Best of Luck, Boys
On Saturday, we are proud of the fact that Mullingar Shamrocks again have eleven panellists involved as Coláiste Mhuire Mullingar attempt to make more history by defending the Leinster Schools 'A' football title. It’s a measure of the progress we have made in our under-age structures over the recent past and is the product of hard work and good coaching by all involved. As recently as 2019, we were celebrating the winning of the Under-16 C county title after Ollie MacNamara scored 3-8 of the 3-13 we scored in that final. We were defeated in the Minor B final the same year.
As we look forward to next Saturday’s final it is interesting to look back to the previous final encounter between St Mary’s College and the Marist College, Athlone. The final was played in Kinnegad on 26 March 1983 and the Marist College were appearing in their first Leinster final.
Mullingar Shamrocks had an incredible NINE players on the St Mary’s team captained by Seán Hynes. Stephen Fagan, Richard McKenna, Michael Conlon, Niall Devine, Tom Ormsby, Brendan Conlon, Mark Kelly, Michael O’Reilly also played in the historic final. Ritchie O’Donoghue managed St Mary’s with Seán Cleary and Frank Dillon also lending their expertise with the ‘Killer’ Eamonn Byrne looking after the muscle strains.
After defeating St Aidan’s in a mid-week replay, St Mary’s were playing their third game of the week but had sufficient in reserve to triumph on a 1-5 to 0-5 scoeline. Sean Hynes scored ‘a superbly engineered and brilliantly executed goal’ and added a point, Brendan Conlon kicked three points and Patrick Doherty pointed to complete the scoring. St Mary’s won the title for the first time and joined St Finian’s and the Carmelite College, Moate in the Leinster title champions’ list. Liam Moran, Ken Daly and Joe Boyce were other representatives from Shamrocks on the panel.
St Mary’s were beaten in the All-Ireland semi-final played on 17 April 1983 in Cloughjordan, County Tipperary by the once famous GAA stronghold, Coláiste Chríost Rí.
Mullingar Shamrocks recognised the historic achievement by treating the team to dinner and a disco in the Greville Arms Hotel on the evening of the All-Ireland semi-final.
We didn’t know it then but the Shamrocks contingent involved in the final were a special group of players who helped establish Mullingar Shamrocks as a major power in Westmeath football. Many won county Minor medals in the 1982, 1983 and 1985 finals. Brendan Conlon emigrated to the USA before the great days began but his colleagues in the final were centrally involved over the next decade or longer winning at least 40 county senior medals between them with Tom Ormsby and Michael O’Reilly winning their eighth county senior medal in 2000 against Tyrrellspass with Tom as captain.
Forty-two years later, Mullingar Shamrocks had five starters as Coláiste Mhuire Mullingar defeated Ardscoil na Trionóide 3-10 to 1-13 after extra time in the 2025 final. All four subs introduced were Mullingar Shamrocks players. Adam Buckley, Ty Masterson, Ben Sheerin, Ben McNamee, Donnacha Maguire, Adam Glynn, Conor Heffernan, Paul Keating, Rory McCaul, James Murtagh and Criostóir Ormsby became the proud owners of Leinster Senior Schools Championship medals.
On Saturday, Adam Buckley, Ben Sheerin, Ty Masterson, Criostóir Ormsby, Paul Keating, James Murtagh and Rory McCaul will attempt to add a second Leinster medal to their collection and will be joined by Killian Mooney, Ronan Byrne, Hugo Corroon and James Flynn who will be attempting to add a new medal to their collection.
If these lads emulate the club achievements of their predecessors of 43 years ago we are in for some very exciting times over the next decade or so.
We wish Adam, Ben, Ty, Criostóir, Paul, James, Rory, Killian, Ronan, Hugo and James, the management team of Dean McNicholas, Matthew Kearney and Brian Murtagh and all those involved the best of luck on Saturday.
Don’t let the Br Bosco Cup leave Mullingar.
On Saturday, we are proud of the fact that Mullingar Shamrocks again have eleven panellists involved as Coláiste Mhuire Mullingar attempt to make more history by defending the Leinster Schools 'A' football title. It’s a measure of the progress we have made in our under-age structures over the recent past and is the product of hard work and good coaching by all involved. As recently as 2019, we were celebrating the winning of the Under-16 C county title after Ollie MacNamara scored 3-8 of the 3-13 we scored in that final. We were defeated in the Minor B final the same year.
As we look forward to next Saturday’s final it is interesting to look back to the previous final encounter between St Mary’s College and the Marist College, Athlone. The final was played in Kinnegad on 26 March 1983 and the Marist College were appearing in their first Leinster final.
Mullingar Shamrocks had an incredible NINE players on the St Mary’s team captained by Seán Hynes. Stephen Fagan, Richard McKenna, Michael Conlon, Niall Devine, Tom Ormsby, Brendan Conlon, Mark Kelly, Michael O’Reilly also played in the historic final. Ritchie O’Donoghue managed St Mary’s with Seán Cleary and Frank Dillon also lending their expertise with the ‘Killer’ Eamonn Byrne looking after the muscle strains.
After defeating St Aidan’s in a mid-week replay, St Mary’s were playing their third game of the week but had sufficient in reserve to triumph on a 1-5 to 0-5 scoeline. Sean Hynes scored ‘a superbly engineered and brilliantly executed goal’ and added a point, Brendan Conlon kicked three points and Patrick Doherty pointed to complete the scoring. St Mary’s won the title for the first time and joined St Finian’s and the Carmelite College, Moate in the Leinster title champions’ list. Liam Moran, Ken Daly and Joe Boyce were other representatives from Shamrocks on the panel.
St Mary’s were beaten in the All-Ireland semi-final played on 17 April 1983 in Cloughjordan, County Tipperary by the once famous GAA stronghold, Coláiste Chríost Rí.
Mullingar Shamrocks recognised the historic achievement by treating the team to dinner and a disco in the Greville Arms Hotel on the evening of the All-Ireland semi-final.
We didn’t know it then but the Shamrocks contingent involved in the final were a special group of players who helped establish Mullingar Shamrocks as a major power in Westmeath football. Many won county Minor medals in the 1982, 1983 and 1985 finals. Brendan Conlon emigrated to the USA before the great days began but his colleagues in the final were centrally involved over the next decade or longer winning at least 40 county senior medals between them with Tom Ormsby and Michael O’Reilly winning their eighth county senior medal in 2000 against Tyrrellspass with Tom as captain.
Forty-two years later, Mullingar Shamrocks had five starters as Coláiste Mhuire Mullingar defeated Ardscoil na Trionóide 3-10 to 1-13 after extra time in the 2025 final. All four subs introduced were Mullingar Shamrocks players. Adam Buckley, Ty Masterson, Ben Sheerin, Ben McNamee, Donnacha Maguire, Adam Glynn, Conor Heffernan, Paul Keating, Rory McCaul, James Murtagh and Criostóir Ormsby became the proud owners of Leinster Senior Schools Championship medals.
On Saturday, Adam Buckley, Ben Sheerin, Ty Masterson, Criostóir Ormsby, Paul Keating, James Murtagh and Rory McCaul will attempt to add a second Leinster medal to their collection and will be joined by Killian Mooney, Ronan Byrne, Hugo Corroon and James Flynn who will be attempting to add a new medal to their collection.
If these lads emulate the club achievements of their predecessors of 43 years ago we are in for some very exciting times over the next decade or so.
We wish Adam, Ben, Ty, Criostóir, Paul, James, Rory, Killian, Ronan, Hugo and James, the management team of Dean McNicholas, Matthew Kearney and Brian Murtagh and all those involved the best of luck on Saturday.
Don’t let the Br Bosco Cup leave Mullingar.
