Ulster Colleges

[Walter Cronc]

Would it be fair to say that some schools offer lower sixth places to boys who offer great service on the football field, but clearly have little academic ability and shouldn't be there?

Sure why not? There are now schools in the MacRorwho offer places in all years to boys of little academic ability.

Out of interest. Would the following be correct?

Grammar Schools:
Abbey CBS
St Colmans
St Pats Dungannon
Omagh CBS
St Mary's Magherafelt
St Pats Armagh
St Michaels Enniskillen
St Michaels Lurgan

Non Grammar:
St Pats Maghera
St Paul's Bessbrook
St Ciarans Ballygawley

Not sure about St Pats Cavan and St MacCartans Monaghan.

[rodney trotter]

Stick it on here as its Ulster related, UUJ beat DIT tonight in DKIT, Ryan Cup Semi, 1-11 to 1-10 they meet UCD in the final next week.. UCD beat DCU 12pts to 9 last week.

[elk]

Would it be fair to say that some schools offer lower sixth places to boys who offer great service on the football field, but clearly have little academic ability and shouldn't be there?

Surely all grammar schools must have a minimum level of academic achievement they require before they would consider offering a  lad a place. Wouldn't be fair on the lad if he was being left behind in class because he isn't fit for the work. Or am I just being naive?

[bennydorano]

Was there not always something about a slight age difference between northern & southern colleges that handicapped the southern colleges? Was thinking that might have changed?

[Dougal Maguire]

Don't want to sound nasty but you're being naive Without wanting to sound disrespectful there is an ex St Colmans lad who entered the school in 6th form and who now allegedly has more Hogan Cup medals than he has O Levels

[Line Ball]

Today's round-up of Colleges' action taken from Ulster Colleges Website

November 29, 2013

Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup

There was a huge shock in yesterday's MacLarnon Cup play-offs with Our Lady's & St Patrick's Knock edging out last year's beaten finalists St Louis Kilkeel 4-4 to 1-11.

Nicholas Turkington's early penalty gave Knock a good start and they led by 3-2 to 1-6 at the break with further goals from Tom Grimley and James Guinness.

Aaron Darcy had converted a penalty for Kilkeel just before the break and he added a point on the re-start.

The crucial score of the game however was Knock's fourth goal from Ryan Murray 7 minutes after the break.  It halted the comeback and panicked St Louis into going for goals, when points during the remaining 23 minutes would probably have taken them home.

Holy Trinity Cookstown's secured their quarter-final spot with a 2-7 to 0-11 win over Our Lady's Castleblaney in Dunmoyle.

Cookstown used the breeze to build up a 2-4 to 0-4 interval lead, with goals from Gavin Goodfellow after 10 minutes and Macauley Quinn.

Quinn scored on the re-start, but Castleblaney hit five points in a row to narrow the deficit to just 2 points with 13 minutes left.  But points from Ryan Loughran and James Lowe and a fine save from Nathan Bell saw Holy Trinity through.

St Columb's Derry are also through to the MacLarnon quarter-finals after they defeated Our Lady's Castleblaney by 1-13 to 0-7.

The point-taking of Michael McCallion and Dean Curran was key to this game.  Both scored 4 points.

St Columb's led by 0-7 to 0-4 at the break and their goal came after 39 minutes when a high ball from Michael Kelly was fumbled into the net by the 'Blaney goalie.

The remaining play-off game is between Patrician High Carrickmacross and St Mary's Belfast at the start of the week.

The winner of that will join yesterday's winners and St Patrick's Downpatrick, St Malachy's Belfast, Coláistí Inis Eoghain and St Eunan's Letterkenny in the Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup draw next month.

The teams that have lost the play-offs – Our Lady's Castleblaney, St Patrick's Keady, St Louis Kilkeel and either Patrician High Carrickmacross or St Mary's Belfast – will join Rathmore Grammar, La Salle Belfast, St Louis Ballymena and St Pius X Magherafelt in the quarter-final draw for the Danske Bank O'Doherty Cup, a competition that also goes beyond Ulster into the All-Ireland series.



Danske Bank Corn na nÓg semi-final

St Patrick's Maghera 4-12 Omagh CBS 0-8

The second semi-final resulted in an emphatic win for competition favourites St Patrick's Maghera over Omagh CBS.

The toss probably decided the pattern if not the result of the match.  Maghera elected to play with the strong breeze and led by 4-9 to 0-1 at the turn-over, with Alex Doherty completing a hat-trick of goals close on the break.

Omagh did better with the breeze, but the gap was too wide to bridge, despite four fine points from Jarlath Murphy.

Doherty got two of the three points during the second half for Maghera to bring his personal tally to an impressive 3-3

St Patrick's : Alex Doherty 3-3, Ruairi Rafferty 1-0, Richie Mullan 0-5, Oisin McWilliams 0-3, Tiarnan McCusker 0-2.

Omagh CBS : Jarlath Murphy 0-4, Ciaran Brolly 0-2, Ross Slevin 0-1, Caolan Slevin 0-1.



Ulster Colleges' Camogie

Cross & Passion Ballycastle 3-11 St Killian's 3-4

The better team won this Corn Eimhear semi-final in Ballymena yesterday, but how Cross & Passion had to fight to reach the decider.

With 6 minutes left on the clock a goal from Mary Kane had reduced the Ballycastle lead to a single point, 2-8 to 3-4, and the momentum was with the Tower who had taken the game to CPC in the second half.

However a searching ball into the Tower defence wasn't cleared properly and Christine Laverty forced it home.

That was the score that sealed the game, and Ballycastle finished with points from Lisa McGuckin and Aisling Elliott to book their place against the winner of the second semi-final this (SATURDAY) morning in Cargin between holders St Mary's Magherafelt and St Patrick's Maghera.

Ballycastle got a great start with points from Caoimhe Wright (2) and Aine Donnelly in the first 4 minutes.  Caoimhe Wright added a goal in the 13th minute for a 1-4 to 0-1 lead.

St Killian's hit back with a goal from Siobhán McKillop but close to the break Aine Donnelly forced home a second goal from Cross & Passion and her team led 2-6 to 1-3 at the turnover.

Despite three quick points at the start of the second half, one for St Killian's Laoise McKenna and 2 for Aine Donnelly, scoring slowed up until Siobhan McKillop and Mary Kane claimed Tower goals quick on each other to make it a one-point game with just a few minutes remaining.

However St Killian's couldn't maintain the pressure and Cross & Passion closed out the game.

Cross & Passion Caoimhe Wright 1-5, Aine Donnelly 1-4, Christine Laverty 1-1, Aisling Elliott 0-1, Lisa McGuckin 0-1.

St Killian's : Siobhan McKillop 2-0, Mary Kane 1-0, Dervla Cosgrove 0-2, Laoise McKenna 0-1, Sinead Convery 0-1.

[Line Ball]

Don't want to sound nasty but you're being naive Without wanting to sound disrespectful there is an ex St Colmans lad who entered the school in 6th form and who now allegedly has more Hogan Cup medals than he has O Levels

Who???

[Orior]

Don't want to sound nasty but you're being naive Without wanting to sound disrespectful there is an ex St Colmans lad who entered the school in 6th form and who now allegedly has more Hogan Cup medals than he has O Levels

I was just checking if it happens in other schools. I came across a case where a number of pupils are getting taught on practically a one to one basis. This was a trade off for the school acquiring their gaelic skills. Not only is it wrong, but it detracts from the teaching that other pupils deserve.

[Line Ball]

Don't want to sound nasty but you're being naive Without wanting to sound disrespectful there is an ex St Colmans lad who entered the school in 6th form and who now allegedly has more Hogan Cup medals than he has O Levels

I was just checking if it happens in other schools. I came across a case where a number of pupils are getting taught on practically a one to one basis. This was a trade off for the school acquiring their gaelic skills. Not only is it wrong, but it detracts from the teaching that other pupils deserve.

I'll tell you a better one than that.  I heard a few years back about a certain Polytecnic University who were providing tuition for 'special' students who were in fear of not getting their A Levels. Interesting

[Line Ball]

Don't want to sound nasty but you're being naive Without wanting to sound disrespectful there is an ex St Colmans lad who entered the school in 6th form and who now allegedly has more Hogan Cup medals than he has O Levels

I was just checking if it happens in other schools. I came across a case where a number of pupils are getting taught on practically a one to one basis. This was a trade off for the school acquiring their gaelic skills. Not only is it wrong, but it detracts from the teaching that other pupils deserve.

Another interesting case.  Who was this?

[sam03/05]

There is no such thing as a Grammar school nowadays, the vast majority will take pupils at 11 who are getting c and below at the entrance / transfer test.
They have to fill the places simple as that.

[orangeman]

There is no such thing as a Grammar school nowadays, the vast majority will take pupils at 11 who are getting c and below at the entrance / transfer test.
They have to fill the places simple as that.

Bums on seats.

[Any craic]

Video: See all 3 goals for the SEM in tonight's Danske Bank McCormack Cup Final vs St Pat's Cavan in Emyvale http://www.ulstercollegesgaa.org

[johnneycool]

There is no such thing as a Grammar school nowadays, the vast majority will take pupils at 11 who are getting c and below at the entrance / transfer test.
They have to fill the places simple as that.

Bums on seats.

Correctamundo and always was if you'd a few quid to sweeten the deal.

[Any craic]

Maghera won the Derry derby this morning at Ballinascreen versus the Convent in the Corn na nOg Final. See the best two goals here http://www.ulstercollegesgaa.org