More the Merrier
THIS year’s EA Sports FAI Schools 5-A-Side national finals produced winners from three of the four provinces on a day packed full of skill, excitement and even drama at Leah Victoria Park last week.
After coming through county, regional and then provincial finals to reach this point, the 160 students who can lay claim to being the best of the best from 1,000 schools who entered the most popular primary schools competition in the country did not disappoint the large crowd of supporters at the impressive Tullamore venue
Without doubt the standout county on the day was Mayo, who produced two section winners from their three schools that had dominated the Connacht finals and arrived in Offaly making up the bulk of the provinces five-team representation.
In the Section A for boys it was Derrywash National School who got the ball rolling with a dramatically emphatic final-game victory over section favourites Moynalty, who had cruised through their Leinster finals.
After putting seven goals past Cork’s Ringaskiddy and see off Cavan’s Butlersbridge, the Meath school looked odds on to get the draw they needed to top the group in the final game against their Mayo counterparts, but Sam Hastings goals and Jarlath O’Malley’s Player of the Section winning performance handed Derrywash their first All-Ireland crown.
In the Section B for boys, Mayo’s Breaffy NS were pipped to the title by Wicklow’s Gaelscoil Inbhear Mor, with the Leinster champions’ opening-game win over Breaffy proving crucial in the end.
A debut season in the competition had proved extremely fruitful for Inbhear Mor before the national finals but they capped the most incredible of performances by taking the title thanks to goals from Dara O’Conchubhair, Darren O Furlainge and Ciaran O Raghallaigh.
The final section for boys was the Section C and it saw Mayo collect its second win of the day with the impressive St Patrick’s NS cruising past Scoil Iosagain from Inishowen, St Joseph’s of Wexford and Waterford’s St Declan’s.
St Patrick’s have a long tradition in the competition, winning their first title almost a decade ago and Irish Under 15 international Noa Baba grabbed a bag full of goals and the Player of the Section award to help them to their second crown.
Powerstown NS from Clonmel are another school who had never taken part in the competition before this year and they edged out Inishowen’s Scoil Naoimh to take the Section A for girls title.
Goals from Evrena Everard, Megan Shanahan, Laura Grace and Hazel Shanahan made the difference as the Munster champions saw off strong performances from Gorthaganny NS from Roscommon and Longford’s St Mary’s NS.
The final section of the day was the girls Section B and Leinster champions Bennekerry NS from Carlow capped an incredible season of sporting achievement in their school with the a national schools 5-A-Side title.
Successful in basketball, GAA (Mini 7’s and 11-A-Side) and now soccer, Bennekerry were able to call on the skills of Player of the Section Audrey Jo Murphy on the day and the goals of Aoibhin Webb, Lauren Dwyer and Jennifer Butler.
St Mary’s Convent NS from Nenagh, St Mary’s NS of Cavan and Scoil Mhuire NS from Clarinbridge in Galway pushed the Carlow side all the way but in the end the Leinster champions came away with a 100 percent record.
FAI Schools Chairman Tom Bolger and former Ireland goalkeeper and FAI Technical Director Packie Bonner congratulated every participant on the achievement of simply taking part and proving that “everybody is a winner” at the end of such a successful competition
FIXTURES & RESULTS
“A” Schools:
TEAMS
Ringaskiddy NS, Cork (MUNSTER)
Scoil Mhuire, Moynalty, Meath (LEINSTER)
Butlersbridge NS, Cavan (ULSTER)
Derrywash NS, Mayo (CONNACHT)
FIXTURES
Butlersbridge 3-3 Derrywash
Ringaskiddy 1-7 Moynalty
Derrywash 4-2 Ringaskiddy
Butlersbridge 1-3 Moynalty
Butlersbridge 4-5 Ringaskiddy
Derrywash 4-0 Moynalty
Winner: Derrywash NS, Mayo
Runner Up: Scoil Mhuire, Moynalty
Third: Ringaskiddy NS, Cork
Fourth: Butlersbridge NS, Cavan
Player of the Tournament: Jarlath O’Malley, Derrywash NS, Mayo
“B” Schools:
TEAMS
Scoil Iognaid Ris, An Daingean (MUNSTER)
Gaelscoil Inbhear Mor, Wicklow (LEINSTER)
Scoil Colmcille, Newtowncunningham, Inishowen (ULSTER)
Breaffy NS, Mayo (CONNACHT)
FIXTURES
Breaffy 2-3 Gaelscoil Inbhear
Scoil Choilmcille 2-1 Scoil Iognaid Ris
Breaffy 6-1 Scoil Choilmcille
Scoil Inbhear 4-1 Scoil Iognaid Ris
Breaffy 4-0 Scoil Iognaid Ris
Gaelscoil Inbhear 4-2 Scoil Cholmcille
Winner: Gaelscoil Inbhear Mor, Wicklow
Runner Up: Breaffy NS, Castlebar, Mayo
Third: Scoil Colmcille, Newtowncunningham, Inishowen
Fourth: Scoil Iognaid Ris, An Daingean
Player of the Tournament: Dara O’Conchubhair, Gaelscoil Inbhear Mor, Wicklow
“C” Schools:
TEAMS
St. Declan’s NS, Waterford (MUNSTER)
St. Joseph’s NS, Gorey, Wexford (LEINSTER)
Scoil Iosagain, Buncrana, Inishowen (ULSTER)
St. Patrick’s NS, Castlebar, Mayo (CONNACHT)
FIXTURES
Scoil Iosagain 2-6 St. Declan’s
St. Joseph’s 1-3 St. Patrick’s
Scoil Iosagain 1-6 St. Joseph’s
St. Declan’s 1-3 St. Patrick’s
Scoil Iosagain 3-5 St. Patrick’s
St. Declan’s 2-7 St. Joseph’s
Winner: St. Patrick’s NS, Castlebar, Mayo
Runner Up: St. Joseph’s NS, Gorey, Wexford
Third: St. Declan’s NS, Waterford
Fourth: Scoil Iosagain, Buncrana, Inishowen
Player of the Tournament: Noa Baba, St. Patrick’s NS, Castlebar, Mayo
“A” Girls Schools:
TEAMS
Powerstown NS, Clonmel (MUNSTER)
St. Mary’s NS, Drumlish, Longford (LEINSTER)
Scoil Naoimh Fhionain, Whitecastle, Inishowen (ULSTER)
Gorthaganny NS, Roscommon (CONNACHT)
FIXTURES
Drumlish 0-4 Gorthaganny
Powerstown 1-1 Whitecastle
Drumlish 2-3 Powerstown
Gorthaganny 0-0 Whitecastle
Drumlish 1-4 Whitecastle
Gorthaganny 2-3 Powerstown
Winner: Powerstown NS, Clonmel
Runner Up: Scoil Naoimh Fhionain, Whitecastle, Inishowen
Third: Gorthaganny NS, Roscommon
Fourth: St. Mary’s NS, Drumlish, Longford
Player of the Tournament: Eurena Everard, Powerstown NS, Clonmel
Girls “B” Schools:
TEAMS
St. Mary’s Convent NS, Nenagh (MUNSTER)
Bennekerry NS, Carlow (LEINSTER)
St. Mary’s NS, Virginia, Cavan (ULSTER)
Scoil Mhuire NS, Clarinbridge, Galway (CONNACHT)
FIXTURES
Bennekerry 4-0 Clarinbridge
Nenagh 4-1 Virginia
Bennekerry 2-1 Nenagh
Clarinbridge 4-0 Virginia
Bennekerry 4-0 Virginia
Clarinbridge 2-2 Nenagh
Winner: Bennekerry NS, Carlow
Runner Up: St. Mary’s Convent NS, Nenagh
Third: Scoil Mhuire NS, Clarinbridge, Galway
Fourth: St. Mary’s NS, Virginia, Cavan
Player of the Tournament: Audrey Jo Murphy, Bennekerry NS, Carlow
END