Saint Augustine’s College are All-Ireland Champions.

History was created at St Conleth’s Park in Newbridge on Saturday afternoon last when Saint Augustine’s College won a first ever All-Ireland Colleges Football Final.

The College which first operated in Dungarvan Town before moving to its present location at Duckspool in Abbeyside has down the years proved to be out most successful side when it comes to football.

The Frewan Cup (Munster under 16 football) was first major piece of silverware won by the college back in the mid 1950’s. In the late 1970’s and into the early 1980’s the College reached back to back Munster Senior ‘A’ Finals. In the years around the turn on the Millennium the College reached the Munster ‘B’ final in successive years, with many of the players involved in these successes going on to win Munster Under 21 medals with Waterford in 2003. And in 2004, the college tasted its most recent success up to this year when it won the Munster Senior ‘B’ Final, but up to last weekend, All-Ireland success eluded the college.

The Roscommon side were expected to provide stiff opposition for Saint Augustine’s in this game. The media in the Western Province with a few weeks now were questioning as to whether the Strokestown College side were playing in too low a grade of Football, such was their dominance up to now.

In the Connacht Final they beat Gortnor Abbey from Crossmolina 1-13 to 0-8 and in their All-Ireland semi final played at Brewster Park in Enniskillen, they proved too strong for St. Joseph's Grammar School from Donaghmore in Tyrone, winning on a 2-12 to 1-3.

In their games to date, they have been starting strong, and the exact same happened in this game.

A brace of points from Diarmuid McGann in the opening minutes were followed up with efforts from Tom Corcoran and Martin Conway to give them a four point advantage by the quarter stage of the game.

Saint Augustine’s hit their first score of the game twenty minutes into the opening half when Modeligo’s Michael Troy dissected the uprights. The Strokestown College however followed up with a point from David Carlton and a brace from Martin Conway to extend their lead to six.

Saint Augustine’s however finished the half slightly the stronger of the two sides as Seamus Keating and Michael Troy hit points with Diarmuid McGann responding for Scoil Mhuire to give them an 0-8 to 0-3 advantage at the change of ends.

With the wind at their backs in the second half, Saint Augustine’s faired much better and throughout the half proved to be the better of the two sides.

Clashmore’s Tadhg Bourke put over a brace of scores to pull in the Scoil Mhuire’s lead to three. Tom Corcoran and Michael Troy then swapped scores to keep three between the sides with just over a quarter of the game still to play.

Thirteen minutes from time a Diarmuid McGann point put four between the sides, but this was to prove to be the Westerner’s last score of the game.

With ten minutes to play, Saint Augustine’s hit a crucial goal to rain in the Connacht Champions to a single point, Dungarvan’s Joe Allen finishing to the net following a goalmouth scramble.

With seven minutes to play the sides were all square, after Conor Prunty put over a delightful point.

Saint Augustine’s took the lead on the hour mark when Tadhg Bourke put over a delightful score.

The question was now could the Abbeyside based college side hold on, or would the Strokestown outfit show the class and strength that reports coming from the west of the country suggested they had to earn a share or the spoils or even God forbid, sneak a late goal which would take the trophy West of the Shannon.

Saint Augustine’s not only did they hold out in the added time to be played at the end of the hour, they added a crucial second goal from Stradbally’s Michael Sweeney to extend their lead to four and in the process kill off any faint hope the Westerners had of claiming the laurels.

St Augustine’s; K Dwane; C Tobin, B Looby, J Mullaney; C O’Neill, T Devine, R Browne; D Gartland, S Keating; J Allen, T Bourke, B French; M Troy, C Prunty, M Maher. Subs: E Kiely for French, M Sweeney for Maher, C Cusack for Kiely.

Scorers: T Bourke (1 f), M Troy 0-3 each, J Allen, M Sweeney 1-0 each, S Keating (f), C Prunty 0-1 each.

Scoil Mhuire: C McDonagh; K Beirne, C Gibbons, C Higgins; E Kelly, D Neary, D O’Rourke; T Corcoran, S Mullooly; M Conway, D Carlton, E O’Beirne; D Hagan, T O’Rourke, D McGann. Subs: M Hagan for D Hagan.

Scorers: D McGann (2f) 0-4, T Corcoran (1f), D Carlton, M Conway 0-2 each.

Referee: F Barry (Kildare).