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I was talking to a few of the schools team and there's a confidence there. They were disgusted that they didn't beat Kieran's in the league. For a change, they're taking it serious this year. There was an apathy built up for the last 5-10 years. We have to start somewhere. Sunday is as good a place as any.

You'd hope the league would blow away the fear at least. That's still the biggest barrier for our underage sides as far as I can see.

Any idea how many of that Cistercian side are Offaly? That was a fine display from them last week.

Not sure how many of the Cistercian side are Offaly. Very few, I'd say. Good win for St. Rynagh's C.C. in the Vocational Schools semi y'day.

Good week for the school hurling teams. St Rynagh's CC beat St. Fergal's Rathdowney in the semi-final of the Voc. Schools. LSU Banagher beat Ballyfin the the Leinster Colleges "B" quarter. To cap it off, my old alma mater beat a much fancied Castlecomer C.S. in the Leinster Colleges "A" quarter.

Should be a good bit of craic now at that "Local Derby" semi final. You'd have to fancy Birr based on results so far, but local games have a tendency to change things a little.

One way or another you'd say only Birr would have a chance of taking Kieran's in the final.

I'd love to be on here talking up Gallen's chances in the Leinster VS final as well, but to be honest I'm struggling to believe. The co-existing with rugby is killing them, and Aidan Egan getting injured is a huge loss, the main casualty. Plus much and all as Matthew Boland might believe he's the natural successor to Trevor Phelan, he ain't.

Are we playing Roscrea in the semi? I see that Gallen got hammered in the junior last week. 5-11 to 11 points. I agree with you re. the rugby. Very hard to have 2 masters.

Ye are indeed - I read something about Kieran's meeting good Counsel next, so using my savage powers of deduction....

The younger brother was playing in that junior match - they never had a chance. The lads playing with the senior were training, but the ones not at that level hadn't been since Christmas. They had only one competitive match before that, and had barely done anything together as a group. To top it all off the Transition year musical was on Mon-Thurs that week, including several of them in leading roles - needless to say most of them "celebrated" their stunning performance before travelling to Carlow to play an away match the next day. Ideal preperation it wasn't.

The unfortunate thing about the rugby is that they're going to end up completely falling between the two stools. They play Sligo GS - away - in the semi now, and to be honest will really struggle. Their backs were carrying two transition year wingers as it was, and now there'll be another with Aidan Egan gone out of the centre. The pack will compete, but barring Aidan Wynne can run the game completely with his kicks and just use Gilligan for crash ball, they're very short on other weapons.

Yea, good to see the 3 hurling schools making progress. Hope it continues and the best of luck to them all.
After all, the team of the '90's originated with the success of Birr and Banagher tech. This is where we have to start from again. There should be the makings of a reasonable minor team this year, who should be well coached by Johnny D.
I suppose Banagher tech suffered in the late '80's and '90's because of the increasing number of boys attending the LSU. Now the LSU have a good team on their own and were disappointed to lose out to Roscrea last year. A Leinster colleges win would cap a marvellous progression in the fifteen years or so since first fielding a team in the good old West Midlands league. Is that competition now defunct?
The forthcoming merger of both LSU and the Tech should result in a fine hurling team.

The forthcoming merger of both LSU and the Tech should result in a fine hurling team.

You would hope, but I don't know if they have the numbers in those schools really. They have a good vintage at the moment, and would make a fine amalgamation, but you're still expecting them to compete against much bigger enrolments in Colleges A.

It's the complete stalling in population growth in the vicinity that I can see killing them.

I know the WML in football doesn't exist anymore from what I know - but Banagher ceased to be able to play football, the two Ferbane schools merged, which only left Clara. If I recall rightly Kilcormac didn't enter it. I couldn't tell you about the hurling though.

I know Cistercian have been good this year, but I expected Brendan's to beat them by more than a point. On kilkennycats.com they're of the opinion that only Good Counsel stood between Kieran's and another AI, they don't seem to rate them at all either.

Have we been too optimistic, or were Cistercian just very good? Loughers? .......

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Have we been too optimistic, or were Cistercian just very good?

Wasn't at the game, so don't know much about it other than CCR were very disappointed, as they felt they had a very decent side this year. There are a few people there putting in great work against competition from the no. 1 sport in the school - rugby. In the last couple of years they've invested a small fortune in putting in a brilliant new pitch. Pity there aren't a few more "natives" boarding there!