On Saturday next in Castlebar our Tráth na gCeist team will attempt to win Mullingar Shamrocks’ sixth All-Ireland Scór title. It is a proud record for the club. Previous titles were won in 2006 when our Ballad Group won the Scór na nÓg title. A year later Mary Hughes won the Recitation category in Scór Sinsir and Katie McCarthy triumphed in the Solo Singing section in Scór na nÓg. In 2010 and 2015, two Novelty Act Scór Sinsir titles were added to the club’s roll of honour.

On Saturday, the Mullingar Shamrocks team of Davy Gavin, Ritchie and Conor McKenna and Tom Hunt will contest the All-Ireland Tráth na gCeist final for the third time. The competition begins with a 60 question table quiz of 18 GAA questions, 6 questions each on Irish Geography, Irish History, Irish Culture, World History and Geography, Irish Current Affairs, World Current Affairs and General Knowledge.

The top three teams (and ties) carry their scores forward and progress to the second round, which consists of 5 individual questions worth two marks for each team member.

The Mullingar Shamrocks team enter the final as outsiders but you’d never know the third time luck principle might kick in.

We wish the team the best of luck and likewise best wishes to The Downs GAA Club Grace Ni Dhomnaill and The Downs Set dancers who also represent Scór Iarmhí in the All-Ireland final.