Cup wait continues for Muredach’s boys
Conor Connolly of St Muredach's College holds off a tackle from Ben O’Connor of Sligo Grammar during the Connacht Schools Senior 'A' Boys Cup Semi-Final in Sligo. Pictures: INPHO/Tom O’Hanlon
Once referee Jamie Coyle blew his whistle to mark the start of a minute’s silence in memory of Cian Farrell and Pádraic Tuffy, the two former pupils who recently passed away as a result of a road accident in Ballina, the only sound that could be heard was the wind coming in off the Garavogue river, rustling in the trees that shelter the playing field at Sligo Grammar School.
Sligo Grammar School’s sense of respect and empathy was every bit as palpable as the keen sense of loss on the St Muredach’s side, but as soon as Conor Connolly delivered the opening kick-off, a tense coming together between Cathal Moffatt and Iarla Quinn made it clear that this was still knockout cup rugby.
St Muredach’s had made the short trip up the N59 to make history, bidding to become the first Mayo school to reach a Connacht Senior Cup final.
Unfortunately for them, Sligo Grammar School were every bit as ruthless during the game as they were respectful before it, and that upset was never on the cards.
It wasn’t that the Ballina school yielded so much as an inch, and for the opening 12 minutes the rugby was abrasive and absorbing. Iarla Quinn was the talisman, looking to make an impression, mentally and physically, with every carry and every tackle. The second row of Cian Fitzpatrick and Oisín Breslin were the fuel, the oil and the turbo in the Muredach’s engine all at once, Conor Connolly’s booming right boot had the potential to devour tracts of ground in one kick, and when the ball was released to players like Anthony Neary and Tom Ruane in the backs, they had the incisive edge to pick holes where there looked to be none.
St Muredach’s might not have given an inch, but Sligo Grammar School took all they needed anyway. They too had their talismanic figures on the pitch but perhaps more importantly, like a triumphant Ryder Cup team, their leaders held their own so that the gulf in quality across the rest of the side might shine through.
Alastair Hewson was outstanding in and out of possession, Ben O’Connor’s kicking was flawless with six goals from six attempts, the set piece was strong and consistent, and Andrew Ryan’s delivery was laser accurate and always whipped at speed to give runners every chance of breaking tackles.
St Muredach’s were honest and relentless in their defensive effort but they struggled to even slow down Sligo Grammar ball at the ruck, never mind win turnovers, and once second row Cian Fitzpatrick was yellow carded for what Jamie Coyle deemed to be a deliberate knock on, they started to creak.
Ben O’Connor kicked the penalty and three minutes later he hoisted a perfect cross-field kick that was fielded and finished by Logan O’Neill-Markey, with O’Connor adding the extras from the touchline.
Conor Connolly, one of a handful of survivors from this corresponding fixture in 2024, looked to go deep with the boot and exploit the tricky diagonal breeze. One 50:22 kick put Grammar right on the back foot, or it could have until Aron Martin claimed the lineout, Hewson and Ryan made 50 metres down the touchline, and the danger was cleared.
Ryan Burrows was on the scene too for that breakout, one of several occasions when the powerful second row looked to join the fun out in the back division, and that tactic bore fruit when after some outstanding offloading and quick hands created an overlap, he took a pass from Mark Bradley and touched down in the left corner.
O’Connor again slotted his kick from the sideline perfectly to make it 17-3 at the half-time break, while life was made even tougher for Muredach’s by a shoulder injury to all-action back-row Matthew Beale, and ongoing knee issues that were hampering their talismanic number eight, Iarla Quinn.
Quinn returned to the action to touch down a second-half try that was nothing only fair reward for relentless endeavour and honesty from St Muredach’s, but despite taking two yellow cards of their own in the second-half, Sligo Grammar continued to impress in every phase of play. Ben O’Connor added two tries to his outstanding day from the boot, one after a strong sidestep and another when he chased down his own kick over the top to just about get the ball grounded before it went dead, with Andrew Deegan also on the scoresheet.
They never lost sign of the basics either, with a clear upper-hand at scrum time, in the lineout, and in their ability to continue to generate quick clear outs and front foot possession for their dangerous strike runners.
For Sligo Grammar, it’s a win that sets up yet another Connacht Schools Senior Cup final tilt with Marist College of Athlone, who brushed aside Roscommon CBS 40-3 in the other semi-final. That will be played Wednesday (tomorrow) at the Dexcom Stadium, while St Muredach’s will have to wait at least one more year to make that famous breakthrough for themselves, and on behalf of schools rugby all across Mayo.
Sligo Grammar School: James McGettrick; Kelvin Kalu, Bobby Hanrahan, Andrew Deegan, Logan O’Neill-Markey; Ben O’Connor, Andrew Ryan; Cathal Moffatt, William Draper, Mark Bradley; Ryan Burrows, Owen McNamara; Aron Martin, Alastair Hewson, Ronan Mullan. Replacements: Seán Cashell and Matthew O’Grady (for McNamara and McGettrick ht), Sam Carnegie and Evan Barrett-O’Neill (for Bradley and Burrows 40), Arlo Holmes (for Moffatt 50), Darragh Moran (for Hewson 58), Moffatt (for Holmes 62), Arran Symmons (for Draper 64), Holmes (for Carnegie 65), Luke O’Connor (for Hanrahan 68).
St Muredach’s: Robert Young; Anthony Neary, Tom Ruane, Conor Connolly, Liam Sweeney; Eoin Golden, Jake Carr; John Langan, Cormac Kelly, Jamie Devers; Cian Fitzpatrick, Oisín Breslin; Matthew Beale, Conor Moore, Iarla Quinn. Replacements: Shane Dowd (for Beale 16), Donnacha McNamee Forde (for Quinn 32), Nathan Duffy (for Sweeney ht), Quinn (for McNamee Forde 40), Craig Ferguson (for Langan 50), Kai Kilbane, Matthew Munnelly, Cody Devane Gallagher, Donnacha McNamee Forde (for Carr, Duffy, Neary, Golden 67).
REF: Jamie Coyle
