Ulster Colleges

[Godsown]

Has Carlow and Leitrim not smaller picks

Smaller populations but more playing.

feck all DUP in Carlow and very few in Leitrim.

Carlow may have a smaller pick but they do have the biggest p***k

[Seany]

Pardon my possible ignorance on this, but is there not a SIgerson-like cynicism beginning to creep into schools football?  A few of the Armagh lads were originally at the Academy, but 'left after GCSE' to go to St. Pat's.  This seems to be a well worn path for good players who suddenly want to pursue a post 16 pathway that only the Armagh school can provide.  ALso - St. Michael's - do they not just Hoover up all the decent players form all the Fermanagh schools around it who don't offer A Level?  Don't think the Newry schools do it, hence their lack of success in recent years.  But I could be wrong. 

[manfromdelmonte]

Has Carlow and Leitrim not smaller picks

Smaller populations but more playing.

feck all DUP in Carlow and very few in Leitrim.

Leitrim as a county is split in two
its the only county that you have to leave to get into the other half

[yellowcard]

Abbey have a long history of under achieving due to negative coaching, McGuckin and Morgan used to laugh at them running up a mountain for 2 months solid without the sight of a ball. They had some seriously good teams but it was always about physical fitness and not skills development with them.

[FermGael]

Pardon my possible ignorance on this, but is there not a SIgerson-like cynicism beginning to creep into schools football?  A few of the Armagh lads were originally at the Academy, but 'left after GCSE' to go to St. Pat's.  This seems to be a well worn path for good players who suddenly want to pursue a post 16 pathway that only the Armagh school can provide.  ALso - St. Michael's - do they not just Hoover up all the decent players form all the Fermanagh schools around it who don't offer A Level?  Don't think the Newry schools do it, hence their lack of success in recent years.  But I could be wrong.

Every school in the McRory competition is doing that.
Due to their sizes they can offer more subject choice at A level.
Some of the smaller secondary schools can't offer A levels or the A levels the pupils want due to their small staff size.
Has been happening for years

[thewobbler]

It's always been that way. Maghera has always carried a reputation of being half tech, half grammar school.

When you're pondering why the Newry schools aren't as successful, the reality is you're pondering why St Colman's aren't as successful. The Abbey might be pure dung to watch right now, but in truth apart from one abberition in 2006, this decade's MacRory performances and finishes are par for the course

The College are now drawing from a smaller pool. The rise of St Paul's and the Lurgan schools has put a limiter on some of the most productive supply lines. The closure of the boarding school also closed the door on half a dozen plus of "distance players" each year. It's unlikely we will every see continued periods of  success for Violet Hill, unless the school actively adopts a policy of  pursuing talented Abbey-bound 10 years old.

[omaghjoe]

Pardon my possible ignorance on this, but is there not a SIgerson-like cynicism beginning to creep into schools football?  A few of the Armagh lads were originally at the Academy, but 'left after GCSE' to go to St. Pat's.  This seems to be a well worn path for good players who suddenly want to pursue a post 16 pathway that only the Armagh school can provide.  ALso - St. Michael's - do they not just Hoover up all the decent players form all the Fermanagh schools around it who don't offer A Level?  Don't think the Newry schools do it, hence their lack of success in recent years.  But I could be wrong.

Wouldnt blame decent Aramgh footballer for leaving the Academy. I know one fella who was an Armagh minor but sat on the bench for the Academy MacRory team, also think it was the same story with Brendan Donaghy but could stand corrected

[trailer]

Pardon my possible ignorance on this, but is there not a SIgerson-like cynicism beginning to creep into schools football?  A few of the Armagh lads were originally at the Academy, but 'left after GCSE' to go to St. Pat's.  This seems to be a well worn path for good players who suddenly want to pursue a post 16 pathway that only the Armagh school can provide.  ALso - St. Michael's - do they not just Hoover up all the decent players form all the Fermanagh schools around it who don't offer A Level?  Don't think the Newry schools do it, hence their lack of success in recent years.  But I could be wrong.

Wouldnt blame decent Aramgh footballer for leaving the Academy. I know one fella who was an Armagh minor but sat on the bench for the Academy MacRory team, also think it was the same story with Brendan Donaghy but could stand corrected

Yeah Academy not great a developing footballers. Sean Cavanagh left them for example. McRory's they've won has been in spite of the management rather than because of them.

[Targetman]

Until very recently, there was little post-16 provisions in schools in Fermanagh outside of Enniskillen. Even today I think the only school in the county outside of Enniskillen offering anything beyond GCSEs is St. Kevin's in Lisnaskea, and that's only a relatively new school formed by the merger of St. Eugene's Roslea & St. Comghall's Lisnaskea and is based on the old St. Comghall's site - and it's still a relatively small school for student numbers. St Aidan's Derrylin & St. Mary's Brollagh don't have anything post-16 and I don't think St. Mary's Irvinestown have a six form at present either. Outside of the Catholic schools system, all post-primary schools are based in Enniskillen as well. Most students living in the county go to school or FE college in it - very few if any in the Catholic sector attend schools in Tyrone though the most likely would be those around Lack, Kesh & Ederney where Omagh is nearly as close as Enniskillen - though when I was at St. John's Dromore there was an Irvinestown girl in my class and I know a couple of boys from Brookeborough who went to St. Ciaran's Ballygawley. In the controlled sector some attend Fivemiletown High School. The Further Education sector is a little different as some courses may not be available at SWC's Enniskillen campus but are at Omagh or even Dungannon. In my younger years there was very little provision for those wanting to do/study engineering in the old Fermanagh College so anyone in the county interested in such a route after GCSEs going towards third-level either did A-Levels in Enniskillen or went to do BTEC National/Level 3 in Omagh - that changed a few years ago and Enniskillen now offers a much broader engineering pathway for post-GCSE students.

How long has Kilcoo's Conor Laverty been coaching the Mac Rory panel?

[BennyHarp]

@DanskeBank_UK  D'Alton Cup Results
@inis_col 11-4 @AcademyDgn 9-11

@stronanssport 7-14 @st_colmans 5-10

Just noticed these results from yesterday. You'd think someone would coach some defensive tactics in these schools ffs.  Maybe the world hasn't fallen in completely on schools football just yet and there's still some enjoyment to be had for the players. Pity nobody had their camera phones out to capture the 32 goals scored over the two games and post them all over social media.

[The Gs Man]

My young lad played in that St. Ronan's game.

The week before they beat Maghera 7.10 to 5.14 with a last minute goal to win it.  No sweepers, man on man and all out attack from both sides.  The young lad has came home from school ecstatic after both games.

Incidentally, that match last week directly preceded the 0.2 - 01 game with the Abbey.

[Wildweasel74]

At that age group the goalkeeper barely touch the bar. Plenty of goals always scored at that age group

[rory]

I see the U16.5 All Ireland Final involving St Colmans is down to be played at the National GAA Centre in Abbotstown.  Never been there but a quick search shows that there isn't much of a stand at it (maybe only 200 seats) and no banking around the pitch.  I know the game might only draw 6 or 700 people, but it seems like a strange venue.  Spectators will be stretched out around the fence and it won't have the atmosphere you would associate with a colleges game.

[tiempo]

I see the U16.5 All Ireland Final involving St Colmans is down to be played at the National GAA Centre in Abbotstown.  Never been there but a quick search shows that there isn't much of a stand at it (maybe only 200 seats) and no banking around the pitch.  I know the game might only draw 6 or 700 people, but it seems like a strange venue.  Spectators will be stretched out around the fence and it won't have the atmosphere you would associate with a colleges game.

Aye but central coffers will get a boost. Priorities lad.

[banker]

I see the U16.5 All Ireland Final involving St Colmans is down to be played at the National GAA Centre in Abbotstown.  Never been there but a quick search shows that there isn't much of a stand at it (maybe only 200 seats) and no banking around the pitch.  I know the game might only draw 6 or 700 people, but it seems like a strange venue.  Spectators will be stretched out around the fence and it won't have the atmosphere you would associate with a colleges game.

Hogan Cup semi-final was played there last year. Pretty sure it will work ok