Squads announced ahead of FAI Post Primary Schools First Year Boys & Girls National Futsal Finals
November 30, 2018
The curtain will finally come down on the FAI Post Primary Schools First Year Boys & Girls Futsal calendar this Tuesday, December 4 with a tantalizing National show-down in store. The event will take place in the impressive Waterford IT Arena, Carriganore for a third term.
The competition now in its eleventh year has grown steadily with participation at an all-time high. The competition caters for boys and girls in first year. Competitions commenced in October with schools progressing from County to Provincial levels and now onto the National series.
As part of the FAI Schools development programme, futsal is used as a way of introducing youngsters to the game of football and thus increasing grassroots participation within the sport.
Over 5,200 students have taken part in the FAI Schools futsal Initiative inside a three month period in Post Primary Schools throughout the Republic of Ireland.
Seán Carr, Chairman, FAI Schools paid tribute to the enormous contribution of the FAI’s Regional Development Officers in overseeing the competitions at local level.
“The growth of the game within the schools structure can be attributed to the hard work being done at local level by the Development Officers as they play a vital role in the success of the initiative each year”.
The climax of the Post Primary School’s event will see the cream of schools futsal on display in Waterford next week.
The focus will be on our local talent with eight schools competing for the coveted title of National Futsal Champions for 2018.
Schools from Donegal, Kildare, Sligo and Tipperary will contest the Girls section while Donegal, Kerry, Louth and Mayo will all challenge for the crown in the Boys section.
The four finalists in the girl’s category have created great excitement in their respective schools with their progression to the National stage. Carndonagh Community School, Coláiste Chiaráin, Leixlip, St. Attracta’s Community School, Tubbercurry and Ursuline Secondary School, Thurles are all within striking distance of the silverware.
Two of the four qualifiers were in the title race last season with St. Attracta’s losing out to eventual winners Presentation SS, Ballyphehane on spot-kicks in a three way penalty shoot-out that involved St. Leo’s College of Carlow while Carndonagh had to settle for a fourth place podium finish.
On the other hand, Coláiste Chiaráin and Ursuline SS, Thurles will be newcomers to this level of competition and it will be their first appearance at the Nationals, one which they will relish, no doubt.
The boys draw will be a closely fought encounter with St. Louis CS, Kiltimagh, St. Mary’s DS, Drogheda, Mercy SS Mounthawk, Tralee and St. Columba’s College, Stranorlar all bidding for glory.
Mentors Hobbs and Brett guided the Drogheda outfit to the same stage in 2016 with a fourth place finish. Can this new crop of players impress in the grand stage once again?
Mercy SS Mounthawk defeated 2017 National Futsal Champions St. Francis College, Rochestown in the provincial decider so there will be a watchful eye on Eamonn Lally and Kieran Costello’s charges. The school were also runners up in the boys division back in 2012.
A new venture for St. Columba’s College and St. Louis Community School but they won’t be phased by the big occasion.
Mark Scanlon, FAI National Co-ordinator for Schools & Third Level Football will oversee proceedings on the day and is very excited by the fixtures on display.
"Futsal is the way we see football being taken forward in the country and from what I have seen at Provincial Finals nationwide and in Dublin, it is very encouraging,"
"Current Republic of Ireland Captain and St. Catherine’s VS, Killybegs scholar Seamus Coleman played Futsal during his time with Sligo Rovers and his goal against Georgia was certainly reminiscent of Futsal skills."
The competition has proven to be very successful at local level and this is evident with the huge numbers of entrants and the sheer quality of futsal being demonstrated. The competition has caught the imagination of everybody involved and should prove highly entertaining for the travelling supporters when the games commence...
For further information on the event or images of participating schools please contact Diane Fay, FAI Schools on 01 8999 522.
GIRLS SECTION
CARNDONAGH COMMUNITY SCHOOL, INISHOWEN, DONEGAL | Suzie Lafferty, Ailish Doherty, Alanah Brennan, Fiona Doherty, Imogen Diver, Cora McCaul, Ellie Long, Seaneen Crumlish, Aoife McCarron, Clara Gill, Niamh Devlin, Samantha McLaughlin
TEACHERS | Conor Doherty & Anita Hegarty
COLÁISTE CHAIRÁIN, LEIXLIP, KILDARE | Kate Ryan, Sophie O’Hagan, Ava Carey, Ella Malone, Jodie Lawlor, Olivia Grange, Eimear Kenny, Sophie Kelly Buggy, Jessica Howard, Ríon Nallen
TEACHERS | David McCarthy
ST. ATTRACTA’S COMMUNITY SCHOOL, TUBBERCURRY, SLIGO | Lauren Normanly, Cara King, Pixie O’Hara, Jessica Casey, Emilija Kustrariovaite, Orlaith Monaghan, Ciara Brennan, Rebecca Staunton, Aoife Prendergast, Caoimhe Lucey, Ciara Walsh, Emily Cassidy
TEACHERS | Hughie Harvey & Andrew Flynn
URSULINE SECONDAY SCHOOL, THURLES, TIPPERARY | Kayla Treacy, Sarah Bell, Kate Carr, Grace Fitzpatrick Ryan, Miah Bourke, Muireann Treacy, Grace Ryan, Molly Ryan, Kate Bergin, Kate Ferncombe, Emily Keane, Danielle Ryan
TEACHERS | Shane McGlynn & Rachel Spillane
BOYS SECTION
MERCY SECONDARY SCHOOL, MOUNTHAWK, TRALEE, KERRY | Oran Murphy, Michael Tansley, Stephen Barret, Elvis Ankomah, Obinna Tswakayi (Captain), Cian O’Gara, Skye Lynch, Odhran Ferris, Niall Collins, Noah Townsend, Mohammed Abdullah, James Dowling
TEACHERS | Eamonn Lally & Kieran Costello
ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY SCHOOL, KILTIMAGH, MAYO | Cian Walsh, Seán O’Neill, Callum McNicholas, Robert O’Flaherty, Believe Igharo, Ronan Clarke, Jonathan Houlihan, Nathan Griffin
TEACHERS | Fearghal O’Hara & Paul Regan
ST. COLUMBA’S COLLEGE, STRANORLAR, DONEGAL | Odhran Bonar, Conor McGinty, Jack Long, Oisin Duffy, Shaun McMenamin, Ruairí Callaghan, Seán Martin, Ross Bradley, Adam McCullagh, Daithi McMahon
TEACHERS | Mark Cannon & James Rodgers
ST. MARY'S DIOCESAN SCHOOL, DROGHEDA, LOUTH | Oisin Brennan, Jake Hough, Ryan McBrearty, Dylan Kelly, Altay Guneyer, Lorcan Lynch, Andrew Noone Garland, Jamie Hoey, Maithiu Brien
TEACHERS | Barry Hobbs & Gavin Brett
