Jack Kelly of St Clares Comprehensive School, Leitrim, ahead of his team's Masita All-Ireland Post Primary Schools C Football Final with Ennistymon Community School, Clare, during the Masita All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Finals Captains Call at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile.
By John Harrington
When Leitrim and Cavan people have a successful team to support they come out in big numbers.
That’s why a huge crowd is expected to descend on Tuam this Saturday to get behind St Clare’s CS, Manorhamilton as they bid to win the Masita GAA Post Primary Schools Dr. Eamonn O'Sullivan Cup (All-Ireland Senior C Football) Final.
The school draws its players from the Glencar-Manorhamilton and Dromahair clubs in Leitrim and Shannon Gaels in Cavan, and their run to this Final has really captured the imagination of a large swathe of both counties even beyond those three clubs.
“Yeah, there is a massive buzz,” says St. Clare’s joint-manager, Adam McBarron. “I was looking at the trophy the last day and the last team to win the Connacht title was Ballinamore in 2014.
“The buzz around the ground after the Connacht Final and then coming back home was unbelievable. Bonfires lit, the whole community really got behind the boys and the welcome back was just amazing.
“The support that we've received over the course of the past two weeks has been massive.
“Other schools have been in contact wishing us well, managers of every county team set-up, everybody is supportive, there's such a buzz going at the minute in the county as a whole.
“Everybody is delighted for the lads and very proud of the lads to be competing on this national stage. It is great for Leitrim football to have them here.”
What’s seldom is wonderful. The last a Leitrim school won a post primary schools All-Ireland Final was in 2000 when Ballinamore won the Dr. Eamonn O'Sullivan Cup.
Did McBarron have an inkling they had this St. Clare’s CS team had the ability to make it this far and be within one game of emulating that achievement?
“To be completely honest, not really,” he says. “I think at the start of the year we just took each game as it came.
“We put together a bit of a run in the group and topped our group. Myself and the other teacher over the team, Shane Ward, came together and could see that we have the bones of a great team there so we thought why not and we put a lot of effort into preparing the lads as best we could for the Connacht semi-final and thankfully we got through by a point.
“After that we just took each game as it came and we're lucky now we've put it all together and made it to an All-Ireland Final.”
The St. Clare's Comprehensive School, Manorhamilton players celebrate after their Connacht Final success.
One of the reasons this St. Clare’s team has captured the imagination of the public is because they’ve played some brilliant football to get to this Final.
They had to dig really deep to overcome a very highly rated Gortnor Abbey (Mayo) team in the Connacht Final, and then produced a performance for the ages when they blitzed Leinster Champions Gaelcholáiste Reachrann, Donaghmede (Dublin) by 4-17 to 1-9 in the All-Ireland semi-final.
They played an exciting brand of attack-minded football that makes the most of the ability of forwards like Leitrim U20 star, Jack Kelly, Zach Gettins, and Jack Attard in attack.
Another stand-out talent in the team is powerful midfielder, Bailey McBride, who also plays for the Leitrim U20s, but the real strength of this St. Clare’s team is how cohesively they work as a team which makes them even greater than the sum of their parts.
“The big thing is the boys' workrate and their effort,” says McBarron. “They never let a game slip by then. They always keep going until the very end and keep their effort and energy levels high which has been the biggest thing.
“We've had a lot of tough games. We had two tough games in Connacht and never let our energy levels drop or any work-rate levels drop which is definitely a testament to them.
“They're keeping a great level of composure in tough moments which is great to see for such young lads.”
So, how would it feel for everyone involved with this St. Clare’s CS team if they could manage to beat Ennistymon CBS from Clare in Saturday’s Final and bring Post Primary Schools All-Ireland silverware back to Leitrim for the first time in 25 years?
“I don't know what the word to describe it would be,” says McBarron. “It would be unmatched the buzz and emotion that would be around.
“I know winning a county title was a momentous day for the school and community but bringing home an All-Ireland is just going to be a different level altogether.
“Hopefully we can approach it in the right day and get the result. We're happy with what we've got so far but at the same time you want to take the final step.
“We know the lads have it in them to bring that level of performance that can get us through that game. Hopefully if we can keep grounded and keep heads right and keep energy levels right we should be okay.”
Saturday, March 8
Masita GAA Post Primary Schools Dr. Eamonn O Sullivan Cup Senior C Football
Ennistymon CBS v St. Clare's Comprehensive, Manorhamilton, Tuam Stadium, 1pm.
