Scoil Mhuire aim for All-Ireland glory

Two Munster sides are in action in the Kate Russell All-Ireland Schoolgirls Hockey finals today and tomorrow.

Scoil Mhuire, Cork, and Crescent College, Limerick, will head to Armagh for the two-day tournament.

Both schools can travel in confident form as Crescent are the current title holders and know what winning this tournament is all about.

Scoil Mhuire, for their part, recently won both the Munster Schoolgirls Cup final and the league title, defeating Crescent in both finals.

Dave Egner has been head of hockey at Scoil Mhuire for several years and knows all about this tournament.

“This is our second time in four years being there, and we hosted it in 2023. I think there are maybe a few people on the panel that are still there now, two or three are there,” said Egner.

“So, for most of them, it’s a new experience. Since we took part in the Kate Russell in 2023, we’ve had the Daphne Hall competition in 2024 and 2025, and most of the players would have played in those competitions, which are like an expanded second-tier competition.

“They have had national exposure, which is good for them. And in the autumn of both years, we went to pre-season tournaments, so they have been exposed to different playing styles in different regions, which is great for them.”

Commentating on the expanded format of the competition, Egner added: “This year, for the first time, there will be a final. The Irish Schools Committee were hoping to try and expand the tournament a bit more to make it into 16 like the boys, but because of the time of the year, it was just not possible, especially for Leaving Certs.”

Egner’s side can travel in confident form after their double success in Munster, but he also knows that won’t count for much for this competition.

“I said to the players that we can be confident going to the tournament, but there’s a difference between being cocky and being confident.

“We’re going in on the back of two good wins in the league final away to Crescent and the cup final at a neutral venue. It’s a positive experience being the Munster double champions, which is the first time in the school’s history for that.

“The Kate Russell would be an awesome achievement to get at the end of it, but just to get there is the first step, and then I know a lot of the girls, if they came away with a medal, they’d be delighted, but we’ll give it our best in the day and we’ll see what happens. I think the girls have the potential that they can medal, so we just want to see what goes on.”

FIXTURES

TODAY

Scoil Mhuire v Colaiste Iognaid, 11am; Crescent College v Loreto Kilkenny, 9am; RSA v Crescent College, 2.15pm; Banbridge Academy v Scoil Mhuire, 3.45pm; RSA v Holy Child Killiney, 9.30am; Banbridge Academy v Wesley College, 11am; Holy Child Killiney v Loreto Kilkenny, 2.15pm; Wesley College v Colaiste Iognaid, 3.45pm.

TOMORROW

Holy Child Killiney v Crescent College, 9.30am; Wesley College v Scoil Mhuire, 11am; RSA v Loreto Kilkenny, 9.30am; Banbridge Academy v Colaiste Iognaid, 11am. Kate Russell final at 3.45pm and Daphne Hall final at 2.15pm.