S

Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra, Rathmore, senior girls football captain Sarah Murphy and junior captain Sinead Warren and team manager Conni Vaughan with Munster and All-Ireland cups won by the school.
PICTURE: EAMONN KEOGH
 

 
A ROLLERCOASTER would be the best way to describe the last three months in Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra in Rathmore. The senior and junior girls football teams both won Munster finals and then went on to win All-Ireland semi-finals. “To reach two all-Ireland finals seemed hard to believe!” said a spokesperson for the school. Coaching both teams were Conni Vaughan and Kevin Coughlan.
In addition, in February, football coach Conni Vaughan, managing to juggle football training with her own training, was selected to represent Ireland in the European Taekwondo Championships in Budapest. Here she won a bronze medal in individual sparring (65kg), a silver medal for team sparring, and a gold medal for team patterns.
The senior final came first and despite a great second-half comeback from Rathmore, Gallan Community School proved too strong and came away with the win on the day.
The under-16 All-Ireland final was played five days after the senior final giving little time for recovery for players who were involved with both teams. Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra hit six first-half goals on their way to victory over Mercy SS Ballymahon in the U16 All-Ireland Final. The player-of-the-match in both the junior Munster final and the All-Ireland final was Ava Looney.
Not to be outdone by their footballing counterparts, the under-19 girls basketball team qualified for the All-Ireland qualifiers held in Naas during January. Indeed many of these girls were also members of the senior girls football team. The team qualified for the southwest finals where they defeated a much-fancied Crescent College Comprehensive from Limerick. Following this victory, Rathmore hosted the All-Ireland qualifiers in early January. Rathmore defeated both St Mary’s from Mallow and Loreto, St Stephen’s Green. On reaching the All-Ireland quarter-finals, Rathmore won their first game against DLS Bagnelstown but lost out to a stronger team in St Mary’s from Naas by a narrow margin. Coaching this team were Mike McGillicuddy and John Hurley.