Munster Schools League

04 Dec 2013

04 December 2013

What a day of Table Tennis! 52 teams... over 200 players... 10 divisions... almost 500 matches in one day! It must be a record for any table tennis event in Ireland!

Day One of the Munster Schools' League 2013-14 took place on 21st November in Leeside Table Tennis Club in the Sports Village in Cork.

Ben Haughton undertook the organisation of this massive event and the day went very well, finishing on time (although the third round matches had to be truncated to Best-of-Three to achieve this). There were very few complaints and almost no tears, and all the kids enjoyed the day, for many it was their first taste of table tennis competition. 

Thanks to all who helped in the set-up and in the clean-up at the end. The Sports Village proved capable of staging a big event, with 26 tables going without a break!

Day two will see them all be back in Leeside in February... watch this space for details!

Results

Division 1

1. Mixed Bag A

2. Presentation College A

3. Tralee CBS A

4. Colلiste Choilm A

Last year's winners from Colلiste Choilm were always going to struggle to retain their title without their anchorman, and that proved to be the case, they ended up propping up the top division, with surprise package "Mixed Bag" (Usaamah, Kerry, Zofia & Jack) leading after the first round of matches. Does Kerry never get tired of winning?!

Division 2

1. Schull Community College

2. Tralee CBS B

3. Colلiste Choilm B

4. Kinsale CC

With two champions from last week's Munster Ranking in the team, it was no surprise to see Schull CC leading with three wins out of three. Tralee's second string are next, just ahead of Colلiste Choilm B. The experience of James Barry and Conor O'Callaghan was not enough to lift Kinsale who managed just one draw.

Division 3

1. Tralee CBS C

2. Scoil Eoin A

3. Bandon Grammar A

4. Mixed Bag 2

Tralee's strength in depth was shown by the fact that their third team leads the third division, with comfortable wins in all three matches. Bandon Grammar played in the Premier Division last year, they were better suited to this level and seemed to enjoy every shot!

Division 4

1. Colلiste Choilm C

2. Bandon Grammar C

3. Rushbrook NS B

4. Bandon Grammar B

The exceptionally polite (!) young men and ladies' from Bandon were incredibly sporting in all the matches they played, a credit to their school! But neither of their two representatives in this group was good enough to topple Colلiste Choilm's third team. Great credit to Rushbrook, who were not intimidated by the difference in size between them and their opponents ("He's about ten feet tall", one of them said about one of the Grammarians!)

Division 5

1. Bandon Grammar D

1. Mercy Heights Skibbereen

3. Colلiste Choilm D

4. Rushbrooke NS B

At last, a win for Bandon! Well, almost, joint first with Mercy Skibb at the half-way stage of the tournament. Watch out for Amy, Aoibhinn, Caoimhe and Demelda in February lads, they're training several nights a week and have you firmly in their sights!

Division 6

1. Kerry Pike NS A

2. PBC B

2. Scoil Eoin B

4. Rushbrooke NS C

With all four players experienced at Munster Ranking level, indeed at least one potential interprovincial player, Kerry Pike A were going to be difficult to beat in this division. They could have competed a couple of levels up! They only dropped one point, and a draw between Scoil Eoin B and PBC B leaves those two rivals deadlocked in joint second.

Division 7

1. Gaelscoil Bheanntraي

2. Kinsale CC B

3. St. Finbarr's 

4. Lower Glanmire NS A

Three wins with only one set dropped left Micheلl, Labhaoise, Alisha and Dylan from Bantry in pole positon. 

Division 8

1. Ballinadee A

2. Kinsale CC

3. Schull CC

4. Colلiste Choilm E

No team was "pointless" after the first round, with all matches finishing on 4-2 scorelines except for the draw between Kinsale and Col. Choilm. Nothing to choose between them and all to play for in February!

Division 9

1. Kerry Pike NS B

1. Summercove A

3. Cloghroe A

4. Rushbrooke NS D

Honours even at the top, with a 3-3 draw between the top two and easy wins in their other matches.

Division 10

1. Lower Glanmire NS B

2. Rushbrooke NS E

3. Cloghroe B

4. Kinsale CC D

Glanmire's second team were unstoppable, only Kinsale managing more than one win against them. The others were much more closely matched.

Division 11

1. Cloghroe D

2. Ballinadee B

3. Summercove B

3. Cloghroe C

Cloghroe teams top and bottom here, and it was the "D" team rather than the "C's" that won all their matches. Well done to Rachel, Andrew, Scott and Joseph!

Division 12

1. Ballinadee C

2. Cloghroe E

2. Cloghroe F

4. Rushbrooke F

Another division win for Ballinadee, showing that not all the best table tennis in West Cork is down in Goleen! Neck-and-neck for the two Cloghroe teams for joint second place.

Division 13

1. Mixed Bag 3

2. Cloghroe H

3. Summercove C

4. Cloghroe H

Still more Cloghroe teams fighting for glory, but the last of the "mixed bags" was too good for them. D.J., Jessica, Claire and Eoin won two matches and drew one to lead the last of the thirteen divisions! Unlucky for some?

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.comments powered by

Return to News