Ulster Colleges

[illdecide]

Shane McConville's son Eoin from St Paul's. Saw him kick some of the finest points I'd ever seen in the Athletic Grounds in an U16 final a two years ago.

He kicked a belter today v Clans in Davitt Pk

[illdecide]

Is young Smyth any relation to Jimmy?

No...Def not. Oisin Smyth I think is from Sarsfields (Sáirséil)

[Mickey Linden]

Dynamic of ulster schools football has fairly changed. Was talking to a first year pupil at the match yesterday and they were saying there were 280 in their year. Ill be amazed if st ronans dont win at least 3 mccrorys in next 10 years. Not too many gaels from lurgan be getting buses to armagh newry or lismore to attend school

[ardchieftain]

Young Smith is Sarsfields. Watched him from the opposition dugout many times. The lad doesn't now how good he is.

[JimStynes]

Shane McConville's son Eoin from St Paul's. Saw him kick some of the finest points I'd ever seen in the Athletic Grounds in an U16 final a two years ago.

He kicked a belter today v Clans in Davitt Pk

Some strike alright! And then he got head butted!

[omochain]

Best striker of a ball I have ever seen was also a lad from Lurgan. Frank Toman. Was able to point 50's back in 1968 when he was 16 or 17.

[The Gs Man]

Is young Smyth any relation to Jimmy?

Nope, Oisin's da was a soccer man.  His uncle on his ma's side is Pat McGibbon, played a bit of GAA for Armagh minors, but then went to Man United, Wigan and a few other clubs.

Oisin is a great soccer player as well.  Plays with Dungannon Swifts.

[armaghniac]

Dynamic of ulster schools football has fairly changed. Was talking to a first year pupil at the match yesterday and they were saying there were 280 in their year. Ill be amazed if st ronans dont win at least 3 mccrorys in next 10 years. Not too many gaels from lurgan be getting buses to armagh newry or lismore to attend school

Half of whom are females, no doubt. So a boys school with 90 or 100 in one year might still be competitive.

[JimStynes]

Will the intake at Lower and Upper sixth really change that much though?

[tyroneman]

Will the intake at Lower and Upper sixth really change that much though?

Hard to tell really.

Of the 3 schools that amalgamated:

- 1 was all girl (so wouldn't factor into the MacRory team anyway)
- 1 (St Pauls) had no pupils at MacRory age - they all had to transfer after GCSE
- 1 was St Michaels, which would have had all the MacRory age pupils - including some transfers from St Pauls

So it wasn't like the St Ronans amalgamation suddenly meant that had a massive increase in MacRory age players to pick from.

Now with SR being all ability - you might well retain pupils who would have previously left St Pauls after GCSE and not gone to St Michaels, however you will also always have fellas who leave after GCSE anyway and mix in parents who want thier children to have a grammar education and will send them to Newry etc instead (which is already happening).

So, possibly a small increase in MacRory eligible players, but not as big as people might think.....

[JimStynes]

Will the intake at Lower and Upper sixth really change that much though?

Hard to tell really.

Of the 3 schools that amalgamated:

- 1 was all girl (so wouldn't factor into the MacRory team anyway)
- 1 (St Pauls) had no pupils at MacRory age - they all had to transfer after GCSE
- 1 was St Michaels, which would have had all the MacRory age pupils - including some transfers from St Pauls

So it wasn't like the St Ronans amalgamation suddenly meant that had a massive increase in MacRory age players to pick from.

Now with SR being all ability - you might well retain pupils who would have previously left St Pauls after GCSE and not gone to St Michaels, however you will also always have fellas who leave after GCSE anyway and mix in parents who want thier children to have a grammar education and will send them to Newry etc instead (which is already happening).

So, possibly a small increase in MacRory eligible players, but not as big as people might think.....

That's my thinking on it. The pick they have currently wouldn't been much different if it was still St. Michael's. The Armagh minors champs and Antrim minor finalists dominated the panel. Lismore pupils who are anyway serious about sport will head towards St Ronan's now though.

[Don Johnson]

Can admin change the thread title to 'Come and have a chat with Jim about St Ronans' please?

[JimStynes]

Can admin change the thread title to 'Come and have a chat with Jim about St Ronans' please?

Well we could talk about St Coleman's??? 

[Eamonnca1]

Can admin change the thread title to 'Come and have a chat with Jim about St Ronans' please?

Indeed. How dare he talk about the winners of the competition in the thread title a few days after they won.

[Owen Brannigan]

Dynamic of ulster schools football has fairly changed. Was talking to a first year pupil at the match yesterday and they were saying there were 280 in their year. Ill be amazed if st ronans dont win at least 3 mccrorys in next 10 years. Not too many gaels from lurgan be getting buses to armagh newry or lismore to attend school

Half of whom are females, no doubt. So a boys school with 90 or 100 in one year might still be competitive.

Two schools in Newry have over 100 in each year group and have not been exactly competitive in recent years.

Ulster Colleges football is being affected like the Sigerson was many years ago, when it was opened to all third level colleges, as it has been opened to all schools with the amalgamation/demise of the Vocational Schools.  Almost any school can progress up through the grades if it has sufficient numbers with the talent and drive to compete.  Two of the big and formerly Vocational schools, Holy Trinity in Cookstown and St Ciaran's Ballygawley are now making the move against the traditional colleges.  St Ronan's is another example of how a school not previously known as a top footballing school can make it to the top.