Ulster Colleges

[quit yo jibbajabba]

Any word on Maghera moving away from their model of accepting every good footballer in south Derry without the need for academic requirements, asking for a friend.

A big leg up must be said, shocking when there is a year group that they're not competing

now that's an embarrassing take.
If you would have limited this to 6th year, you might have been close but to include all year groups. wow

Id just like to second that lol
Some level of ignorance in that post 🤣

[jmcgdoire]

I think it would be a fair comment if there was any evidence of some young footballer from sw antrim getting in for 6th form and taking the spot of someone else with better grades. But has this ever been the case? If they have created an environment where more kids want to come to their school (even for non academic reasons) then they should be proud of that.

[quit yo jibbajabba]

The two tournaments St Pat's have won this year are before lower 6th though so yer mans gripe makes no sense

[Captain Obvious]

Terenure Dublin against Marist Athlone in a Leinster senior quarter final  yesterday

https://x.com/clubber/status/2001287685764264231/mediaviewer?currenttweet=2001287685764264231&currenttweetuser=clubber

And before that with the last play of the game in normal time a debatable two pointer was given to bring the game into extra time.

[Onthe40]

The two tournaments St Pat's have won this year are before lower 6th though so yer mans gripe makes no sense

its the same for Omagh lads, they've a 30-40% non academic entry path and pull from the whole of west tyrone
2 schools will dominate I feel for next while

[clonian]

The two tournaments St Pat's have won this year are before lower 6th though so yer mans gripe makes no sense

its the same for Omagh lads, they've a 30-40% non academic entry path and pull from the whole of west tyrone
2 schools will dominate I feel for next while

Those schools are getting a bigger catchment whereas St Colman's & the Abbey, and others too I'd guess, are losing players from areas that would have been strong in the 80s, 90s & 00s. St Ronan's, St Paul's, St Josephs Crossmaglen, St Marks and others are all taking kids from that old Newry grammar catchment area that their parents would have been in. I'm not saying that's a bad thing either, schools are there for education 1st and foremost and those other schools are all doing well for their pupils.

[Wildweasel74]

St Pats was never a grammar wchool. But there big catchment area means smaller schools in Kilrea,Dungiven keep getting less pupil numbers. There was 8 Dungiven men, 2 Banagher men and a Drumsurn man on the big MacRory panel last year. That takes away from Dungiven and trying to keep a school open long term up there. And yes i know people from N Derry always went to St Pats but they pass their local school to do it.

[Aaron Boone]

Most Omagh people will tell you that the CBS catchment area has also reduced e.g. no Errigal men, a tiny smattering of Carrickmore.

This is offset somewhat by Trillick kids going to Omagh now rather than Enniskillen. But it's an achievement that the school have remained competitive at Ulster level.

[marty34]

The two tournaments St Pat's have won this year are before lower 6th though so yer mans gripe makes no sense

its the same for Omagh lads, they've a 30-40% non academic entry path and pull from the whole of west tyrone
2 schools will dominate I feel for next while

Those schools are getting a bigger catchment whereas St Colman's & the Abbey, and others too I'd guess, are losing players from areas that would have been strong in the 80s, 90s & 00s. St Ronan's, St Paul's, St Josephs Crossmaglen, St Marks and others are all taking kids from that old Newry grammar catchment area that their parents would have been in. I'm not saying that's a bad thing either, schools are there for education 1st and foremost and those other schools are all doing well for their pupils.

What's the grammar schools in Newry/south Armagh area?

It's well saturated alright when you include St. Paul's Bessbrook.

I think the big issue, for all schools
now, is the lower number of pupils coming out of the primary achools. Just demographics in 2025 really.

In that, there's clearly a huge battle going on for secondary schools getting in their quota. More pupils equals more money I think.

No doubt, sport, in particular, definately plays a huge role in 'selling the school'.

[thebigfullforward]

Most Omagh people will tell you that the CBS catchment area has also reduced e.g. no Errigal men, a tiny smattering of Carrickmore.

This is offset somewhat by Trillick kids going to Omagh now rather than Enniskillen. But it's an achievement that the school have remained competitive at Ulster level.

How much clubs would they have? Omagh, trillick, loughmacrory, killyclogher, carrickmore, fintona, tattyreagh, eskra, beragh, Gortin, Glenelly? Guessing some Dromore ones also go there? Not too bad all the same

[trueblue1234]

Most Omagh people will tell you that the CBS catchment area has also reduced e.g. no Errigal men, a tiny smattering of Carrickmore.

This is offset somewhat by Trillick kids going to Omagh now rather than Enniskillen. But it's an achievement that the school have remained competitive at Ulster level.

How much clubs would they have? Omagh, trillick, loughmacrory, killyclogher, carrickmore, fintona, tattyreagh, eskra, beragh, Gortin, Glenelly? Guessing some Dromore ones also go there? Not too bad all the same

Drumquin, Drumragh, Castlederg, Newtown, some Greencastle. There's even fair few now travelling from outside the county from Tempo/ Irvinestown. It's a big area.

[nrico2006]

Most Omagh people will tell you that the CBS catchment area has also reduced e.g. no Errigal men, a tiny smattering of Carrickmore.

This is offset somewhat by Trillick kids going to Omagh now rather than Enniskillen. But it's an achievement that the school have remained competitive at Ulster level.

How much clubs would they have? Omagh, trillick, loughmacrory, killyclogher, carrickmore, fintona, tattyreagh, eskra, beragh, Gortin, Glenelly? Guessing some Dromore ones also go there? Not too bad all the same

Drumquin, Drumragh, Castlederg, Newtown, some Greencastle. There's even fair few now travelling from outside the county from Tempo/ Irvinestown. It's a big area.

They have had players from Strabane, Urney, Clan na Gael and Owen Roes before too.

[Armagh18]

The two tournaments St Pat's have won this year are before lower 6th though so yer mans gripe makes no sense

its the same for Omagh lads, they've a 30-40% non academic entry path and pull from the whole of west tyrone
2 schools will dominate I feel for next while

Those schools are getting a bigger catchment whereas St Colman's & the Abbey, and others too I'd guess, are losing players from areas that would have been strong in the 80s, 90s & 00s. St Ronan's, St Paul's, St Josephs Crossmaglen, St Marks and others are all taking kids from that old Newry grammar catchment area that their parents would have been in. I'm not saying that's a bad thing either, schools are there for education 1st and foremost and those other schools are all doing well for their pupils.

What's the grammar schools in Newry/south Armagh area?

It's well saturated alright when you include St. Paul's Bessbrook.

I think the big issue, for all schools
now, is the lower number of pupils coming out of the primary achools. Just demographics in 2025 really.

In that, there's clearly a huge battle going on for secondary schools getting in their quota. More pupils equals more money I think.

No doubt, sport, in particular, definately plays a huge role in 'selling the school'.

You've the Abbey and St Colmans the only 2 grammars in Newry plus St Pauls Bessbrook only out the road, then St Joes Cross, and further out St Ronans in Lurgan and St Patricks Keady

[clonian]

The two tournaments St Pat's have won this year are before lower 6th though so yer mans gripe makes no sense

its the same for Omagh lads, they've a 30-40% non academic entry path and pull from the whole of west tyrone
2 schools will dominate I feel for next while

Those schools are getting a bigger catchment whereas St Colman's & the Abbey, and others too I'd guess, are losing players from areas that would have been strong in the 80s, 90s & 00s. St Ronan's, St Paul's, St Josephs Crossmaglen, St Marks and others are all taking kids from that old Newry grammar catchment area that their parents would have been in. I'm not saying that's a bad thing either, schools are there for education 1st and foremost and those other schools are all doing well for their pupils.

What's the grammar schools in Newry/south Armagh area?

It's well saturated alright when you include St. Paul's Bessbrook.

I think the big issue, for all schools
now, is the lower number of pupils coming out of the primary achools. Just demographics in 2025 really.

In that, there's clearly a huge battle going on for secondary schools getting in their quota. More pupils equals more money I think.

No doubt, sport, in particular, definately plays a huge role in 'selling the school'.

You've the Abbey and St Colmans the only 2 grammars in Newry plus St Pauls Bessbrook only out the road, then St Joes Cross, and further out St Ronans in Lurgan and St Patricks Keady

In South Down you have St Marks Warrenpoint (who are competing at Rannafast level), St Malachy's Castlewellan, St Patricks Banbridge and St Josephs Newry. St Pats Downpatrick and St Louis Kilkeel cover their own areas now with non selective admission.

[Armagh18]

The two tournaments St Pat's have won this year are before lower 6th though so yer mans gripe makes no sense

its the same for Omagh lads, they've a 30-40% non academic entry path and pull from the whole of west tyrone
2 schools will dominate I feel for next while

Those schools are getting a bigger catchment whereas St Colman's & the Abbey, and others too I'd guess, are losing players from areas that would have been strong in the 80s, 90s & 00s. St Ronan's, St Paul's, St Josephs Crossmaglen, St Marks and others are all taking kids from that old Newry grammar catchment area that their parents would have been in. I'm not saying that's a bad thing either, schools are there for education 1st and foremost and those other schools are all doing well for their pupils.

What's the grammar schools in Newry/south Armagh area?

It's well saturated alright when you include St. Paul's Bessbrook.

I think the big issue, for all schools
now, is the lower number of pupils coming out of the primary achools. Just demographics in 2025 really.

In that, there's clearly a huge battle going on for secondary schools getting in their quota. More pupils equals more money I think.

No doubt, sport, in particular, definately plays a huge role in 'selling the school'.

You've the Abbey and St Colmans the only 2 grammars in Newry plus St Pauls Bessbrook only out the road, then St Joes Cross, and further out St Ronans in Lurgan and St Patricks Keady

In South Down you have St Marks Warrenpoint (who are competing at Rannafast level), St Malachy's Castlewellan, St Patricks Banbridge and St Josephs Newry. St Pats Downpatrick and St Louis Kilkeel cover their own areas now with non selective admission.

Don't think any of those are up much with the football but could be wrong. Do St Joes Newry have a-level classes?