Ulster Colleges

[DuffleKing]

Makes sense.

Odd plating them both at the same time though. Space will be at a premium

[theticklemister]

McLarnon and Macrory finals scheduled for Athletic Grounds on 18 March starting at 1.15

Joking aside Dougal; is that true?

It was put down for Celtic Park this year. They must have lost it.

[Dougal Maguire]

I read it last night on the St Paul's Facebook site

[Walter Cronc]

McLarnon and Macrory finals scheduled for Athletic Grounds on 18 March starting at 1.15

Joking aside Dougal; is that true?

It was put down for Celtic Park this year. They must have lost it.

Yeah I remember reading in a Derry report that it was to be in Celtic Park. With the GAA congress and AI Feile being held in the county I think it would be a great idea to have the Colleges finals there. In saying that if it is Colmans/St Pauls it makes sense to have it in the Athletic grounds. Thats some going from Bessbrook to come from Vocational to Colleges in a few short years. Is this just a special group (like Kilkeel) or is the tide turning in south Armagh where lads who previously went to Colmans/Abbey are now heading to St Pauls??

[Any craic]

The game last night was a seriously high standard. See these scores from the first-half - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlvyG9RE_qY&feature=youtu.be

[DuffleKing]

What has changed is that in the last number of years incoming principal Oliver Mooney (Cullaville) put sport and football in particular at the level of focus that it should be for a school of that size and demographic.

Inexplicably, until recent developments with staff and coaching priorities football was largely ignored. You can imagine the sort of playing resources that would always have been available to a school which the overwhelming majority of males in s armagh would have attended. That the only school teams taken semi seriously for decades were soccer teams was such a waste. There is an extensive list of future armagh greats who went thru st pauls but many woukdnt even have seen a GAA jersey in their time.

Now they have started to harness that talent they will have the same potential as a school like maghera on an ongoing basis.

Traditionally any decent s armagh footballer who could get in would have travelled to colmans or abbey but if st pauls are starting to be seen on a footballing par with those schools that may begin to change

[Walter Cronc]

How many attend the school? Always like to see co-ed schools doing well. The all boys schools have a major advantage! Colmans and Abbey wont like these 'noisy neighbours'... If only Maghera had the coaching resources available to St Pauls 

[DuffleKing]

Rafferty and O'Rourke seem to have done a hell of a job and not just at MacRory level if stories are to be believed. Also last night there seemed to be any numbet of other fellas around the team at different stages - other teachers I presume

[Feckitt]

Does anyone know if St Josephs secondary in Newry play Gaelic Football, are are they all wasted to soccer like St Paul's teams of the past?

[5 Sams]

Rafferty and O'Rourke seem to have done a hell of a job and not just at MacRory level if stories are to be believed. Also last night there seemed to be any numbet of other fellas around the team at different stages - other teachers I presume

You'd imagine Jarlath would some sort of influence on football matters in the school as well. It would be crazy not to have him involved at some level.

[ziggy90]

I watched some of that game last night (very one sided first half), what was the final score? I also didn't realise these games were so well attended, 2000 plus?

[snoopdog]

What has changed is that in the last number of years incoming principal Oliver Mooney (Cullaville) put sport and football in particular at the level of focus that it should be for a school of that size and demographic.

Inexplicably, until recent developments with staff and coaching priorities football was largely ignored. You can imagine the sort of playing resources that would always have been available to a school which the overwhelming majority of males in s armagh would have attended. That the only school teams taken semi seriously for decades were soccer teams was such a waste. There is an extensive list of future armagh greats who went thru st pauls but many woukdnt even have seen a GAA jersey in their time.

Now they have started to harness that talent they will have the same potential as a school like maghera on an ongoing basis.

Traditionally any decent s armagh footballer who could get in would have travelled to colmans or abbey but if st pauls are starting to be seen on a footballing par with those schools that may begin to change

I would assume the 11 plus or whatever replaces it would be the reason why pupils go to one rather than the other. St Pauls isnt a grammer unlike St Colmans and the Abbey. I doubt parents would send their child to  st Pauls over the other 2 for footballing reasons if they get the 11 plus. After all st colmans are by far the most successfuly college in footballing terms in Ulster.

[Bearly on loose]

I would assume the 11 plus or whatever replaces it would be the reason why pupils go to one rather than the other. St Pauls isnt a grammer unlike St Colmans and the Abbey. I doubt parents would send their child to  st Pauls over the other 2 for footballing reasons if they get the 11 plus. After all st colmans are by far the most successfuly college in footballing terms in Ulster.


If not the most successful at teaching their pupils spelling and grammar it seems!! 

[yellowcard]

Was very impressed with St Pauls last night, they have been the most impressive team all season and show no signs of letting up. The only game they have even looked like losing all season was the McCormack cup final to Maghera which they won with a last minute goal. If they play St Colmans in the final they will have no fear of them after comprehensively beating them in the group stages. Individually I also believe they have superior players to St Colmans. Maghera could well be the only stumbling block. I believe that Maghera are the team they fear most and they were arguably the better team in the McCormack final even though they lost.

Should the final be against St Colmans then surely Newry would be the venue since the 2 schools are about a mile apart and I would see no point in taking them to Armagh.

I think St Pauls will be playing McRory football a lot longer than Kilkeel, they may even surpass St Colmans and Abbey long term. They have the catchment area of about half of South Armagh and I'd say any budding footballers from the region that may have previously went to the Abbey or St Colmans may well consider St Pauls since they have put a huge focus on gaelic football in the last few years. That said, this is a group of very good footballers and they will not be as strong every year. Rafferty has them playing fairly defensive football and they are very hard to break down but they do break out at speed with a lot of runners from midfield as well. 

[DuffleKing]

What has changed is that in the last number of years incoming principal Oliver Mooney (Cullaville) put sport and football in particular at the level of focus that it should be for a school of that size and demographic.

Inexplicably, until recent developments with staff and coaching priorities football was largely ignored. You can imagine the sort of playing resources that would always have been available to a school which the overwhelming majority of males in s armagh would have attended. That the only school teams taken semi seriously for decades were soccer teams was such a waste. There is an extensive list of future armagh greats who went thru st pauls but many woukdnt even have seen a GAA jersey in their time.

Now they have started to harness that talent they will have the same potential as a school like maghera on an ongoing basis.

Traditionally any decent s armagh footballer who could get in would have travelled to colmans or abbey but if st pauls are starting to be seen on a footballing par with those schools that may begin to change

I would assume the 11 plus or whatever replaces it would be the reason why pupils go to one rather than the other. St Pauls isnt a grammer unlike St Colmans and the Abbey. I doubt parents would send their child to  st Pauls over the other 2 for footballing reasons if they get the 11 plus. After all st colmans are by far the most successfuly college in footballing terms in Ulster.

You don't really get the football dynamic in s armagh if you believe that because many post primary school decisions are more than a little coloured by the perceived football development capacity of the school. It is not very difficult to get into St Colman's academically.