Coláiste Iosagáin capture All Ireland Crown

  • Apr 11,2011


TESCO Senior “B” 2nd Level Colleges ALL IRELAND FINAL

Coláiste Iosagáin, Stillorgan, Dublin v Holy Rosary College, Mountbellew, Galway

The Loreto Clonmel v Carrickmacross Senior “C” Schools Final was a cracker which went to extra time. So the Senior “B” was slightly late at the throw-in, but when Tipp man, Richard O’Connor tossed the ball high into the Roscommon sky it was a battle for the ball from the get go.
 
It was knife edge stuff. Both Coláiste Íosagáin and Holy Rosary, Mountbellew had wides in the first minute. The ball was worked up and down the pitch continuously throughout the half. Martha Ní Bhroinn put the first score on the board for Íosagáin and this was answered by HRM’s Tessa Mullins who pointed a lovely free from about 25m out.

HRM scored a goal just half way through the half – it was looking like a point as the ball descended from a very great height. In fact it came as a surprise to the stand when the Green Flag was waved. But it put the Mountbellew girls ahead by a point. The game flowed up and down in similar vein for the rest of the half with Éabha Ruitléis putting the first Íosagáin goal into the net with 24 minutes on the clock. At the break it was 1-05 to each side.
 
Both schools play in Black and Yellow so the supporters could only be told apart by the chanting. It has to be said that although the game was barely over the Roscommon border, in neutral territory so to speak, we were not a thousand miles from Mountbellew. It is as the crow flies about a dozen mile or so to the hamlet of Johnstown where we were assembled for this great occasion.

And the support from Stillorgan was indeed louder and bolder than the Galway cheer. Even down to the human bumble bee waving and dancing about. For the record, Iosagáin wore the Leinster colours of Green and Holy Rosary had the Blue and White of Connaught.
 
The second half started like the first, a wide at each end in the opening passage of play. Then Niamh Ní Chiléan settled the Stillorgan nerves with a well executed goal just three minutes in. Niamh in the No.8 jersey had a great game. Another point pushed the Dubs still further ahead from the boot of Máire Ní Sheánáin a little later. We thought the gap was beginning to widen.

The Galway side were not done yet and hit their purple patch popping four points over in the next ten minutes to level the account again. Meanwhile, the Bellew defenders had got to grips with the Íosagáin attack and had shut the gate. The tallyman didn’t even record an attempt in this period. Alannah Ní Chuinn eventually unlocked the gate and pointed to put the Dubs ahead again just after three quarters of the game was played. Clar deSiún popped another over and was answered by Holy Rosary.

A one point game with the minutes ticking away. Could Íosagáin hold on? A long ball was lobbed across the park caught deftly by Máire Ní Sheánáin and Máire offloaded it to Clar who put the Stillorgan girls two ahead on the stroke of full time. But an earlier clash and a little delay for the Physio to do his thing meant that there was still a minute left.

Mountbellew didn’t give up and the ball was worked right into the danger zone ahead of Hannah Ní Fhionn in the Stillorgan goal. The defenders had their work cut out and the Galway side sent the ball low but wide.

The kick out was a routine exercise and the final whistle was blown. Coláiste Íosagáin had collected the first ever Senior “B” Cup in Dublin.


1: Hannah Ní Fhionn 2: Carragh Ruitléis [capt] 3: Katie Ní Dubhláin
4: Shannon Huggard 5: Rachel Ní Chuinneagáin 6: Sadhbh Ní Dhochartaigh
7: Elinor Ní Dhochartaigh 8: Niamh Ní Chiléan (1-01)
9: Martha Ní Bhroinn (0-01): Cathy Ní Neill
11: Alannah Ní Chuinn (0-03) 12: Clíona Mairtín 13: Clar deSiún (0-03)
14: Máire Ní Sheánáin (0-01) 15: Éabha Ruitléis  (1-00)
 
No substitutes used
Player of the match: Clar deSiún, Coláiste Iosagáin
Báinisteoirí: Ellen Pierce and Éamon O Ciagáin
Referee: Richard O’Connor [Tipperary]
Final Score: Coláiste Iosagáin 2-09 : Holy Rosary College, Mountbellew 1-10

Report courtesy Eugene Egan.

Pictures courtesy of Sportsfile.