Danske Bank Irish News Cup
December 03, 2024
More schools’ silverware is on the line with Moville CC and Scoil Mhuire, Buncrana meeting for the Irish News Cup
Danske Bank Irish News Cup final
Moville CC v Scoil Mhuire, Buncrana
THE Danske Bank Irish News Cup competition will finish as it began over two months ago with a head-to-head between two schools around half-an-hour’s drive apart on the Inishowen peninsula.
Scoill Mhuire won that high-scoring opening group game by 7-14 to 7-10 and then drew with Pobalscoil na Rosann.
That meant that the school that draws its players from just two clubs – Bun an Phobail and Naomh Pádraig – had a quarter-final against Breifne College, Cavan that they won fairly handily.
They were also impressive against another south Ulster side, Coláiste Oiriall from Monaghan, in the semi-final, bringing their goal tally to 20 over the four games.
They have a couple of lads who have featured in Donegal development panels, Cillian Lynch and Bobby Lee, while defenders Jamie Cavanagh, Kian Doherty and Martin McColgan in defence and the impressive Oisín O’Hare, along with Mark Falkner and Senan Doyle, are others who have stood out in a campaign that has been gathering pace in every game.
Scoil Mhuire had that poor start and even lost their next game to Pobalscoil na Rosann; at one stage they were 16 points down, but clawed it back to a five-point defeat.
However, they put all that behind them when they reached the knock-out stages with a comfortable win against St Mogue’s, Bawnboy followed by a seven-point semi-final win over Pobalscoil na Rosann.
Key players through the competition have been Oisin O’Callaghan, Peter Bradley, Andrew McLaughlin and Danny Friel – but the last couple of results have been achieved more by the collective, than by individual heroics.
Both teams play a strong running game and this final could well be a shoot-out on a par with that first-round meeting.
Moville will be slight favourites, but Scoil Mhuire have already overturned a defeat at the group stages.
By Séamas McAleenan published in The Irish News December 03, 2024