All Ireland Schools Finals

All Ireland Schools Squash Final April 17th 2015

Some left home at 4 am. They loaded on to buses bleary eyed in the dark. They hadn’t slept anyway. They were excited, they were their Provincial Champions, and they were going to Dublin to try to bring back an All Ireland title for their school. The venue , ALSAA, a sports complex beside Dublin Airport convenient to all major routes to Ireland with four squash courts and great facilities.
A squash club is a very quiet place when not being used. Up in the balcony the organisers were busy preparing the schedules and game plans for the day. We heard them before we saw them. At almost 10 am they arrived. They must have jumped out of the buses with their rackets in their hands but we heard bags being dropped excited shouts and soon the familiar sounds of  squash balls hitting walls and white soled runners on wood.
22 teams arrived from all 4 Provinces representing Boys and Girls at u13, u15,u17 and u 19.
Each team consisted of 3 players, each one a Provincial title holder and each ready to play squash all day.
The matches started at 10 am and played right through to 5.30 pm running to a well organised schedule.
Teams were accompanied by mentors, some parents and teachers.
There were some surprises at the end of the long day but generally it was agreed that participating was just as important as winning.
22 teams competed. The schools involved were St Fintans NS, Sutton, Dublin St Fintans High School , Sutton, Dublin, Leugh NS, Thurles, Co Tipperary, CBS Secondary School, Thurles, Co Tipperary, Scoil Phadraig, Westport, Co Mayo, St Colmans Claremorris, Co Mayo, Rice College ,Westport Co Mayo, Methodist College Belfast, Regent House Newtownards, Santa Sabina Girls Secondary School, Sutton, Dublin, Ardscoil na Mara, Tramore, Co Waterford, Muire gan  Smal, Claremorris, Co Mayo, Ballyhaunis Community School, Ballinrobe Community School,and Strathearn College, Belfast.
At 6 pm the courts were quiet again but the following teams had taken the spoils.

Girls u 13 winner St Fintans NS, Grace Lavin,Katie Loughney, Ali Carton.
Runner up Muire gan Smal, Claremorris,Sarah Gannon, Leah Hunt, Ali Whelan.
Girls U15 winner Santa Sabina Sutton, Katherine Bolger, Kelly Byrne,Holly Lavin.
Runner up Are Scoil na Mara, Tramore.?Roisin Kirwan,Jordan Scholtz,Bronagh Coleman.
Girls u 17 winner Strathearn College, Victoria White, Emma McGugan,Alex Gillan.
Runner up Santa Sabina Sutton.Stephanie Ryan,Lauren Smith,Lara Jameson.
No Girls u 19 competition.
Boys u 13 winner St Fintans NS Alex Smith,Dylan Moran,Jake Creaven.
Runner up Scoil Phadraig, Westport.?Connor Calvin,Ray Walsh,Conor Bermingham.
Boys u 15 winner St Fintans High School,Conor Moran,Sam Buckley, Michael Creaven.
Runner up Methodist College Belfast.?Ronan Dravid,James Hunter, Ansh Pajuja.
Boys u 17 winner St Fintans High School, Oisin Dunne, Brian Collins,Frankie O Dea.
Runner up Regent House Newtownards.?Stephen Hearst,Scott McIlhane,Jon McCreedy
Boys u 19 winner Methodist College Belfast Thomas Abrahams,Ellie McVeigh,David Mitchell.
Runner up CBS Thurles Co Tipperary.Declan Rooney,Adam Webb,Conor O Gorman.-

Special thanks to Tommy Maher and his committee for all their hard work in organising this super tournament.