Double All-Ireland victories for Colaiste Pobail Setanta Cross & Passion Kilcullen and Castlerea

THERE’S NOT too many players from either Colaiste Pobail Setanta, Cross & Passion Kilcullen or Castlerea who will forget 2017 in a hurry, as all three schools drove home to their second All-Ireland title in as many months with wins in their respective All Ireland Schools League finals today at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght.

Colaiste Pobail Setanta got proceedings underway in style this morning with a 57-43 point win over Pipers Hill Naas to crown off an incredible year of basketball for the school. Sammi Fajana was the star of the show for the Dublin side, dishing up an incredible MVP performance that saw him net 26 points altogether and a number of assists in what was a text book showcase of skill and flair (full report attached).

Cross & Passion Kilcullen were up next, and made no mistake in winning out by 11 points against a spirited Scoil Mhuire of Cork to be crowned League champions just a few shorts weeks after winning the SUBWAY All Ireland Schools Under 16 B Girls Cup. The story of the game though is not just the journey that this team has been on under the watchful eye of Eoin Wheeler, but indeed, the commitment, skill and flair that they showcased once more that saw them in control from the second quarter, with the biggest talking point the performances of Miah Ryan and Gillian Wheeler (report attached).

Colaiste na Coiribe of Galway meanwhile went some way today to erasing the heartbreak of their SUBWAY All Ireland Schools Under 16 C Boys Cup final a few weeks ago, where they lost out at the death by just one point against St Vincent’s Castleknock. They did not hesitate today though, storming home to a memorable 50-42 point victory over St Mary’s College, Dundalk with Oisin س Gormaile the shining star of a fantastic display (full report attached).

Last up for today, it was Castlerea CS facing St Catherine’s Killybegs in the Under 16 C Girls League final and Castlerea won out in emphatic manner, adding a bonus to their Cup final win back in January, overcoming Killybegs 40-30. An MVP display from Lisa O’Rourke was the difference between the sides and ensured a memorable victory in the end (full report attached).