Mini sevens glory for school

ON the sporting front Wednesday, March 21, was a very memorable day for the boys team of Scoil Derarca of Valentia who won the South Kerry Primary Schools Allianz Cumann Na mBunscoil Mini Sevens competition in Cahersiveen with a 3-3 to 2-3 victory over Scoil Saidhbhín of Cahersiveen.

During the course of the competition they played five games in the venues of Renard and Cahersiveen. They were victorious in Renard over Portmagee, Aghatubrid and Ballinskelligs-The Glen, and won the semi-final and final in Cahersiveen.

Valentia also reached last year’s final but lost. The semi-final versus Caherdaniel was hard-fought and keenly contested.

The Scoil Derarca girls also competed but despite defeat acquitted themselves well. The victorious boys now look forward to the county finals of the competition which will take place on April 8 in Tralee. Scoil Derarca last won this competition 17 years ago. That team consisted of members of one the most successful ever under-12 Bord Na nÓg teams produced by Valentia, who swept all before them at South Kerry and county level.

The Scoil Derarca school Principal John Daly was their mentor and manager. Interestingly, John’s wife Susan was in the opposite camp as she teaches in Scoil Saidhbhín.

TEAM: Fionn Cusack; Michael O’Sullivan; Adam Quigley; Micheál Lynch; Junior Kidd; Emmet Daly; Philip Daly.

Subs: Fionán Healy; Ódhran McDonagh; Jake Curran; Adam Kidd; John O’Driscoll; Rian O’Shea; Sean Lynch. Cillian Sugrue was an absentee.