The curtain finally came down on the very popular Xtra/vision FAI Schools 5-a-side All Ireland Finals in Leah Victoria Park, Tullamore on Wednesday last (26 May):
160 skilful participants took part in the Finals which were the culmination of three months of County and Regional competitions with eventual Provincial winners progressing to the National stage:
The pick of the bunch from all four corners of the country converged on the Offaly venue for a sunny day of entertainment, passion and skill:
Almost 1,000 schools from all over Ireland participated in this the biggest and best competition in the 2010 Primary Schools Soccer Calendar: The competition emphasised the fun element with everyone a winner on the day: Player’s received some Xtra/vision goodies, commemorative medal and full soccer kit for their participation in this, the FAI Schools season finale:
There was a good geographical spread of winners this year as Mayo, Galway, Wexford, Dublin and Donegal were all represented:
ST JOSEPH’S National School fromGorey capped an incredible two years by finally claiming an All Ireland title at this year’s National Finals in Tullamore:
Less than seven days after retaining their Leinster crown, St Joseph’s stole the limelight by going one better than their national runners up finish last year and taking the Section “C” crown in the large Schools category:
Goals from Paul Murphy and Conor Levingston earned them a 4/1 win against CBS Tralee, before they stormed back from a two/goal deficit to beat Woodlands NS from Donegal:
Another four goals in the final game, against Scoil Chaitriona of Galway, ensured the Wexford School finished the day with a 100% record to go with their new title:
Paul Murphy was named as Player of the Tournament to mark a special day for the Gorey School:
The Schools “A” Section produced another emphatic victory, this time for Mayo’s Barnacarroll NS, who swept aside all on front of them with ease: Teacher Gerard Egan was delighted with the team’s progression stating that it was a real team effort and a wonderful achievement for the small rural School:
Doubles from Rossa Vahey and James McCormack saw them crucially open with a 5/4 win over Donegal’s Bunbeg, before crushing Scoil Mhuire of Limerick 6/1 and Kilkenny’s St Leonards NS 5/0:
James McCormack was a worthy recipient of Player of the Tournament as he led his School to victory:
Leinster’s second successful team on the day, St Laurence O’Toole CBS from Dublin also had to work to kick/start their campaign against St John’s BNS from Cork in the Schools “B” Section:
Star man in the provincial deciders, Shane Rooney popped up with a spectacular hat/trick, before grabbing another amongst a hat/trick for Hayden Macauley and a Killian Darcy double in the 6/0 win over Carndonagh:
Cornafulla NS were the opposition in the final game but could not stop the side from the capital rounding off their day with a 5/0 win:
Hayden Macauley was awarded the Player of the Tournament accolade after an impressive performance to assist his team to All Ireland glory:
The result of the day, without question, was Moville’s Scoil Eoghain’s impressive 12/2 triumph over Mayo’s Craggagh NS in the Section “A” Girls opener:
Roma McLaughlin grabbed seven goals and Nicole McDermott five as the Donegal side sent out an early warning to the other sides: Roma later collected the Player of the Tournament award for her contribution to the day’s events:
Offaly’s Geashill did hold the eventual winners to a 1/1 draw , but a gallant effort from Scoil na Maighdine from Newmarket/On/Fergus, Clare was not enough to stop Moville taking a 6/3 win and claim the title:
In the final section, the Section “B” Girls, Galway’s Scoil Mhuire Clarinbridge ensured Connacht was well represented on the winners’ podium: The School finished third last year and used the experience gained from those events to stir home gold for the Galway Girls:
Saoirse Burke and Niamh Murphy inspired a win against St Mary’s NS of Cavan in the first game and a 3/1 win against Bruff was followed by a 2/0 win over Newtownforbes:
There was some consolation for the Longford side who were runners up as Captain Aisling Greene collected the Player of the Tournament accolade in the Section “B” Girls category:
David Conn, Xtra/vision Marketing Director and FAI Schools Chairman Tom Bolger were on hand to present the prizes to everyone that participated:
FIXTURES & RESULTS
“A” Schools:
TEAMS
Barnacaroll NS, Mayo (CONNACHT)
Scoil Mhuire, Broadford, Limerick (MUNSTER)
Scoil Chonaill, An Bun Beag, Dun na nGall (ULSTER)
St: Leonards NS, Kilkenny (LEINSTER)
FIXTURES
Bunbeg 4/5 Barnacaroll
Scoil Mhuire 5/0 St: Leonards
Bunbeg 4/3 St: Leonards
Scoil Mhuire 1/6 Barnacaroll
Bunbeg 3/3 Scoil Mhuire
Barnacaroll 5/0 St: Leonards
Winner: Barnacarroll NS, Mayo
Runners Up: Scoil Chonaill, An Bun Beag, Dun na nGall
Third: Scoil Mhuire, Broadford, Limerick
Fourth: St: Leonard’s NS, Kilkenny
Player of the Tournament: James McCormack, Barnacarroll NS, Mayo
PLAYERS
Barnacaroll NS, Mayo
Patrick Barry, James McCormack, Rossa Vahey, Conor Diskin, Ciaran Canavan, Evan Slattery, Jarlath Ruane, Mark Keane
Teacher: Gerard Egan
Scoil Mhuire, Broadford, Co: Limerick
Matthew Daly, William Quaid, Luca Giraldi, Anthony Barrett, Séamus Flanagan, Glen McNamara, Denis Donegan, Killian Lynch
Teacher: Mary Lynch, Principal: Kathleen Barry
Scoil Chonaill, An Bun Beag, Dun na nGall
Conor O’Baoill, Seaghan O’Fearraigh, Naoise O’Baoill Daire O’Baoill, Eamon O Colm, Dylan O’Domhnaill, Conor O’Dochartaigh, Conor Mac Eachmharcaigh
Teacher: Cathal O’Fearraigh
St: Leonard’s NS, Kilkenny
Victor Costello, Luke Fitzpatrick, Jack Power, Michael Cody, Morgan Thomas, Dara Keane,Christopher Keane, Conor Lawlor:
“A” Girls Schools:
TEAMS
Craggagh NS, Mayo (CONNACHT)
Scoil na Maighdine, Newmarket on Fergus, Clare (MUNSTER)
Scoil Eoghain, Moville, Inishowen (ULSTER)
Geashill NS, Offaly (LEINSTER)
FIXTURES
Moville 12/2 Craggagh
Newmarket 0/0 Geashill
Geashill 1/1 Moville
Newmarket 2/3 Craggagh
Moville 6/3 Newmarket
Craggagh 4/2 Geashill
Winner: Scoil Eoghain, Moville, Inishowen
Runner Up: Craggagh NS, Mayo
Third: Geashill NS, Offaly
Fourth: Scoil na Maighdine, Newmarket on Fergus, Clare
Player of the Tournament: Roma McLaughlin, Scoil Eoghain, Moville, Inishowen
PLAYERS
Craggagh NS, Mayo
Lisa Begley, Aoife Begley, Katie Dwyer, Jessica Nolan, Rachel King, Katie McNicholas
Principal: Danny Charlton
Scoil na Maighdine Mhuire, Newmarket/On/ Fergus, Co: Clare
Ciara McCarthy, Megan Maguire, Shiva Brennan, Rachel Kelleher, Lucy Cotgreave , Alice Sheedy, Sabrina McCarthy, Rachel Sheedy
Teacher: Moira McMahon, Principal: Ann McMahon
Scoil Eoghain, Moville, Donegal
Olivia Kelly, Louise McDaid, Nicole McDermott, Sharmaine McElroy, Caoimhe McGuinness
Racheal McLaughlin, Roma McLaughlin, Shannon Skelly
Teacher: Caroline Treanor
Geashill NS, Offaly
Keelin Guilfoyle, Zara Kelly, Emma Byrne, Maeve Byrne, Nadine Pender, Sasha Lanigan, Olivia Hanley, Chloe Bergin Keller
Principal: Mícheál Hyland
“B” Schools:
TEAMS
Cornafulla NS, Roscommon (CONNACHT)
St: John’s NS, Mayfield, Cork (MUNSTER)
St: Patrick’s NS, Carndonagh, Inishowen (ULSTER)
St: Laurence O’Toole CBS, Dublin City (LEINSTER)
FIXTURES
12:00 Carndonagh 1/1 Cornafulla
12:30 St: John’s 2/3 St: Laurence
1:00 Carndonagh 0/6 St: Laurence
1:30 St: John’s 0/3 Cornafulla
2:00 Carndonagh 0/3 St: John’s
2:30 Cornafulla 0/5 St: Laurence
Winner: St: Laurence O’Toole CBS, Dublin City
Runner Up: Cornafulla NS, Roscommon
Third: St: John’s BNS, Mayfield, Cork
Fourth: St: Patrick’s NS, Carndonagh, Inishowen
Player of the Tournament: Hayden Macauley, St: Laurence O’Toole CBS
PLAYERS
Cornafulla NS, Roscommon
Ronan McAlary, David McManus, Gary Nicholson, Ciaran Lennon, Kieran Connaughton, Ian Naughton, Eoin Hannon, Harry O’Rourke
Teacher: Sean Glennon
St: John the Apostle Boys’ Primary School, Mayfield, Cork
James Morrissey, Ryan Cotter, Aaron O’Regan, Seán O’Callaghan, David O’Gorman, Jack Martin, Adam Geraghty, Cian Cambridge
Teacher: Paddy Flynn
St: Patrick’s NS, Carndonagh
Cathal Doherty, Ryan Doherty, Cathal Farren, Sam Todd, Brandon Browne, Brian McEleney, Mark Doherty, Evan Tweed
St: Laurence O’Toole CBS, Dublin City
Hayden Macauley, Shane Rooney, Eric Hyland, Seán Toomey, Killian Darcy, Nathan Barrett, Taylor Crane, Evan Pierce
Teacher: David Bailey
“B” Girls Schools:
TEAMS
Scoil Mhuire, Clarinbridge, Galway (CONNACHT)
Scoil Dean Cussen, Bruff, Limerick (MUNSTER)
St: Mary’s NS, Virginia, Cavan (ULSTER)
Scoil Mhuire, Newtownforbes, Longford (LEINSTER)
FIXTURES
Virginia 0/5 Scoil Mhuire
Bruff 2/1 Newtownforbes
Virginia 0/1 Newtownforbes
Bruff 1/2 Scoil Mhuire
Virginia 3/0 Bruff
Scoil Mhuire 2/0 Newtownforbes
Winner: Scoil Mhuire, Clarinbridge, Galway
Runner Up: Scoil Mhuire, Newtownforbes, Longford
Third: St: Mary’s NS, Virginia, Cavan
Fourth: Scoil Dean Cussen, Bruff, Limerick
Player of the Tournament: Aisling Greene, Scoil Mhuire, Newtownforbes, Longford
PLAYERS
Scoil Mhuire, Clarinbridge, Galway
Rebecca Callanan, Roisin Leen, Saoirse Burke, Niamh Murphy, Ciara Murphy, Carroll Daly, Katie Joyce, Annika Lipsius
Teachers: Timmie Glavey & Elaine Glavey Principal: Sean Holian
Scoil Dean Cussen, Bruff, Limerick
Paula Bateman, Jennifer Farrell, Megan O'Rourke, Zoe Ryan, Marian Quaid, Íde McCarthy, Rachel Madden, Ciara Murphy
Manager: Pat Dunne, Teacher: Dara McAleer
St: Mary’s NS, Virginia, Cavan
Amy Gaynor (Captain), Catherine Dolan, Ciara Brady, Ciara Gaffney, Edith Lynch, Clara Lynch, Joy Denning, Kara O' Rourke
Teacher: Claire Galligan
Scoil Mhuire, Newtownforbes, Longford
Carolanne O'Brien, Veronica Breslin, Aishling Greene (Capt), Aisling Sorohan, Sarah Edgely, Clodagh Coppinger, Jenny Healy, Cliodhna Allen
Teacher: Louise Tully
“C” Schools:
TEAMS
Scoil Chaitriona, Renmore, Galway (CONNACHT)
CBS Tralee, Clounalour, Kerry (MUNSTER)
Woodlands NS, Donegal (ULSTER)
St: Joseph’s NS, Gorey, Wexford (LEINSTER)
FIXTURES
12:00 Woodlands 3/1 Scoil Chaitriona
12:30 CBS Tralee 1/4 St: Joseph’s
1:00 Woodlands 2/4 St: Joseph’s
1:30 CBS Tralee 3/7 Scoil Chaitriona
2:00 Woodlands 1/4 CBS Tralee
2:30 Scoil Chaitriona 0/4 St: Joseph’s
Winner: St: Joseph’s NS, Gorey, Wexford
Runner Up: Scoil Chaitronia, Renmore, Galway
Third: Woodlands NS, Letterkenny, Donegal
Fourth: CBS Tralee, Clounalour, Kerry
Player of the Tournament: Paul Murphy, St: Joseph’s NS, Gorey, Wexford
PLAYERS
Scoil Chaitriona, Renmore, Galway
Ross Burn, Dean McKeon, Robert Carroll, Ross Doyle, Aidan Coyle, Connor Malonfy, James Lillis, Yuri Petreachen
Teacher: Richard Delaney
CBS Clounalour, Tralee, Co: Kerry
Michael Costello, Darcy Pototzki, Darren Basible, Mario Ziga, Segun Duyile, James Duggan, Calvin Foley, Ryan Byrne
Principal: Denis Coleman
Woodlands NS, Letterkenny, Donegal
Rory Carr, Odhran Davis, Jack Patton, Tony Harkin, Shane Graham, Kevin Grant
Matthew Mc Kinnon, Liam Blaney
Teacher: Kieran Shiels
St: Joseph’s NS, Gorey, Wexford
Adam Dunbar, Paul Murphy, Daniel Brennan, Eric Quinn, Conor Levingston, James Lynch, Michael Quigley, Bobby O’Sullivan
Managers: John O’Brien & Padraig Cronin