Colum McKinstry (1949 – 8 August 2021) was a

Gaelic football Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...

and player. At club level he played with Clan na Gael and also played at senior level for the Armagh county team throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He usually lined out at midfield.

Career

McKinstry had several successes with the Lurgan-based club Clan na Gael who he represented at senior level between 1967 and 1985. The side won three Ulster Club Championship titles in that period, while he was also on the side that lost the 1974 All-Ireland club final to

University College Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland ...

. McKinstry joined the

Armagh senior football team The Armagh county football team ( ) represents Armagh GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association, in the Gaelic sport of football. The team competes in the three major annual inter-county competitions; the All-Ireland Senior Fo ...

in 1968 and made his debut in a pre-season tournament involving Armagh, Antrim,

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

and

Sligo Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2016, it is the List of urban areas ...

. He subsequently established himself on the team where he collected three Ulster Championships, including one as captain of the side in 1982. McKinstry also lined out at midfield in the 1977 All-Ireland final defeat by Dublin. He received an All-Star Award in 1980 and also represented

Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...

in the

Railway Cup The GAA Interprovincial Championship ( ga, An Corn Idir-Chúigeach) or Railway Cup (''Corn an Iarnróid'') is the name of two annual Gaelic football and hurling competitions held between the provinces of Ireland. The Connacht, Leinster, Munster ...

. McKinstry turned to management after his retirement from playing, beginning with his home club of Clan na Gael. He also had spells in managing the Middletown and Tullysaran.

Death

McKinstry died suddenly at his home on 8 August 2021, aged 71.

Honours

;Clan na Gael * Ulster Senior Club Football Championship: 1972, 1973, 1974 *

Armagh Senior Football Championship The Armagh Senior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football competition contested by top-tier Armagh GAA clubs. The Armagh County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association has organised it since 1889. Clann Éireann are the title hold ...

: 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1980, 1981 ;Armagh *

Ulster Senior Football Championship The Ulster Senior Football Championship is an inter-county competition for Gaelic football teams in the province of Ulster. It is organised by the Ulster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and begins in early May. The final is usu ...

1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic R ...

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...

(c)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McKinstry, Colum 1949 births 2021 deaths Armagh inter-county Gaelic footballers Clan na Gael CLG Gaelic footballers Gaelic football managers Ulster inter-provincial Gaelic footballers