CONNACHT SCHOOLS SQUADS
2015 marked a magic year in the short annals of CBS Rugby history. In the under-16 final of that year the JCT stormed the Sportsground and comprehensively outplayed the Jes (36-0) to take the trophy back to Abbeystown and into Roscommon for the very first time.
Just 12 months before on their home pitch at Creggs they had beaten the same opposition (13-0) in the provincial semi to qualify for the premier final at that age level for the very first time. Although an exceptional St Gerald’s College team eventually proved a hurdle too high (36-22), the losing experience for this then young side was invaluable — and 12 months on they made it pay.
The significance of the achievement was made even more impressive by virtue of the fact it was just four years before when the extra-curricular PE programme in the school was integrated with Creggs RFC and, together with coaches Aidan Farrell and Dave Purcell, a developmental rugby programme
was set in place. Two Developmental Cup seasons followed before a first bite at the biggest cherry in 2014.
To reach the final in that inaugural year was an extraordinary achievement, but to follow it up with outright success the following season represented the stuff of dreams.
Now three years on, many of that successful Junior side are the full age. Here again the experience of competing in the main event in 2017 will have helped enormously.
And while Colaiste Iognaid (The Jes) topped Pool 1 with three wins from three to qualify for the last four, CBS gave a very good account of themselves when beating St Gerald’s to finish alongside the Castlebar School and Garbally with one win from three in the Pool overall.
Already this season in the Senior League played before Christmas, they were drawn again in the same Pool as Colaiste Iognaid and this time it came down to a straight head-to-head with the Jes, who took what was effectively a semi-final 31-12 but with three wins from four including a great victory over Marist in a cracking game (27-25).
New PE teacher and Head Coach Lorcan Laheen plays for Monivea and is a former Connacht under-20 player. He directs a squad that has 13 back from last year and is captained by Shane Purcell. Back-row forward John Martin is a multi-talented footballer, having played for Roscommon under-17s when losing out to Tyrone in the inaugural All-Ireland final at this new age level in Croke Park last August.
Prop Jack Keegan, centres Jason Hoare and skipper Purcell, scrum-half Aoda Hession and out-half Tim Lambe have all represented Connacht.
Despite having lost to Marist (25-14) in the opening cup game within the Pool before Christmas, it’s still all to play for — although facing Garbally in the final match on January 24 is about as tough as it gets.
CUP holders and back-to-back winners in 2016 and 2017, the new millennium has made for a golden period in Colaiste Iognaid rugby. Bearing in mind that the Galway school hadn’t been to a Connacht Senior final since 1985, a record of ten finals including eight wins since the turn of the century, 2002 to be precise, is some achievement.
Included in that is five successive titles between 2005 and 2009, interrupted only by Sligo Grammar (in 2010) from making it a magnificent seven on the bounce by 2011. Such has been the extraordinary impact of the Jes on the Connacht under-age game in recent times.
Mind you, it wasn’t the first time for a Jes five-in-a-row, with the roaring Twenties throwing up that number between 1924 and 1928 inclusive. Not even Garbally with an amazing 45 titles in total have exceeded that number in succession, although they did take five back to Ballinasloe between 1936 and 1940.
Last year’s success came on the strength of three straight wins in Pool 1 over CBS, St Gerald’s and Garbally. A semi-final win over Sligo Grammar was then followed by that 2017 final win (13-7) against Summerhill. Already this academic year they topped Pool 1 (in the Connacht Senior League) with four wins from four before hitting a brick wall (7-34) against a particularly strong Garbally College in the pre-Christmas final.
Bernie Kelly has taken over from Stephen Parkinson as Head Coach with Morgan Codyre Backs Coach and Jake Gallagher Captain of another talented Jes squad that includes 19 back from last year’s extended cup-winning panel. It includes Connacht under-18 representative halves in Evan Kenny and Adam Cunningham (full-back on the 2017 cup-winning side) as well as 2018 wing Dara Hanrahan. Versatile back-rower Gallagher has represented the Connacht under-19s.
The draw has been tough, with Sligo’s big two – the Grammar and Summerhill – in the same Pool. A convincing pre-Christmas win over St Gerald’s has presented the perfect launchpad and suggests a top-place finish, thereby avoiding Garbally in the semi-final.
FOR almost every school there is one special year but for Marist College Athlone they are betwixt and between. Was it the Paddy Walsh-inspired breakthrough and inaugural cup success of 1977 under the leadership of Aidan Deegan? Or was it the Mick Loftus-inspired clean sweep of 2013?
For the record, the latter embraced Connacht Senior Cup (for the third time), Senior League, Provincial Sevens, Junior Cup (for the fifth time), Junior League, First Year Cup and add the cherry on the top of the cake in the shape of Robbie Henshaw’s first three full international caps for Ireland.
I’m not too sure how you top that again, but by any standard what was achieved in 2013 by way of Paddy Walsh’s dream and Mick Loftus’s graft and dedication was special. Loftus continues at the coal face with Cian O’Brien again and Tony Dolan alongside.
Fergus Galvin is captain of the class of 2018 and follows in the SCT footsteps of big brother Evan, who was a League and Cup winner in 2013 and is currently playing for Buccaneers in the AIL.
The squad includes 19 back from last year’s extended panel who finished third behind Summerhill and Sligo Grammar in Pool 2 of the Senior Cup. It can call on five representative players, with Galvin leading the way for Connacht under-19 in addition to hooker Darren Browne, flanker Mathius O’Neill, loose-head Cathal O’Grady and tight-head Liam Doyle all with the provincial under-18s.
They have drawn the better Pool this time around, although the presence of League winners and cup favourites Garbally would suggest otherwise. A first-round win over CBS (25-14) in early December has made for the perfect start. However, it is difficult to look beyond Garbally topping the Pool.
But this is a squad still a year young, in so far as it comprehensively outplayed the Ballinasloe School’s equivalent age group (25-0) in the Junior (under-16) Cup Final of 2016. Next year the nucleus of that group will be the full age. But one step at a time... and for now it’s about building on the experience of winning two games from four in the preChristmas League to finish third behind CBS and the Jes. Qualification for the semi-final and a possible tilt at the Jes or the Grammar and a precious place in the final could well be on the 2018 agenda.
FOR St Gerald’s, 2014 was the year. The seeds had been planted when making it to the Junior Development Cup final only to lose out to Sligo Grammar (10-5) before the all-important breakthrough in the Premier Junior competition in
2014. Indeed, between 2009 and 2015 Calasanctius College, Oranmore, Rice College, Westport, St Gerald’s, Castlebar, and CBS Roscommon each captured the much coveted under-16 trophy for the very first time.
The race is now on to see which of the new kids on the block can go on to lift the premier trophy in Connacht age-grade rugby for the very first time. Last year probably represented the best chance for Gerald’s and that cup-winning class of 2014 but despite a great win over Garbally (16-15) in the Pool, a narrow defeat to CBS (17-13) followed by Colaiste Iognaid (24-0) saw the latter top the Pool and eventually lift the trophy for the 14th time.
This year’s squad is again coached by Paddy Durcan and Seamus King and includes eight back to help bolster a cup panel light in numbers. Aaron Martin is Captain and others returning include Joe Leddy, Aodhan O’Donoghue, Liam Dafoite, Tom Baynes, Jack Loftus, Peter Gleeson and Oisin Ruane.
A particularly difficult League Pool saw them grouped with Garbally as well as Summerhill and Sligo Grammar. While there were comprehensive defeats to Garbally and the Grammar, a cracking encounter with Summerhill (29-34) provided a timely boost.
The cup draw has been even more unkind this time, with both Sligo schools the opposition alongside the giant that is Colaiste Iognaid in Pool 2.
THERE may have been a break between 2007 (coinciding with the end of boarding) and 2013 but lest any doubts still linger, the honeymoon is over for the rest and the Rock of schools rugby in the West is back doing what it does best — competing for trophies every year.
The return of former teacher and coach Gerry Kelly from nursing Connacht into the pro age as CEO at the Sportsground marked a significant step in Garbally’s climb back to consistent competitiveness. And he is there again this year alongside Head Coach Kevin Tierney and second-in-command Mike Devine.
And while they won’t thank me for saying it, word is of a Connacht Senior Cup that is Garbally’s to lose. Tierney is coach and Colm Reilly captain of a 2018 squad littered with talent. It includes 14 back from last year’s extended cup panel that finished second to eventual winners the Jes in Pool 1.
No fewer than nine have already been involved with Connacht under-age squads. Out-half Cian Tracey, back-rowers Oisin McCormack and Jack Noone, centre Odhran Dooley (last year’s JCT captain), utility three-quarter Shane Jennings as well as backthree player Sean Horkan have all been involved with the Connacht under-17s.
In addition, McCormack, Dooley, Horkan and Jennings are all members of the Galway under-17 Football panel, with the extremely versatile Jennings also on the county hurling panel as well.
Out-half/wing Nathan Horan and centre/wing Saul O’Carroll have played with the provincial under-18 squad, while skipper and scrum-half Reilly (whose sister Aoibhin is a member of the girls under-18 squad) has been centrally involved with the under-19s.
Prop Jack Ryan is the son of former Offaly All Ireland-winning hurler John Ryan, while full-back/ wing Stephen Mannion is the son of former Connacht and Ireland No 8 Noel, who is still on board as a mentor to the squad.
Piece all that together and it makes for one formidable challenge. The pre-Christmas League is already in the locker courtesy of a four-from-four return in Pool 2, followed by an even more impressive 34-7 over traditional rivals the Jes in the final. Marist will push hard in the Cup Pool but at this distance it is difficult to look beyond title number 46 making its way to Ballinasloe.
THE Ballina school, which celebrated its centenary in 2010, has long competed in various field sports, chiefly Gaelic football, soccer and rugby, probably in that order. However, since the mid-nineties, inspired by Patricia Lynott Walkin from within and (most particularly) by former Ballina RFC and Connacht Rugby President Gerry O’Donnell from without, the path for rugby has been steady, culminating in Senior Development League and B Cup honours last year.
All this is under the encouraging watch of former Cistercian College Roscrea full-back, now Principal at St Muredach’s, Leo Golden. Mayo footballer Ger Brady is one of many sporting stars to have graced the hallowed halls in his sporting time but also making his mark on rugby and while there representing the Irish Youths in 1998.
New Zealand native Chris O’Neill is Head Coach as well as working with the Connacht Branch as CCRO and lining out for Ballina RFC. Club out-half Kieran Lynsey is assistant to O’Neill and working on developing the skills of the game at every level from under-13 up to SCT. Unfortunately, the hugely enthusiastic Russell O’Brien is no longer involved directly and his loss has been immense.
Although many of last year’s successful squad have completed their Leaving Cert and moved on, there remains still a core group within a particularly small squad. It includes under-18 and under-19 representative players in powerful front-rowers hooker Billy McVann and tight-head Brian Boland. Boland also participated in the Irish Youth training camp last year.
Behind these two, and locking the back row, is No 8 and skipper Chris Healy, another who has come through the Connacht under-age and youth development pathway. The draw is tough: a Pool that includes CBS, Marist and Garbally makes for a particularly difficult campaign ahead but with enthusiasm in buckets, St Muredach’s College is on the right path.
THERE was a time when it was Garbally, the Bish and the Jes were the top three — but I think it fair to say that since Sligo Grammar’s sixth senior success when beating St Joseph’s Galway in that 1999 final (coincidentally the last final appearance for the Bish), the Grammar has replaced the former Galway giant as one of the three heavyweights of Connacht schools rugby.
Yes the Bish still have two more cup wins in total overall, but with four wins from nine finals as well as countless League successes and League final appearances since that Grammar/Bish final in ’99, the Sligo school is now up alongside Garbally and the Jes at the top of the Connacht tree in competing for Junior and Senior titles year on year.
Hopefully the Bish will come again, but for now it is the Grammar most definitely ahead second only to Garbally and the Jes in terms of consistency, with Marist next in that pecking order. In the last six years in the League alone they have finished as champions twice and runners-up four times.
Already this year in the preChristmas League they finished second only to all-conquering Garbally, winning three games from four including those allimportant bragging rights over Summerhill in a 7-6 nailbiter.
Having lost out to their great Sligo rivals in what was effectively the quarter-final (before the semi-final proper) in Pool 2 of last year’s cup, revenge was sweet in this season’s League despite eventually losing out to Garbally on the road to the final.
This year’s squad includes ten back from last year. There’s a new Head Coach in Mike Wells, who is ably supported, as ever, by the Jimmys – Gavin and Staunton (as Backs Coach and Manager respectively). Jason Lawson Kearns is Captain and he leads a squad with under-17 representative players in Matthew Earley and Hubert Gilvarry.
Michael Kilcoyne, who was the original Captain, injured his ACL in the opening game of the season and was ruled out for the entire academic year. Needless to say, his loss to injury has been massive. Fiachra Staunton (son of Manager and former Coach Jimmy) is an equally talented footballer and plays with Sligo Rovers under-17s.
It is a young group, with seven 16-year-olds starting and with 12 in total still under-age for next year. Having already won the big cup derby against Summerhill (15-9) in December, one more win against St Gerald’s or Colaiste Iognaid would seal a place in the semi-final. Given the age profile of the squad, that in itself would probably be sufficient progress for the class of 2018 — but make the last four and anything can happen.
IT’S tough when your greatest rivals are your neighbours but it’s particularly tough when you’re the new kid on the block and the school around the corner’s been reeling the provincial trophies in for well over half a century. We are, of course, talking in rugby terms: the College of the Immaculate Conception founded as far back as 1857 in Athlone before transferring to Sligo in 1880.
Summerhill has long had a great sporting tradition through soccer, Gaelic football and basketball. Sligo Rovers has had a traditionally strong link with the school with the names David Pugh and Paul McGee are just two of the more prominent from times past.
But since the turn of the century things have been stirring in the oval ball code, with Junior Cup final appearances in 2005 (losing to Marist) and 2009 (beaten by a particularly strong Calasanctius College side) followed by a real taste of life at the top table through two Senior final appearances in the last three years.
Ironically, it is a former Senior Cup medal winner with the Grammar who is now central to making things happen down the road. Ross O’Boyle was Head Coach of last year’s beaten finalists (13-7 to the Jes) with Adrian Barrett and YDO Ross Mannion at the helm two years before (when losing 19-18 to Garbally).
The enthusiastic O’Boyle is now Director of Rugby and also Head Coach of the class of 2018, with Mannion still on board as one of a team of five assistant coaches now involved. Gary Golden is this year’s Captain and one of 15 back from last year’s extended cup panel.
Significantly, 11 of those returning figured in the match-day 23 against Colaiste Iognaid in last year’s final. The starters were loosehead Mark Flanagan, lock Caoileann Carty, skipper Golden, half-backs Brendan Cunningham and Brian Cox as well as threequarters Rett Solano and Kevin Connell, plus Hugh Kisby at full-back. Centre Luke Hogge and back-rower Donnacha Byrne have both been called up to the Connacht under-17, while Cunningham has filled both half-back positions for the provincial under-18s. Half-back partner Cox is also a member of the Sligo under-18 football squad.
It all points to another significant Summerhill challenge. In the pre-Christmas League there were comprehensive victories over St Gerald’s and the Bish before two really tight defeats to Sligo Grammar (7-6) and, most significantly, to Garbally (15-13). The cup draw includes St Gerald’s, Colaiste Iognaid and Sligo Grammar, with defeat against the Grammar in the opening game (15-9) making for another mountain to climb in 2018.