A big Colleges GAA Weekend in Waterford

Big GAA Weekend’s in Waterford are really nothing new are they?

Over the past few years we have got quiet used to it, but it is something we would like to see happen much more often.

If it’s not our senior hurling or football side that is in action, is one of out underage teams.

Maybe it might not be an underage team that is in action, it could be one of out second level college sides that are playing or even Waterford IT or even a club side.

And it is not always male teams that are in action.

Here in Waterford we have some excellent Camogie and Ladies Football teams at Intermediate or underage levels. Sometimes it amazes me that these sides do not get the same level of support as our male sides. They after all put in the same level of commitment, sometimes the commitment is even greater, and often it costs our ladies sides a lot more from their own pockets to represent their club or county than it does our male sides. But I suppose - each to their own.

This coming weekend we see our senior hurling and football teams play important away games in the national league.

The county’s Intermediate Camogie team is also in action, away to Cork after a great win two weeks ago against Tipperary at Carriganore.

However, with due respect to the sides already mentioned, the main action this weekend could well centre around three college sides who are playing an All-Ireland Camogie Final, an All-Ireland Hurling semi final and an All-Ireland Ladies Football Final. Why should they not get centre stage? Young players playing for the Colleges and on underage teams today are the future stars of Hurling and football, Ladies Football and Camogie in the years to come.

In the last decade or so, supporters of GAA teams on the Colleges scene have been spoilt for choice in Waterford.

De La Salle College, Dungarvan CBS, Saint Augustine’s College, Blackwater Community School, Saint Paul’s Community College as well as Colaiste na Déise or Dungarvan Colleges, a merging of Dungarvan CBS and Saint Augustine’s College have all put together good teams and have given their supporters much to talk about.

Now another side could do much the same.

Saint Declan’s Community College from Kilmacthomas this Saturday play Saint Louis Grammar School from Ballymena in an All-Ireland ‘C’ Hurling Final at Ashbourne in Meath.

Picking from clubs in the centre of the county, Saint Declan’s path to Saturday’s All-Ireland semi final is a relatively short one.

In the group stages of the Munster Championship, they were drawn in Group E along with one other side, their near neighbours – Carrick-on-Suir CBS.

Twenty one teams were entered into the championship, split into five groups of three and three groups of two, with two teams advancing from each group to the second round of games.

The game against Carrick-on-Suir resulted in a 2-15 to 0-19 win for the Kilmacthomas side. In the second round Kilmacthomas had it a little more easier playing against Coachford, winning 2-16 to 2-6. In the quarter finals extra time was needed before Saint Declan’s beat Presentation from Ballingarry 1-21 to 0-20 and in the semi final they had a 2-13 to 1-6 win over Kinsale.

Last time out in the Munster Final at Killeagh, Saint Declan’s proved that the old saying that goals win games could in fact be true as they put three past Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal from Blarney, winning on a 3-7 to 1-8 score line.

Eoin Bray from Clonea proved to be the Saint Declan’s hero that day. He came on after 22 minutes for Ross Coffey and bagged himself 2-1 after coming on. Others to get on the score sheet that day were Ballyduff Lower’s John Kennedy who hit 1-1, Portlaw’s Jamie Murphy who put over three points, two of which came from placed balls and Ciaran Kirwan from Kill landed 0-2.

The Kilmacthomas based panel will know heading to Ashbourne not to under estimate the challenge of the Northerners. Over the past number of years, while some sides have won, Waterford sides do not have the best of records when playing northern opposition. No doubt the Saint Declan’s panel will not want to fall to opposition from Ulster.

What changes if any, from the win in the Munster final the Kilmacthomas teachers will make to the team remain to be seen.

What ever fifteen the Kilmacthomas side puts out, it will be a strong one, picking from a panel from six clubs.

Ballyduff Lower has the biggest representation on the panel with eleven. Clonea and Dunhill have four each, one more than Portlaw, while there is two from Saint Mary’s and one from Kilmacthomas.

Saint Declan’s Panel: Ryan Murray, Craig Tyrell, Calum Lyons, Dylan Reade, Cormac Dunphy, Ross Coffey, John Kennedy, Alan Fitzsimmons, Ben Kennedy, Colm Dempsey, Kevin Cheasty (Ballyduff Lower), Billy Power, Conor Dalton, Eoin Bray, Noah O’Brien (Clonea), Eoghan Casey, Eoin Cooper, Gearoid Murphy, Niall Power (Dunhill), Jamie Murphy, Jake Scanlon, Craig Fraher (Portlaw), Jeff Hally, Ciaran Kirwan (Saint Mary’s), Jonathan Long (Kilmacthomas).

In Ladies Football, Saint Augustine’s College after a brilliant win over Loreto School from Clonmel in the Munster Senior ‘B’ Final at Clonmel back in late January take on Loreto Secondary School Saint Michael’s from Navan in this Saturday’s All-Ireland semi final at Crettyard.

To get to this stage of the competition, the Abbeyside College have had three great wins, beating Kilkee 7-17 to 1-1 in the quarter finals and in the semi finals they had a 6-11 to 0-4 win over Coláiste Corca Dhuibhne from Dingle.

In their Munster Final win Saint Augustine’s were served up with a player of the match performance from Liz Devine and the side will be looking to her and the sides other experienced players including the likes of Bronagh Condon, Molly Curran, Megan Dunford, Kaisha Tobin, Caoimhe McGrath, Megan O’Connor, Abbie Dalton and Katie Duggan-Sullivan for much of their inspiration in this game.

Underage Ladies Football in both Waterford and Meath is very strong, which should ensure a good game.

The Saint Augustine’s panel made up of Cadhla O’Sullivan, Megan Dunford, Sarah Keohan, Alice Hahesy, Catherine Hahesy, Caoimhe McGrath, Megan O’Connor, Liz Devine, Chloe Fennell, Aisling Mullaney, Bronagh Condon, Caragh McCarthy, Kaeisha Tobin, Molly Curran, Maighread Meehan, Maria O’Donovan, Katie Duggan-Sullivan, Caoimhe Curran, Claire Fennell, Rachel McGuickian, Saidabh Walsh, Sarah Morrissey, Abbie Dalton, Aine Flynn and Aisling O’Connor on paper looks to be a strong won with some players having experience of playing with the Waterford Intermediate Ladies Football team, which could well stand to them in this game, especially if the game is tight near the end.

The third Waterford side in action is Our Lady’s Mercy Secondary School in Waterford City and are deliberately left to last for a good reason, as unlike the other two sides mentioned who are playing All-Ireland semi finals, the city school are playing an All-Ireland Final.

The sides in sky blue shirts are back in a junior All-Ireland for the second year in a row. Last year they lost out to Presentation from Roscommon and they will be hoping to go that step further in this year’s Junior competition.

The side in their last two games have played remarkably well beating Loreto from Fermoy in  the Munster Final on a 2-3 to 1-2 score line at Passage and last time out at Colaiste Chríost Rí from Portlaoise at Mooncoin on a 5-5 to 2-7 score line.

In the Munster Final it was goals from Eva Aylward and Ciara Jackman that proved decisive and last time out it was again goals that made the difference as Eva Aylward hit a brace and Ciara Jackman, Shauna Fitzgerald and Aisling Madigan all raised a single green flag each.

Picking from the city clubs as well as those which surround it and into South Kilkenny, Mercy Secondary School will know that if they can hit goals in this game, as they have in their previous two games that victory could be there for the taking in (Ballykelly) Monasterevin on Saturday afternoon.

There is an old saying when it comes to sport, that you have to loose one to win one. While the Mercy outfit will show many changes to the one which contested last years final, the panel made up of Niamh Crowley, Emily Wadding, Shonagh Croke, Katie Ryan, Emily Crowley, Shauna Fitzgerald, Lucy Bradley, Jane O’Connell, Cliodhna Murphy, Emma Fitzgerald, Aisling Madigan, Kathleen Croke, Evan Aylward, Ciara Jackman, Evelyn Hayes, Grace Blanchfield, Aisling Power, Sarah Hayes, Aoife Purcell, Jane McEnery, Ciara Phelan, Áine Phelan, Aoife Allen, Katie O’Brien, Caprice Carroll and Caoimhe Drohan will prove through.

 

This weekend’s Colleges details

All-Ireland Senior ‘C’ Hurling Semi Final – Saint Declan’s Kilmacthomas V St Louis Grammar School (Ballymena) in Ashbourne at 2pm on Saturday.

All-Ireland Senior ‘B’ Ladies Football Semi Final – Saint Augustine’s Abbeyside V Loreto Secondary School (Saint Michael’s) Navan in Crettyard on Saturday at 2pm.

All Ireland Junior ‘D’ Camogie Final – Our Lady’s Mercy Secondary School – Waterford V St. Mac Dara’s in (Ballykelly) Monasterevin, Co Kildare at 1pm on Saturday.