An absence of post-primary action has left students and teachers reinvigorated about the prospect of representing their schools.
The Clare Echo has come on board as the sponsor of a series of gaelic football post-primary competitions that will operate at senior, junior and U15 level. The county’s most read newspaper are to donate trophies for the competitions as well as sponsoring man of the match awards for the finals in each grade.
Kilrush Community School, Rice College, St Josephs Secondary School Spanish Point, Ennistymon CBS, St John Bosco Community College Kildysart, St Caimin’s Community School Shannon, St Michael’s Community College Kilmihil, Kilkee Community College, Ennistymon Vocational School, Mary Immaculate Lisdoonvarrna, Ennis Community College and St Patrick’s Comprehensive School Shannon are all partaking in the three competitions.
In a bid to further promote football in the county, a post-primary schools committee was put in place this year, it is chaired by St Josephs Spanish Point principal, Paul Reidy. He outlined that, “for the first time ever there’s a Clare Colleges A and B competition at U15, Junior and Senior level”. An A and B competition exists for the three grades, the split is six and six at Junior and U15 with four teams vying for the A at senior and eight in the B.
Brian Dillon of Ennistymon CBS, Rice College’s Denis O’Driscoll and Brian Conway from Mary Immaculate Lisdoonvarna are part of the committee alongside Paul. “We sat down and structured the competitions, did the draws and put a fixture schedule together for the 2021/22 school year. The initial round of fixtures began on the 11th of October, it was the first date, there will be games played every week until competitions are finished out. The Junior competition won’t start until the end of January or start of February,” he explained.
Interest had been waning due to tired structures, the Kilmihil man felt. “We’re so delighted as a committee for The Clare Echo to come on board, we’re delighted they have come on board and sponsored the competitions going forward and promote the fantastic standard of football that is played in post primary schools in Clare. You can see the priority post-primary is given in Cork and Kerry and how they use it to develop their footballers, that’s what we’re seeking to do in Clare by having more games at post primary level, more training and the promotion of that so students see the status at Clare and Munster level”.
A renewed appetite exists when it comes to lining out at school level, Reidy believed. “We’re hoping to hold the finals under lights at night so parents can attend. It is about bringing post-primary schools football to the forefront within the county, there’s more games involved, it gives students more opportunity to represent their school. Coming after two years of restrictions and no schools GAA last year, there’s huge enthusiasm in schools from teachers and students to get involved in GAA again and represent their schools, this is giving them a great opportunity”.
