Ulster Colleges

[Minder]

They have been in it every now and then but not in a while.

They haven't been winning, or challenging , for mclarnon from what i have seen so it would be a step too far.

I thought they were in it a few years ago

[BennyHarp]

Anyone who holds a grudge against MacRory football, I would propose, is most likely falling over beneath the weight of the chips on their shoulders. A professional axe grinder looking here, there, anywhere for a target.

It's a truly wonderful competition. It means the absolute world to those involved in it. It provides a viable athletic aspiration for thousands of younger pupils; and for more than a few it is sole reason why they will work for and pass GCSEs. It creates warmth and nostalgia, and by sheer force of nature brings alumni closer to their old school, and old school friends.

If you begrudge the MacRory Cup, I would genuinely hate to spend a day inside your head. It must be horrible in there.

+1 I loved every minute of my time playing MacRory (even though we took a hefty beating from Maghera in my final year) and still love watching football at that level today. My school winning the competition for the first time ever when I was in first year is one of my favourite sporting memories and made me determined to play in the competition. Like Naka said, it was great for making friends for life not only from your own team but from other schools too. Friendships that continued into Uni and beyond. I'd say in the past few pages we can easily enough spot the lads who didn't make their MacRory panels.

Sure jeez Benny they still talk about how you made the MacRory panel years later!!

No doubt. I believe there's a plaque and everything in the new build. You're right though, its all down to bad management and bad coaching Walt - sure, you roasted lads who made the MacRory panel in a club game a few weeks later?

[ardchieftain]

MacRory football is fantastic, over 25 years since I left St Pats Armagh and I was fooking gutted when St Ronan's chinned us with a stoppage time goal in the semi. It was always serious stuff, I remember Br Ennis having us in training for the Rannafast  Cup in mid August before school was  back from Summer holidays.

I should know you Benny, seems you were at school the same time as me.

I played club and schools football from primary school onwards and thought i was fit enough. Mcrory training came as a shock, the fitness work was brutal but when i stuck at it i soon realised what fit was. My point is that colleges football can be the making of some lads.

[imtommygunn]

Yeah I didn't realise that. My mistake. More would be nice but seems half the south west goes to school in derry or armagh

[brokencrossbar1]

Have to say I loved schools football and can honestly say my only football regret is never winning a MacRory. We had the best team for 3-4 years when I was there and should have won at least one and a Hogan as well but we were outwitted by McGuckin!!!

[Orior]

Have to say I loved schools football and can honestly say my only football regret is never winning a MacRory. We had the best team for 3-4 years when I was there and should have won at least one and a Hogan as well but we were outwitted by McGuckin!!!

It must have been tough in St Colmans shadow.

(Not that I ever made the team, but then they didn't want players who were God's gift to women)

[brokencrossbar1]

Have to say I loved schools football and can honestly say my only football regret is never winning a MacRory. We had the best team for 3-4 years when I was there and should have won at least one and a Hogan as well but we were outwitted by McGuckin!!!

It must have been tough in St Colmans shadow.

(Not that I ever made the team, but then they didn't want players who were God's gift to women)

You were fucked in both cases then!!!

[Champion The Wonder Horse]

It's telling that those who speak most strongly in favour of the MacRory Cup are in their mid to late forties. They were playing football in a world where the Berlin Wall existed and the Internet didn't. I'm perfectly happy for anyone to examine my head, but the levels of preparation that the MacRory Cup have been taken to are massively beyond what should be educationally acceptable. Paddy Wallace alluded to the same thing in schools' rugby.

I'd ban her.

[bennydorano]

Is Brother Ennis still alive does anyone know? Always had plenty of time for him, lovely man.

[laceer]

Best football playing time of my life. As close to being a professional footballer as many of us will get. The bond between 30 or so lads spending all day Monday to Friday together, training together, socialising etc was something else.

[JimStynes]

Best football playing time of my life. As close to being a professional footballer as many of us will get. The bond between 30 or so lads spending all day Monday to Friday together, training together, socialising etc was something else.

Exactly!

[The Gs Man]

Best football playing time of my life. As close to being a professional footballer as many of us will get. The bond between 30 or so lads spending all day Monday to Friday together, training together, socialising etc was something else.

+1.  And when I see any of the former teammates it's still the same slagging, the same craic and the same chat about football.

[lurganblue]

Is Brother Ennis still alive does anyone know? Always had plenty of time for him, lovely man.

Was wondering this exact thing when Jimmy Smyth was presenting the cup on Monday there. A real character.

Playing MacRory and being a part of that squad was a fantastic time. In St Pats, that was the pinnacle, no other sports mattered (or didnt seem to anyway). It's also great to be able to look back at that time and consider how far in the game some for your team mates progressed. It's a nonsense to say that this competition didnt develop them as players. (I dont know what went wrong with me  )

[FermGael]

From a Fermanagh perspective, the McRory cup teams have been the lifeblood of our county teams I would say for the past 30 or 40 years.
Very few of the current Fermanagh panel would not have played for St Michael's.  It has also developed quite a few Trillick men as well.
Due to the set up that Peter McGinnity started and Dominic Corrigan currently has, Fermanagh have been producing players.  Without that standard of football, we would never be able to compete as a county where we have been.

[Owen Brannigan]

Is Brother Ennis still alive does anyone know? Always had plenty of time for him, lovely man.

Living in the CB community in Galway.