Picture Credit: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Over the last week, the qualifying rounds of the SPAR FAI Schools 5 a side competition have been ongoing, with blitzes played in Castlerea, Lisnamult, Lecarrow, Skyvalley and Monksland.
All were vying for a place in the SPAR FAI Schools County Finals, which will be held in Lecarrow on Thursday March 30th.
It all kicked off in Castlerea on Tuesday March 14th, when the boys’ teams – Loughlynn, Aughrim, Granlahan, Threen, Cootehall, Gorthaganny and Brusna all competed for two spots, with Aughrim and Granlahan coming out on top. In the corresponding girls’ section, Woodbrook also joined the fray, with Threen and Brusna emerging victorious to play “another day”.
That “other day” funnily enough, took place the next day – Wednesday March 15th, again in Castlerea. This time the Boys’ competition was fought out between Cloonfad, Tarmon, Frenchpark, The Don, Ballinagare and Ballinameen, with the places in the Final going to Cloonfad and Tarmon. In the girls’ section, the Tarmon girls joined their male counterparts in the one available spot.
The third day’s games took place in Lecarrow, with Ballyleague, Runnamoate, Creggs, Ballymurray, Cloontuskert and Strokestown participating in the boys’ section, and Ballyleague, Ballymurray, Cloontuskert, and Creggs taking part in the girls’. A strong Strokestown joined last year’s boys’ champions in progressing, while the girls from Creggs also progressed.
A day later, Lisaniskey, Tulsk and Whitehall all competed in the boys section with multiple teams, with Whitehall and Lisaniskey winning through; while in the girls section, Scoil Bhríde joined in, and they progressed along with Tulsk, to Thursday 30th.
The final qualifying day in the “A” Competitions was held in Skyvalley. Teams from Curraghboy, Clonown, Brideswell, Tisrara, Ballyforan, Rahara, Ballintleva and Newtown all took part in the boys side of thhings, with Brideswell and Curraghboy making it through. In the girls section, both Tisrara and Brideswell got through completing the line-up for the finals.
In the “B” Cups, there were two days of qualifiers, one in Lecarrow and the other in Monksland. Lecarrow saw action between Rooskey, Roxboro, Abbeycartron, Scoil Bhríde and Boyle in the boys’ section, with Roxboro and Boyle progressing to the finals day. In the girls’ group, Roxboro won out against Abbeycarton and Rooskey.
In Monksland, teams from Cloonakilla, Cornafulla and Summerhill, all vied for supremacy, with Cornafulla A and B emerging victorious. In the girls’ section, St Mary’s from Strokestown progressed, along with Cornafulla girls.
Hopefully, the sun will shine on Lecarrow on Thursday March 30th so the teams who have made it through will get a chance to display their skills and abilities in their respective finals.
The SPAR FAI Schools Boys’ A cup begins at 10:15am, as does the Girls’ B Cup Final. The Boys’ B Cup starts at 11:30am, while the last competition of the day, the Girls’ A Cup Final, kicks off at 12:45pm.