Weather alert delays Colaiste an Spioraid Naoimh's return to Corn Ui Mhuiri action

COLAISTE an Spioraid Naoimh return to the Corn Ui Mhuiri (Munster Post-Primary Schools Senior Football Championship) for the first time since the 2011-12 season.

The Bishopstown school find themselves in Group 4 along with High School, Clonmel, Bandon’s Hamilton High School and city rivals Colaiste Chriost Ri.

Four other Cork sides are also in action. Clonakilty Community School take on Pobalscoil Rathmore in Group 1 while Skibbereen Community College and St Francis College, Rochestown, are in with Presentation Miltown and Pobalscoil Chorcha Dhuibhne respectively in Group 2.

Colaiste Choilm, Ballincollig, drew the short straw, pitted against three Kerry schools in Group 3, starting against the holders St Brendan’s with games against Mercy Mounthawk, Tralee, and Colaiste na Sceilge to come.

Rochestown began with an impressive 1-17 to 0-13 win over Dingle on Tuesday, Cork minors Bryan Hayes (Nemo Rangers) and Sean Coakley (Douglas) along with Harry Quilligan, also from minor champions Douglas, combining for 1-15.

Spioraid Naoimh are led Castlehaven goalkeeper Anthony Seymour, who is a past pupil with a Corn Ui Mhuiri medal to his name following the school’s historic success against St Brendan’s in 2005.

Another past pupil, Brian Coffey, and Sophie Long, who is a new teacher this year, form part of the management team.

“Brian is involved with Bishopstown while Sophie plays Ladies Football with Aghada and brings an added dimension regarding the importance of recovery sessions,” said Seymour.

Spioraid Naoimh’s last game in the province’s top-level football competition came in November 2011, when losing to then champions Criost Ri in the final group game.

Cork midfielder Ian Maguire was centre-back for Spioraid Naoimh back then, but the defeat ended their interest in the championship that season.

“We haven’t competed since. This is my sixth year teaching there now and I made a conscious effort to try and get football back to where it once was.

“The school had a good history until 2011, reaching five finals, winning it once. Times change with people moving out of the area, but you’d always be hoping for a good crop of players.

“We’ve also put more time and resources into it, winning a Munster U16 and a half B competition in 2018.

“Our plan was to enter the Corn Ui Mhuiri again, but Covid took over. Last year we won the same Munster championship and felt it was time to let them have a go off Corn Ui Mhuiri level.” 

There’s a wide spread of clubs represented in a team, which will be backboned by fifth years with a couple of fourth years pushing to start, too.

“We have a lot of the Bishopstown U17 team, which reached the semi-final this year as well as lads from Ballinora, Inniscarra, Eire Og, St Finbarr’s and Ballinhassig.” 

Spioraid Naoimh are led by James Byrne, an All-Ireland Cork minor hurling winner a couple of years ago, while Darragh O’Donovan won a Munster minor football medal this year. Gary Holland, Robert Quirke and Adam Laverty are other important figures.

“We have players who’ve played at adult level for their clubs in either football or hurling and that experience will be important for us.

“We have a huge squad, starting out the year with 50 committed to training and that’s down to 40 now.

“Preparation has been good with the lads buying into what the competition is all about. We called them together at the end of the last school year and they’ve been training away.” 

The top two teams in the four groups qualify for the quarter-finals. Last season, Skibbereen and the Hammies reached the semi-finals, where they lost to the eventual champions St Brendan’s and Tralee CBS.

Seymour expects a very competitive group. “The Hammies have been there or thereabouts in the knock-out stages in the last few years.

“I expect Clonmel will be a big physical team and we’re delighted to get our sister school, Colaiste Chriost Ri, which will be the last game.

“Hopefully, the two of us will have something to play for and give it an extra edge,” Seymour concluded.

Corn Ui Mhuiri: Group 1: Tralee CBS, Clonakilty Community College, St Flannan’s, Pobalscoil Rathmore.

Group 2: Skibbereen Community School, St Francis College, Rochestown, Presentation Miltown, Pobalscoil Chorcha Dhuibhne.

Group 3: Mercy Mounthawk, Tralee, St Brendan’s, Colaiste na Sceilge, Colaiste Choilm.

Group 4: High School Clonmel, Hamilton High School, Bandon, Colaiste an Spioraid Naoimh, Colaiste Chriost Ri.