<strong>Athlone to host SAFIB Allen McKinstry Cup</strong>

The prestigious SAFIB Allen McKinstry Cup returns to our schedule following a lengthy absence. The Republic of Ireland was originally set to host the tournament in May 2020 but due to the COVID-19 pandemic it wasn’t possible. However, this weekend it makes a welcome return as TUS Athlone and Athlone Town AFC plays host on Sunday.

The three-day tournament will see three matches played on Sunday afternoon, Monday morning and the conclusion on Tuesday morning before the teams jet off.

Two representatives from the Republic of Ireland will be taking advantage of the short trip to the Midlands venue as last season’s FAI Schools First Year Boys National Cup Champions, St. Joseph’s Patrician College, Galway and runners up Marist College, Athlone will fly the flag for the Republic. They will be joined by St. Columb’s College, Derry, St. Ninian’s High School, Glasgow, South Hunsley High School, Melton and Ysgol Greenhill Tenby, Cardiff to make up the six teams.

This will be the St. Joseph’s third time competing in the tournament as they last featured in 2018 in Toryglen and 2012 in Dublin.

Since its establishment in 2008, the Republic of Ireland representatives have had some notable successes winning on three occasions.

FAI Schools last hosted the tournament in 2016 which saw St. Kieran’s College, Kilkenny go all the way and claim glory with Douglas Community School coming runners up that season.

Oranmore’s Calasanctius College were crowned Champions having captured top spot in Belfast in 2015.  Those included in the squad that day were Adam Rooney, Aaron Connolly and Ronan Manning.

Before that, when FAI Schools last hosted on home soil in 2012, it was the turn of Ulster crew St. Eunan’s College, Letterkenny taking the title as the AUL Complex, Clonshaugh facilitated the tournament. St. Joseph’s College, Galway coming a gallant fifth that year.  Stars like John Kennedy and Conor Melody lined out that weekend for the Bish and it was ironical that the duo was back in the management setup when the School qualified in 2018.

St. Brendan’s College, Killarney have qualified twice for this tournament and were runners up in 2014 and managed a fourth-place finish in 2017.

The Galway crew under the stewardship of Robert Grealish and Barry McDermott will be hoping to replicate last season’s extraordinary Cup form with some top-class performances over the coming days. Gary Higgins was Captain back in 2018 and this honour has been bestowed on Finn Plotner McCarthy this season.

Not to be outshone, Marist College, Athlone claimed the 2023 FAI Schools Minor Boys National Cup title last Friday, May 12 defeating Christian Brothers College, Cork so the momentum will be with them to continue their rich vein of form at a very familiar venue to them.      

There’s plenty of football pedigree with the other Nations involved as Northern Ireland Champions, St. Columba’s College, Derry last won the title when it was last competed for in 2019 while Scottish stars St. Ninian’s Nigh School, Glasgow claimed the honours in 2017 so it will make for an interesting contest. 

The first round of games on Sunday will see St. Joseph’s Patrician College face off against Ysgol Greenhill Tenby in TUS, Athlone while Marist College kick off their campaign against St. Ninian’s High School in Athlone Town AFC with both games kicking off simultaneously at 4pm. The later kick off at 6pm in Athlone Town AFC will see St. Columb’s College entertain South Hunsley High School.

Monday mornings outings will see the Galway scholars take on the Derry students at 10.30am in Athlone Town AFC while the TUS, Athlone venue will host the Athlone lads against their English counterparts. Then at 12.30pm, the Welsh pupils take on their Scottish equivalent.

Following the first two rounds of fixtures, the league table will be composed and on Tuesday morning the teams in first and second will play off in the final. The remaining four teams will be allocated to play a team which they have not previously played. Points are awarded as follows; three points for a win, two for winning a tied game after a penalty shoot-out. One point for drawing a game and losing the penalty shoot-out if normal time serves up a drawn game. No points are awarded for a loss in normal time. 

#AllenMcKinstryCup

List of participating schools

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND | St. Joseph’s Patrician College, Galway

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND | Marist College, Athlone, Westmeath

NORTHERN IRELAND | St. Columb’s College, Derry

SCOTLAND | St. Ninian’s High School, Giffnock, Glasgow

WALES | Ysgol Greenhill Tenby, Cardiff

ENGLAND | South Hunsley High School, Melton

Squad lists

ST. JOSEPH’S PATRICIAN COLLEGE, GALWAY | Aaron Hestor (GK), Miguel Ruiz Tully, Eoin Gacquin, Shane Fahy, Finn Plotner McCarthy ©, Dillon Gazquin, Aaron Hayat, Daniel Sangondele, Dara McGauran, Padraig Heinz Ward, Joe Colleran, Ishan Jhurry, Patrick O’Connell (GK), Joey Pyne, Jack Watson, Adam Hayat

MANAGEMENT STAFF | Robert Grealish, Barry McDermott, Bojan Pap, Ronan Keville

MARIST COLLEGE, ATHLONE | Jimmy Walshe (GK), Patrick Collins, Sam Byrne, Dylan Dennehy, Gary Staunton, Conor Casey ©, Louie Shine, Seán Whittaker, Seán Keegan, Diarmuid O’Higgins, James Geoghegan, Thomas Egan, James Petit, Rian Fallon, Jack O’Shea, Leandro Miranda

MANAGEMENT STAFF | Martin Grogan, Stephen Walshe

ST. COLUMB’S COLLEGE, DERRY | Jake Henry (GK), Louis Chambers, Caolan O’Donnell, Cahir O’Hagan, Ethan Deane, Daniel Curran ©, Luke McCourt, Yoann Prigent, Shane Gillespie, Zhai Glackin, Emmett Morrison, Thomas Keys, Jamie Mullan, Oran McParland, Cal Tabb, Oisín O’Donnell

MANAGEMENT STAFF | Brian Keys, James Green, Mark Scoltock

ST. NINIAN’S HIGH SCHOOL, GIFFNOCK | Elliot Dunn (GK), Dara Jikiemi, Conor Baillie, John Joe Leddy, Shay McCracken, Luke O’Donnell, Rocco Di Giacomo ©, Rory Kelly, Connor Sweeney, Ethan McGillvray, Sam Gallagher, Mattew McAllister, Anthony McIvaney, Joe McAndrew, Daven Milne, Timothy Kelly

MANAGEMENT STAFF | Jordan Lough, Mark Gallagher, Ryan Kerr, Christopher McFadyen

YSGOL GREENHILL TENBY, CARDIFF | Jesse Craig (GK), George McDonald, Logan Hall, Carter Heywood ©, Thomas Strong, Oliver Tucker, Rudi Thomas, George Morgan, Ryan Robertson, Tyler James, William Hilling, Ethan Lewis, Euan Gottwaltz, Evan Christen, Dylan Sine, Teddy Griffiths

MANAGEMENT STAFF | Elliot Scotcher, Daniel Evans, Phil Williams

SOUTH HUNSLEY HIGH SCHOOL, MELTON | Ewan Philips, John Wyndham, Leo Fulford, Eddie Plunkett, Lewis Ells Fontana, George Whittle, Ellis Neadley, Joshua Henderson, Lewis Blanchard, Henry Edwards, Nathan Cunningham, Evan Cawthra, Joseph Johannessen, Tom Buckton, William Close

MANAGEMENT STAFF | James Coulbeck

Fixtures

TUS, Athlone & Athlone Town AFC

SAFIB Allen McKinstry Cup

St. Joseph’s Patrician College, Galway vs Ysgol Greenhill Tenby

TUS, Athlone

Sunday, May 21, KO 4pm

SAFIB Allen McKinstry Cup

Marist College, Athlone vs St. Ninian’s High School, Giffnock

Athlone Town AFC

Sunday, May 21, KO 4pm

SAFIB Allen McKinstry Cup

St. Columb’s College, Derry vs South Hunsley HS

Athlone Town AFC

Sunday, May 21, KO 6pm

SAFIB Allen McKinstry Cup

St. Joseph’s Patrician College, Galway vs St. Columb’s College, Derry

Athlone Town AFC

Monday, May 22, KO 10.30am

SAFIB Allen McKinstry Cup

Marist College, Athlone vs South Hunsley NS

TUS, Athlone

Monday, May 22, KO 10.30am

SAFIB Allen McKinstry Cup

Ysgol Greenhill Tenby vs St. Ninian’s High School, Giffnock

Athlone Town AFC

Monday, May 22, KO 12.30pm

SAFIB Allen McKinstry Cup

Play-Off Match | South Hunsley NS vs

Athlone Town AFC

Tuesday, May 23, KO 9.30am

SAFIB Allen McKinstry Cup

Play-Off Match

TUS, Athlone

Tuesday, May 23 Ko 10.30am

SAFIB Allen McKinstry Cup

Play-Off Match

Athlone Town AFC

Tuesday, May 23, KO 11.30am

Allen McKinstry Cup Roll of Honour

Republic of Ireland Representatives