Meánscoil Mhuire gan Smál in Roscommon Town was the host school for the third annual post-primary schools one-wall handball blitz in March 2015. Like the Kilglass GAA venue of previous years, this proved a fantastic facility, with three full standard one-wall courts. A total of forty-eight games were held, involving eighteen boys and girls teams and over seventy players from five post-primary schools throughout the county. This event was targeted at 1st and 2nd year students who were new to handball. The titles up for grabs were the boys and girls perpetual cup (cup events) and the boys and girls plate events.
In the girl’s Cup, Scoil Mhuire Strokestown set the early benchmark with a 30-13 win over Elphin Community College, in the preliminary rounds. Watching in the wings were Meánscoil Mhuire gan Smál Roscommon, whose frontrunners were on the same side of the draw. As last year’s winners they had a bye to the quarter finals. Indeed, when the two sides met in the quarter final, after fifteen minutes of play the game had to go to a tie-breaker and Strokestown eventually came through as winners after an additional two minutes on a score-line of 34-31. On the other side of the draw, Meanscoil Mhuire gan small’s third team came through challenges from Abbey School (Boyle), Scoil Mhuire (Strokestown) and Elphin Community College to set up a thrilling final with the established favourites from Strokestown. After twenty minutes of play, the Scoil Mhuire Strokestown girls took the title from Meánscoil gan Smál Roscommon on a score line of 56-33. On the winning Strokestown team were Erin Fallon, Kathy Jones, Louise Murray and Louisa Brady. Scoil Mhuire’s players were coached by Ms Martina Finneran. The girl’s cup runners-up team from Meánscoil gan Smál was Ciara Farrell, Zara Hunt, Anna Finan and Aoibhe Kelly.
In the boy’s Cup event, with 2014 cup winners Roscommon Community College out for 2015, a chance at the title was wide open. The final was fought between Roscommon CBS and Scoil Mhuire, Strokestown. Roscommon CBS had seen off opposition from Elphin in the quarter final and Boyle in the semi-final on score lines of 29-9 and 20-17, respectively. They eventually got their name on the boy’s cup for the first year, defeating Strokestown 47-36. The winning team was: Gavin Morris, Rory Gacquin, Thomas Holian and Ryan Doorly and were under the stewardship of Ms Michelle Daly. The Strokestown runners-up team was: Dylan Cronin, Fiachra Leavy, Jack Cahill and Thomas O’Rourke.
In the girl’s Plate event there was some consolation for Meánscoil gan Smál Roscommon when they took the plate final against Abbey Community School Boyle on a score line of 45-20. Seeing as this Roscommon Convent team was the schools main contender in the Cup event, they were always going to be tough opposition in the plate competition. This winning team was Sheena Kilroe, Amy McNeil, Ella Killian and Mia Fallon and they were under the tutorage of Mr Sean Boland and Ms Fabienne Cooney. The Abbey Community College Boyle runners-up team was Cara McHugh, Aisling Donoghue, Grace Flanagan and Kate Harrington.
In the boy’s Plate event, Mr Barry Greany’s charges from Abbey Community College Boyle came through strong opposition from Roscommon CBS and Strokestown on winning score lines of 24-21 and 32-31, respectively. This was the tightest of margins for a final and resulted in rapturous applause from the school supporters. The winning team was Michael Zuk, Curtis Prior, Aaron Greene and Sean Carty. The plate runners-up team from Strokestown were: Aaron Dowd, Daniel Feerick, Allen Cox and Darragh McDonnell.
A special thanks must go to Meánscoil Mhuire gan Smál for hosting such an enjoyable event and particularly to Mr Sean Boland and Ms Fabienne Cooney for their support and expertise. A special thanks too to all referee’s and officials: Aengus Cunningham, Nigel Neilan, Mary Tully, Ann Naughton, Fiona Tully, Aoife Tully, Cathal O’Connor and Dylan Hanley. The support of all the post-primary school teachers from the respective schools is greatly appreciated by the Roscommon Handball County Board and their efforts in promoting and facilitating GAA Handball in greatly appreciated.
The Roscommon Handball County Board sponsored this event and provided refreshments and trophies for the third year running. Finally, a special thanks must go to all students for their participation and for their sense of fun and humour throughout the day. Go raibh mile maith agaibh.