Carrigaline Community School U19 footballers claim Munster success 

Carrigaline Community School celebrated another great achievement recently on the playing field.

After the U17 footballers captured Munster glory at the start of January, a number of weeks later, the U19 side did the same as years of hard work is now paying off.

The development of skill, commitment and attitude year on year has been testament to the buy-in from the group. It can be hard to gel a school team together, but this hasn’t been an issue for Carrigaline Community School.

The U19 panel has a nice mix of players from the three local clubs of Carrigaline, Ballygarvan and Shamrocks.

The management group consists of Paudie O’Donovan from Carbery Rangers and Shane O’Sullivan from Fossa. They have been a major factor in the success of this team. The standards and expectations they have set for the players has been huge.

Carrigaline Community School had to win five matches to lift the trophy at this C grade. First up was an all-Cork derby against Presentation Brothers College. 

The eventual winners won 3-15 to 3-7 setting up a clash with another Cork side, Pobalscoil na Tríonóide. Carrigaline Community School came from behind to win on a scoreline of 2-17 to 2-13.

The quarter-final pitted them against Tarbert Comprehensive School of Kerry. Carrigaline Community School would have been slight underdogs, but won by the bare minimum, 2-12 to 2-11.

St Augustine’s College of Dungarvan were next up for the Carrigdhoun outfit and a strong opening 30 minutes laid the platform for a 5-10 to 4-11 success for Carrigaline Community School.

The final would be against Scoil na Tríonóide Naofa of Doon. The Limerick team would have experience of playing Harty hurling, so they were very well coached.

It looked like they would prevail until Cork minor footballer Eoghan Ahern landed a two-pointer in the dying embers to win the title for Carrigaline Community School on a scoreline of 3-14 to 3-13.

Special mention to forward Luke Jordan who scored 2-4 in that decider.

To have a successful school team, everyone needs to be on the same page and that has been the case for Carrigaline Community School reflecting in two Munster titles in this current campaign.

Carrigaline Community School U19 football panel: Eoghan Ahern (Carrigaline), Ryan Barrett (Ballygarvan), William Barry (Carrigaline), James Bryan (Carrigaline), Jack Connolly (Carrigaline), Eddie Crowley (Carrigaline), Liam Crowley (Ballygarvan), Mark Doyle (Carrigaline), Calum Gregson (Carrigaline), David Herlihy (Shamrocks, captain), Donal Herlihy (Shamrocks), Isaac Horan (Carrigaline), Luke Jordan (Carrigaline), Jack Keane (Carrigaline), Cathal Lynch (Carrigaline), Cian Lynch (Shamrocks), Ollie Lynch (Carrigaline), Liam Mackey (Ballygarvan), Ronan Murphy (Carrigaline), Alex O’Brien (Shamrocks), Oliver O’Brien (Shamrocks), Finn O’Donnell (Ballygarvan), Owen O’Donovan (Carrigaline), Neil O’Keeffe (Carrigaline), Barry O’Mahony (Shamrocks), Seamus O’Mahony (Ballygarvan), Shane O’Meara (Carrigaline), Evan O’Sullivan (Carrigaline), Sam Tivy (Carrigaline), Sean Turner (Carrigaline), Jack Whelton (Shamrocks).