North East League All Stars 2025

Press Release:

Wednesday 7th May saw the hosting of the fourth annual FAI Schools/DkIT/Independent Newspapers North East Senior League All-Stars Selection. Almost 100 guests, including representatives of Independent Newspapers, the FAI Schools Leinster Branch & DkIt, gathered to celebrate as the cream of the North East League crop were presented with a commemorative kit marking their selection.

Soccer in the North East region started in 1984 when the late, great Dave Colgan, a teacher in St. Oliver’s Community College, Drogheda, called a meeting of interested teachers in the old Europa Hotel in Drogheda – he booked a room that held thirty, but only four showed up! Nonetheless, it was a start & the competition commenced in 1985 with six schools competing, from Drogheda, Dundalk & Meath.

Over time the region has grown rapidly & there are now thirty four schools playing soccer in the region, which covers Louth, Meath & north Dublin. Indeed, across Leinster, soccer is played in more second level schools than any other code, with 315 schools competing in boys & girls competitions at second level this season.

DkIT is the perfect venue & partner for these awards, as the institute offers specific sports scholarships to students that choose to pursue their third level courses there.

The selection of thirty-two players covered both the Division One & Division Two/Three competitions, with team mentors & the public voting – indeed, almost eight thousand votes were cast in the online poll.

The Division One selection covered eight different schools, with Senior League Champions Ratoath College prominent, as well as De La Salle College, Dundalk, Ashbourne C.S. & Colaiste na Mi, Navan.

The Division Two/Three selection covered eleven different schools, with Bush P.P., Riverstown, Ballymakenny College, Drogheda & Scoil Ui Mhuiri, Dunleer prominent in the selection. Many of the players selected are also involved with their local League of Ireland academy teams.

Longford Town FC player, Jamal Ibrahim, who is also a DkIT student & sports scholarship recipient, was on hand to present the commemorative jersies to the selected students, with kits provided by O’Neills & Leinster sponsors bodibro.

Further details of the DkIT Sports Scholarship Scheme are available here: https://www.dkit.ie/study/student-fees-grants-scholarships/scholarships/sports-scholarships.html

 

 

Division One Selection

Division Two/Three Selection

Name

School

Name

School

GK

GK

Oran McAvoy

De La Salle College, Dundalk

Brandon Gough Smith

Ballymakenny College, Drogheda

Devin Lynch

Ratoath College

Cian Platt

Colaiste Dun an Ri, Kingscourt

DEF

DEF

Josh Phoenix

Colaiste na Mi, Navan

Max Kuwik

Ballymakenny College, Drogheda

Max Dunne

Colaiste na Mi, Navan

Zak McQuillan

Beaufort College, Navan

Rhys O'Hare

De La Salle College, Dundalk

Eoghan Moore

O’Carolan College, Nobber

Aaron Bizzell

Ratoath College

John Dunne

Scoil Ui Mhuiri, Dunleer

Anthony Garry

St. Oliver’s C.C., Drogheda

Ben Miller

Skerries C.C.

MID

MID

Cillian Ryan

Ashbourne C.S.

Daniel Joseph

Beaufort College, Navan

Tommy Toth

Ashbourne C.S.

Daniel Finnegan

Bush P.P., Riverstown

Sean McGrath

Boyne C.S., Trim

Josh Condon

Bush P.P., Riverstown

Jack Quirke

Colaiste na Mi, Navan

James Obisan

Colaiste ChuChulainn, Dundalk

Michael Dubilovics

De La Salle College, Dundalk

Sam Kierans

Colaiste Ris, Dundalk

Cian Spaight

Dundalk Grammar School

Ryan Winnett

Drogheda Grammar School

FW

FW

Gerard Tyrell Foran

Ashbourne C.S.

Ted Obasi

Balbriggan C.C.

Dara Ibikunle

Lusk C.C.

Alex Carr Berney

Drogheda Grammar School

Adam Farrell

Ratoath College

TJ Molloy

Scoil Ui Mhuiri, Dunleer