red and white flag flying and whose loyalty and determination were rewarded with a return to the top table of hurling in the county in the 1980's.

Our Hall of Fame winner Sean Colgan was deeply involved as a selector and administrator...and his ability was further recognized when he became Chairman of the Meath Hurling Board, a position in which he repeatedly displayed a great passion for the game, an intense desire to see Meath make progress in the Hurling world, and above all, a deep commitment to fair play.

A Chairde...not just one of the Trim club's outstanding Gaels, but also one of the best in County Meath...Sean Colgan.

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