SPORTING PASSIONS PATSY McGONAGLE:PATSY McGONAGLE has been Irish athletics team manager for the past four years, including at the Beijing Olympics, and more recently at the World Championships in Berlin, where he oversaw Ireland's best overall placing.

Through his work as head of sport at the Institute of Technology in Letterkenny he has a natural interest in all sports, although hitting the small white ball, surprisingly, was his first passion.

“Growing up in Donegal, I would have played a lot of golf, especially in the long summer months. From quite an early age I’d often play 36 holes a day. That was really my first sporting passion. I’d go over to Ballyliffin, which is now one of the most famous golf courses in north Donegal, and spend the whole day there. Sometimes I would have played 18 holes in the morning, had a break for lunch, and came back again to play another 18 holes in the afternoon.

“I’d also played in open men’s competitions as young as 11 or 12.

“There weren’t many youngsters playing golf at that time. It wasn’t all that sexy, but I loved it. My father was an Army officer and he played quite a bit, got down to a handicap of two. I was caddying for him from a very young age, and that’s where the interest began, really. He would have played the West of Ireland, the Irish Close and other competitions like that.

“At age 12 I then went to boarding school at St Columb’s College in Derry, and soon got drawn into athletics. That was the end of my short golf career. I suppose there might be some regrets that I didn’t stick with the golf. Who knows what might have happened?

“But then, I’ve had a great life and career in athletics. It’s given me great opportunities in terms of my education and, of course, the experience of travelling the world.

“I do still love to sit down and watch golf, especially when any of the Irish players are competing. I’d get very excited about that. To be honest, I don’t get out playing very much at all these days, although quite recently I went to a driving range in England with my son-in-law and started to hit balls. I felt it coming back to me a little, but then I got fairly bored.

“Once I started boarding school in St Columb’s it almost felt like an open prison, really. Then I got introduced to athletics there and that gave me a whole different dimension to life and sport, and also got me outside the boundaries of the school.

“That was the big motivation. So my golfing career soon went by the wayside when I got drawn into athletics. I competed for a number of years and also got involved in coaching, and obviously that has stood to me to this day.

“Quite early on in my life the GAA became very big for me as well. Like most people, it all started by helping out the local parish team in Ballybofey, the Seán Mac Cumhaills club. I managed them for a period of time, and also helped the neighbouring team for a while.

“Later, during the 1990s, I got involved in the Donegal senior football team for about three years, under PJ McGowan, and we twice made the league final. And again around 2003, under Brian McEniff. We got to the All-Ireland semi-final in 2003, where Armagh beat us with a late goal.

“That was a very exciting time, enjoyable, and I learned an awful lot from that. In many ways it has helped me with my role in the Irish athletics team.

“I still have a keen interest in the Gaelic football, but I find now I just don’t get to go to the games. My own local athletic club, Finn Valley, has taken on a lot more of my focus, along with the Irish athletics team. So if I do get a weekend off now I tend to spend it with my family.

“Rugby is another sport that I’ve always followed with a passion. When I was student at St Mary’s College in London I used to go to Twickenham to watch the Ireland team, and remember well seeing the likes of Tom Kiernan. I still get excited whenever Ireland are playing. In more recent years Munster have caught my imagination as well.

“I’d a fair interest in the Irish soccer team as well, although to be honest I wouldn’t get as excited as I would about the Irish rugby team.

“Fortunately I’ve got to travel quite a bit with the Irish athletics team, and I would keep an eye on nearly all sports that are happening around the world. With the internet now it’s easy to keep track of every sport, whether it’s golf or boxing or cycling or whatever.

“Especially if there is any sort of local interest, and with the cycling, I have a great interest now in Philip Deignan. He’s from Letterkenny as well, about 10 minutes from where I live.

“I’ve been getting very excited about his career, the same way we used all be excited about Seán Kelly and Stephen Roche. He’s helped me out in launching some road races here in Donegal, and we’ve become quite good friends.

“I’m delighted to see him enjoying some success in a very hard sport.”