Ulster Colleges

[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.

[Eamonnca1]

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.

Not sure if I'd describe St Ronan's as a school not previously known for football. Its predecessor, St Michael's, had a strong football tradition and won the MacLarnon Cup 4 times.

[macdanger2]

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

Just watched the highlights on TG4, he scored some lovely points

[The Gs Man]

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.

Not sure if I'd describe St Ronan's as a school not previously known for football. Its predecessor, St Michael's, had a strong football tradition and won the MacLarnon Cup 4 times.

And our very own JimStynes captained them to one.....

[JimStynes]

A lifetime ago now!
And St Michael's won more than 4 maclarnon's.

[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.

Not sure if I'd describe St Ronan's as a school not previously known for football. Its predecessor, St Michael's, had a strong football tradition and won the MacLarnon Cup 4 times.

Even Greenpark CBS won the MacLarnon Cup.  There is a major step up to win a MacRory and Hogan and St Ronan's made the leap when the conditions were right and the talent became available with great work in the local clubs.

[bennydorano]

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.

Not sure if I'd describe St Ronan's as a school not previously known for football. Its predecessor, St Michael's, had a strong football tradition and won the MacLarnon Cup 4 times.

Even Greenpark CBS won the MacLarnon Cup.  There is a major step up to win a MacRory and Hogan and St Ronan's made the leap when the conditions were right and the talent became available with great work in the local clubs.

That Greenpark CBS (Or Armagh CBS) team were unlucky to get chinned by eventual winners St Mary's CBS in the Mac Rory semi the next year.

[Kickham csc]

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.

You can add Bessbrook & Castlewellan to that, and to a lesser extent Virginia College in Cavan though they've yet to make an "A" grade breakthrough as far as I know. Ballygawley have a knack of being able to punch well above their weight on a consistent basis - it's very much a "rural" school with a student demographic that is pretty much all "rural" where except those living in Ballygawley all students travel then on board buses, it has a roll number of around 700-750, being co-ed around half of that will be girls and being a non-selective school, a significant amount of their students that do their GCSE's in Year 12 won't stay on to Year 13 there. At a rough guess they have probably around 35-40 boys or so each in Years 13 & 14 which is small compared to the more seasoned MacRory Cup competitors. In saying that I see at lower age levels this year they've been competing at "C" level so maybe the recent pupil intake there isn't as strong in terms of football ability that it has been recently.

Was the past MacRory Cup the first one in a very long time where there was no Donegal school taking part? St. Eunan's were playing in MacLaron this year instead while a lot of other post-primary Donegal schools were playing in the Markey Cup as well (mental note - I think St. Eunan's were also playing in the MacLaron cup a few years ago as well? If so that would answer my own question!). I think every other Ulster county had at least one school competing in the MacRory this year. I'd say in due course with the changes not only in schools GAA competition in Ulster but also within the "northern six" with regards to school closures/amalgamations, post-16 provisions etc. things will become interesting. Had the schools competitions been as one say 20-30 years ago, a few FE colleges in the north might have been able to give the MacLaron or even occasionally the MacRory a decent lash - unlikely that'll happen in the near future though.

Some would consider Maghera the first to make the jump, and if you ready the recent MacRory Cup history book that was launched a couple of years ago, the Ulster Council weren't too welcoming to Maghera