THERE was a time when Athlone was the centre of the universe, never mind Ireland, to Pat Connors and Simon Grogan. The year was 1977.

It was a world where sport took them out of the humdrum of the classroom and filled their heads with dreams of glory. It looked like collapsing in around them on the morning of the first round of the Connacht Schools Senior Cup as they cycled along Retreat Road towards the back gates of Marist College.

Connors dropped one foot to the ground and turned to his friend: "I can't play in the Senior Cup, " he said.

Connors was captain, number eight and main man to a Marist College side that had been meticulously prepared by Irish international bridge player Paddy Walsh for their first shot at the Senior Cup.

But he had been found out . . . he was overage.

One man's pain is another man's gain. Coach Walsh, a supreme strategist, pulled 15year-old replacement Nick Kennedy to one side and informed him he was in at blindside. It was a shock.

Kennedy was shaking in his boots. He was given a simple brief . . . get around the pitch and hit, hit, hit.

"I was frightened out of my life. I was just happy to be a replacement. Suddenly, I was playing. I was a good tackler and I was carried through the game on pure adrenalin, " says Kennedy.

It was a crushing beginning to what would turn out to be the three-match ride of a lifetime that would end gloriously with a 15-10 win over Sligo Grammar School. It was the first and last time Marist won the Senior Cup.

"Our captain Aidan Deegan went on to play for Wanderers. Second row Pat Kiely played for Athlone and Connacht. Out-half Peter McCormack joined Galwegians and Simon [Grogan] moved between Galweigans and Garryowen, " he says.

Now, Kennedy's son Adam is the captain, place kicker and all round general of the Marist College troops who edged out Gallen Community School 5-0 in the Senior Cup semi-final last week. The Connacht and Ireland Youth scrum-half will be their key player in a quest to upset heavy favourites Garbally.

Don't forget, were it not for Garbally's vigilance, his father Nick would probably have been a bit player in the overall context of the Cup 30 years ago. While Pat Connors had every reason to curse the Ballinasloe school, Nick had one reason to thank them.

Kennedy senior can still recall the greatest day he has known in rugby: "It came down to two incidents. Sligo had the ball in our 22 with about 10 minutes left. There was a fumble and our out-half Peter McCormack fly kicked the ball downfield and dribbled it to the line for a try."

His friend Grogan intervenes: "There was also an incident where the ball was kicked through to our line and just as a Sligo player dived on it our full-back Donie Sweeney kicked the ball out from under his chest."

It was a day that was soon to get even better for Sweeney.

"Then, we went back to the old Hodson Bay Hotel for chicken and chips. Sweeney was standing in reception with some of the other lads. He took a shine to the receptionist, " says Kennedy.

"He went over to one of those old wooden phone boxes on the far side of the reception.

He phoned the girl, Bernie, from across the room and asked her out. She said yes even though she didn't have a clue which of the boys it was that called her. They ended up getting married. He did okay that day, " chuckles Grogan.

Of course, times have changed. Adam Kennedy and wing Billy Henshaw are part of the Connacht Elite Player Academy. Their dreams are real: "I am very proud of him.

He's far better than his father.

He's hugely motivated, " says Nicholas. "Adam is very serious about his sport. You know the way it is. He goes around eating pasta and drinking water. He's also a good gaelic player and played full-back on the Westmeath Under-16 team that won the Fr Manning Cup."

As in 1977, Marist have been prepared by their coaches, Mick Loftus and Ray Fagan, with meticulous care and attention to detail. They have been a work in progress and improvement for five years.

It's a programme of evolution that has produced results at the crossroads along the way.

Marist have won every schools competition . . . including the Connacht Schools under-13 Cup, Junior Development Cup and the Connacht Junior Cup in 2005 . . . except for the Senior Cup.

The results have been collectively and individually positive. Last season, Marist went under to finalists Sligo Grammar 10-5 and recovered to win the Senior Plate. This season, captain Kennedy, Billy Henshaw and Darragh Kelly have represented Connacht Schools.

Summerhill College (17-10), St Calasanctius College Oranmore (17-3) and Gallen Community College have all fallen before them. The family feel is fostered from a winning ethos.

There is a brotherly theme running through the school as semi-final try-scorer Aaron Farrell is one of four siblings, at various ages, which play on the wing. Front rower players Gavin and Trevor Thompson will be Marist's first line of aggression.

Thirty years have passed since the day Donie Sweeney met his bride-to-be, since the day Peter McCormack grubbered his way to glory, since the day Nick Kennedy played above himself. Perhaps, it is time for Adam Kennedy to live that day all over again.