Ulster Colleges

[Line Ball]

Thats the way the Education system is supposed to work now that the Catholic Church has deemed Grammars obselete & all schools are to go down the non-selective route, you go to the school nearest you. Wether that'll ever happen is another question entirely. St Pat's Grammar in Armagh  is to go all-ability from September & it's hoped that they will act as a catalyst to spur other schools to follow.

Have to say this is the most childish thread i've read in a long time, full of nonsense.

Supposed to work? In theory yes but practice may be a different thing.  This would mean all kids in Crossmaglem, Mullaghbawn and Silverbridge going to St Joseph's Crosssmaglen.  Macrory champions 2020!!!

[Line Ball]

Just a few points.  I missed the Macrory final due to work and only managed to watch it back this eveing there.  Maghera were the better team and had a gameplan which bessbrook couldn't match.  Having read the thread, I don't know how people can't blame the tactics of Bessbrook as they continually 'gave' the ball to the Maghera sweeper allowing him and Carville to come on to them continually.  Madness!!!

The referee couldn't have done much more to keep St Pauls in it - maybe he fell for the 'poor us' card that Bessbrook have been playing all year.  They did come back strong in the end and could have snuck it with a few late chance but wouldn't have deserved it.

As for winning the Mac Cormick cup.  Fair play Bessbrook but nobody gives a toss about this meaningless competition.  Qualifying is all that matters out of the groups and not winning this.  How many Macrory winners have also won this over the last few years?

Just wondering if Bessbrook in the Macrory or slip back off to the MacLarnon again.  They have had a good first year but will need their VP doing his work to bring more lads into the school to study  do A Levels   Btecs.  I, for one, am sick, sore and tired hearing about the wonderful kids in St Pauls (and I am not getting at the actual kids here as they are just pawns in all this).  They are no different from the kids in any other school who strive to do their best in all that they do inside and outside the classroom but to hear/read individuals from St Pauls spout their dung you would think there is no other school who are like them or do what they do.  Catch a grip.  Maghera are a similar type of school and I never heard them mention this once.  I'm glad they won.

Think your making a bit of a meal out of nothing.
Firstly, though I am a supporter of St Pauls having had family that attended the school, I did say myself that rafferty had overplayed the card ' oh, our students are great, its not about the team, its about 1500 great kids, blah'. I said that because it became a bit tiresome after every interview this year.

However, I know for a fact it is a fantastic school, and wont listen to clowns making sneaky digs about 'BTECS'. The difference is St Pauls are surrounded by 2 excellent boys grammar schools and 2 excellent girls grammar schools, all a few miles away in Newry. Maghera near rivals would only be Marys in magherafelt, another top school. I don't only see one side, as I believe in both grammar and comp schools, but St Paul's do a fantastic job and it's great they have finally got their act together over the last 5 years in terms of their GAA potential.

Shouldn't even be mentioned about dropping out of McCrory, why would they? They stuffed most teams they played, and only lost final by a point. Sure they will lose top players but sure that happens every year in every school. A team should only be dropping out when it becomes obvious they cant compete

Fair enough point - I shouldn't have mentioned the Btec thing but its just that I know that there are so many lads who go to St Pauls because they can do a Btec in PE which is worth 3 A Levels and I don't believe there is any exam to do either - I'm not quite sure how this works. 

St Pauls do a great job for the Gaa in South Armagh but if a lad from Newry, Ballyholland, Saval, Mayobridge, Hilltown, Rostrevor etc wants to go there he cant.  They only let kids from South Armagh go there.  There would be an outcry if any of the four Grammar schools in Newry decided that they would only take kids from South Down.  Surely they can't be allowed to take only kids from Armagh?  Is it any wonder that we keep hearing about this Armagh thing.

For sure BTEC's are deemed easier in many ways. They don't have the stressful exams at the end but they contain a steady amount of constant coursework.

But for the selection of south down kids, it's nothing to do with St Paul's, they have to have a catchment area which are most a lot of the south armagh feeder primary schools. Thats how it works, warrenpoint on the other side of newry then caters for south down.

Bessbrook only SELECT kids from South Armagh.  They are as SELECTIVE as any grammar school. 

[bennydorano]

Bessbrook presumably are adhering to policy - in  answer to you asking why people from outside the area dont / cant go there, so they are not being 'selective' they are following Governmental & Catholic Church policy - policies that are being ignored by most Grammars.  Hopefully it will be the future, but then why would the  big Grammar schools sit there & watch their powerbases being taken from them.

[Line Ball]

Bessbrook presumably are adhering to policy - in  answer to you asking why people from outside the area dont / cant go there, so they are not being 'selective' they are following Governmental & Catholic Church policy - policies that are being ignored by most Grammars.  Hopefully it will be the future, but then why would the  big Grammar schools sit there & watch their powerbases being taken from them.

Take a wee chill pill there Benny - I feel your pain.  Obviously St Pauls are one of the few schools following the policy.  I take it then they don't have any kids from Culloville, Crossmaglen, Mullaghbawn or Silverbridge and outlaying areas then as these kids should all be going to St Joseph's Crossmaglen?

[bennydorano]

No idea,  i've no connections to the Bessbrook area, i dont know the  boundaries that  influence the school  selection process. Presumably you do??

[Line Ball]

Thats the way the Education system is supposed to work now that the Catholic Church has deemed Grammars obselete & all schools are to go down the non-selective route, you go to the school nearest you. Wether that'll ever happen is another question entirely. St Pat's Grammar in Armagh  is to go all-ability from September & it's hoped that they will act as a catalyst to spur other schools to follow.

Have to say this is the most childish thread i've read in a long time, full of nonsense.

No idea. Boundaries?  I would presume that kids from Culloville, Crossmaglen, Mullaghbawn should be going to St, Josephs Crossmaglen. You are the Armagh man and I presume you know more than me.

According to you, kids from the areas I have listed should be going to St Josephs.

[bennydorano]

All those areas bar Cullaville are as handy to St Pauls as to Cross & if within the same 'boundary' you're free to choose, just like a Newry nuck could choose between Abbey, Colmans or St Marys if they all adopted the all-ability ethos. There's a list of criteria on the DE website if you're interested.

[Line Ball]

All those areas bar Cullaville are as handy to St Pauls as to Cross & if within the same 'boundary' you're free to choose, just like a Newry nuck could choose between Abbey, Colmans or St Marys if they all adopted the all-ability ethos. There's a list of criteria on the DE website if you're interested.

So kids from Crosssmaglen can 'select'  to go to Bessbrook.  According to you they cant.

Now listen Benny, are you seriously telling me that Silverbridge and maybe Mullaghbawn are closer to Crossmaglen than Bessbrook.  Check your sat nav - I will be!

[ranch]

http://www.stpaulsbessbrook.org/pastoral/admissions-policy/

Here's their admissions policy, if any of you are really that bothered about who attends St. Paul's then read away at it.

[Dougal Maguire]

Fair play to you line ball Never let the facts get in the way of a good story. This is how it works Kids from Culloville Crossmaglen Silverbridge Mullaghban and part of Forkhill go to Cross. They aren't allowed to go to Bessbrook. Bessbrook can only take kids from its catchment area. In the same way that St Marks Warrenpoint couldn't take a kid from Newry When it comes to A levels or the equivalent kids from the areas I mentioned can opt to go to Bessbrook as the range of A level or equivalent courses available in Cross is limited. As I understand it kids wishing to go to Bessbrook to do A levels or equivalent must have the relevant results unlike for instance St Colmans or ithe Abbey who will accept good footballers for A level regardless of exam results.

[bennydorano]

All those areas bar Cullaville are as handy to St Pauls as to Cross & if within the same 'boundary' you're free to choose, just like a Newry nuck could choose between Abbey, Colmans or St Marys if they all adopted the all-ability ethos. There's a list of criteria on the DE website if you're interested.

It would certainly be interesting if a young fella passed over the Abbey or the College in favour of St. Mary's.

I'd say that encapsulates  the reasons that Comrade Boots & the boys hope to level the playing field & that kids are sent to their closest school (amongst equally resourced all-ability schools, where Grammars no longer exist). It'll never happen.

[Orchardman]

All those areas bar Cullaville are as handy to St Pauls as to Cross & if within the same 'boundary' you're free to choose, just like a Newry nuck could choose between Abbey, Colmans or St Marys if they all adopted the all-ability ethos. There's a list of criteria on the DE website if you're interested.

So kids from Crosssmaglen can 'select'  to go to Bessbrook.  According to you they cant.

Now listen Benny, are you seriously telling me that Silverbridge and maybe Mullaghbawn are closer to Crossmaglen than Bessbrook.  Check your sat nav - I will be!

what are you on about lineball, of course silverbridge  is much closer to cross, have you got a clue at all. Mullaghbawn would be closer to mid way between the schools

[Dougal Maguire]

Thats the way the Education system is supposed to work now that the Catholic Church has deemed Grammars obselete & all schools are to go down the non-selective route, you go to the school nearest you. Wether that'll ever happen is another question entirely. St Pat's Grammar in Armagh  is to go all-ability from September & it's hoped that they will act as a catalyst to spur other schools to follow.

Have to say this is the most childish thread i've read in a long time, full of nonsense.

Would I be right in thinking that less kids from Keady transfer to Armagh since Keady got its new school. If this is the case is it fair to assume that falling enrolment would also have been a factor in St Pats decision?  By the way I agree that there's a lot of uninformed nonsense being posted on this thread

[bennydorano]

I wouldn't know too much about it nowadays to be honest, but Keady would have had a big impact alrite i'd imagine. When i was at St Pats we'd bigger numbers from the Portadown & Lurgan areas.

[ranch]

All those areas bar Cullaville are as handy to St Pauls as to Cross & if within the same 'boundary' you're free to choose, just like a Newry nuck could choose between Abbey, Colmans or St Marys if they all adopted the all-ability ethos. There's a list of criteria on the DE website if you're interested.

It would certainly be interesting if a young fella passed over the Abbey or the College in favour of St. Mary's.

I'd say that encapsulates  the reasons that Comrade Boots & the boys hope to level the playing field & that kids are sent to their closest school (amongst equally resourced all-ability schools, where Grammars no longer exist). It'll never happen.

I think he was being sarcastic Benny as St. Mary's is an all girls school. The male equivalent in Newry would be St. Joseph's.