Galway's Colga FC are the latest club to complete the FAI Club Mark.

Colga FC was Established in 1996 and is located at Kilcornan Woods in Clarinbridge County Galway. In the clubs 25 years they have developed the 16 acres of grounds into one of the most vibrant clubs in Connacht.

Colga FC has won many Galway FA Leagues and has also won Galway FA, Connacht and National Cups in various male and female competitions since forming in 1996. The club has currently 550 playing members over 70 coaches who volunteer their time to run 25 teams from U6s up to adult level.

Colga FC have produced players to represent many Galway FA Interleague male and female teams & have contributed many players to the Galway United National League Academy squads and the Galway WFC team.

Coaches from the club have also been coaching with both Galway United and Galway WFC. The club have in the past produced some international players, Keara Cormican & Lisa Casserly were capped for Ireland at underage level and Abbie Callanan who was most recently capped for the Irish U19 and Women’s team in 2021.

Colga has always prided itself on being a club that serves its community and welcomes players from a large geographical catchment area that covers several parishes and school districts. This has allowed all their players to develop bonds and friendships that they will hopefully carry through their lives.

As Colga reaches the milestone of their 25th anniversary the awarding of the FAI Club Mark feels like an appropriate marker for the work done since the foundation of the club and underlines the clubs desire to continue to develop and grow for the benefit of their current and future members.

Colga FC soon plan to launch an ambitious 5-year plan to add the facilities needed to build on the foundations of the first 25 years and to continue to provide the best possible environment for all their players from cadets through to adult teams.

The club thanks all the volunteers who helped Colga FC attain this award but special mention to Paula Kealy and Geraldine Browne for driving the effort at the grassroots level to ensure all Colga FC coaches were properly certified and for ensuring everyone involved knew how crucial this was in ensuring the club attained the FAI Club Mark. All this work has put a foundation in place that can built on for many years to come.

The FAI Club Mark is free and optional for clubs and aims to:

• Improve the management of clubs ‘off the field’
• Establish and promote best practice
• Empower and support clubs
• Recognise and reward clubs for achieving high standards
• Increase a club’s capacity to operate effectively and grow football in communities throughout Ireland.

If your club is interested in learning more about the FAI Club Mark please complete this short Registration Form

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