Galway, Mayo, Sligo & Roscommon all experience success in Connacht
The biggest and best competition in the 2011
Primary School Soccer Calendar
Shiven Rovers FC in Newbridge, Galway was the setting for the Connacht Finals of the FAI Schools 5-a-side Primary Schools Competition on Wednesday, May 11:
The event saw over 16,000 children participate last year: The competition has been running since the mid 1990’s, the event is more popular than ever with 1,005 schools involved in 2010
The FAI Schools 5-a-side is the biggest and best competition in the 2011 Primary Schools Soccer Calendar: There are 5 divisions to suit all school sizes: While FAI Schools and Xtra/vision encourage boys and girls to play on the same team, there is also a separate competition for girls’ schools: A number of teams can represent one school depending on the size of their student body, giving more children the chance to develop their skills in a safe, child centered and exciting environment:
176 children from 22 schools in Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Roscommon participated in the Provincial decider:
Played in very changeable weather conditions the young players from all participating schools served up a feast of excellent football that augers well for the various winners who now go forward to the National Finals which will take place in Leah Victoria Park, Tullamore on Wednesday, June 1
In Section “A” the small schools category proved the most evenly contested section of all: Only goals “scored for” decided the winner and runner up position with Tarmon NS taking the winners title:
The “B” Section (for medium schools) after nine games came down to the final game between Scoil Padraig and Summerhill with Scoil Padraig emerging winners in a very keenly contested game:
The “C” Section saw just one game involving Scoil Chaitriona against St: Patrick’s for the large schools category: This proved to be a very tense and closely contested match with a solitary goal separating the two teams at the end of the twenty minutes: Scoil Chaitríóna were the victors and once again go forward to the National Finals which saw them clinch runners up spot in the All Ireland series: The school will be hoping their experience at this level will ensure the school performs well in the Offaly venue:
The Girls “A” Section and Girls “B” Section had 5 qualifiers from each county represented: A very strong Newport NS team took the honours in the Girls “A” Section with Kilkerrin NS taking the runner position having only dropped points in their game against Newport NS:
The last section to finish on the day was the Girls “B” Section with Ballymote NS taking the title for the first time with Foxford NS unable to bring the winner’s trophy home but finished closely behind in second place:
Scoil Mhuire gan Smal, Ballymote will have real title ambitions after tasting success against previous title holders Scoil Mhuire of Clarinbridge: The Galway school won the All Ireland series outright last year and the new Connacht Champions will be hoping that they can replicate this success not only representing Sligo but their Province as they go in search of the silverware:
Many of the Connacht winners will be new to the All Ireland stage so it would be an enormous occasion for all the schools involved in the final day of competition comes June 1: No doubt the players will be putting in an extra hour of training during the week ahead in preparation for the ultimate decider in Tullamore:
Host County Galway not only had Renmore claiming the ultimate prize on Wednesday but Kilkerrin NS and Windfield NS also picked up a runners up spot in the Girls “A” Section and “A” Section respectively:
Leitrim were very unlucky not to clinch the riches on display but Aughava NS, Fenagh NS, Four Masters NS and Marist Girls NS can be extremely proud of their progression to the Provincial stage: They did very well in all sections of the competition and will no doubt return again next season to do one better:
Roscommon’s Summerhill NS under the leadership of teacher Gerry Mc Hugh should be delighted with their podium finish of second place in a closely and highly entertaining battle in which the boys from Mayo progressed:
Many thanks to all the participating teams today who did extremely well in reaching this Provincial stage, unfortunately only one school from each section can progress to the next level
The five Provincial Finalists will now travel to the National Finals which will be held in Leah Victoria Park, Tullamore on Wednesday, June 1
OVERVIEW - WINNERS:
Section “A” Schools: Tarmon NS, Roscommon
Section “A” Girls Schools: Newport NS, Mayo
Section “B” Schools: Scoil Phádraig, Ballina, Mayo
Section “B” Girls Schools: Scoil Mhuire gan Smal, Ballymote, Sligo
Section “C” Schools: Scoil Chaitríóna, Renmore, Galway
OVERVIEW – RUNNER UP:
Section “A” Schools: Windfield NS, Galway
Section “A” Girls Schools: Kilkerrin NS, Galway
Section “B” Schools: Summerhill NS, Roscommon
Section “B” Girls Schools: Foxford NS, Mayo
Section “C” Schools: St: Patrick’s NS, Castlebar, Mayo
CONNACHT PROVINCIAL FINALISTS:
‘A’ Cup
TEAMS
Windfield NS, Galway
Midfield NS, Mayo
Maugherow NS, Sligo
Tarmon NS, Roscommon
Aughava NS, Leitrim
Girls ‘A’ Cup
TEAMS
Kilkerrin NS, Galway
Newport NS, Mayo
St: John’s NS, Sligo
Runamoate NS, Roscommon
Fenagh NS, Leitrim
‘B’ Cup
TEAMS
Brierhill NS, Galway
Scoil Phádraig, Ballina, Mayo
St: John’s NS, Sligo
Summerhill NS, Roscommon
Four Masters NS, Leitrim
Girls ‘B’ Cup
TEAMS
Scoil Mhuire, Clarinbridge, Galway
Foxford NS, Mayo
Scoil Mhuire gan Smal, Ballymote, Sligo
Cornafulla NS, Roscommon
Marist Girls NS, Carrick on Shannon, Leitrim
‘C’ Cup
TEAMS
Scoil Chaitríóna, Renmore, Galway
St: Patrick’s NS, Castlebar, Mayo
(No Sligo, Roscommon or Leitrim qualifiers)