27 schools with 29 teams amounting to 216 students from Sligo, Leitrim, Mayo, Galway and Roscommon will tog out in Solar21 Park, Castlebar this Thursday (May 3) with a chance of being crowned SPAR FAI Primary School 5s Connacht Champions for 2018.
The event saw 31,728 children participate this year. The competition has been running since the mid 1990’s, the event is more popular than ever with an impressive 1,528 schools involved in 2018.
This season’s 27 schools will participate in six sections based on their school size which is dependent on their enrolment numbers. The small schools will be catered for under the SPAR ‘A’ Cup while the medium schools will participate in the SPAR ‘B’ Cup and the large schools will tog out in the SPAR ‘C’ Cup. Boys and girls are encouraged to play together but there is separate competitions for girls only.
The Sligo representatives hail from Ardkeeran NS, Scoil Realt na Mara, Scoil Ursula (boys and girls) and Rathcormac NS. There’s no Sligo schools qualified in the SPAR ‘C’ Cup for large schools this season. All schools impressed in the County qualifiers so we may see one or two of these schools progressing further in this competition.
The following schools will fly the flag for Leitrim this week with Gortletteragh NS, Killanummery NS, Gaelscoil Liatroma and Carrigallen NS all featuring. No representatives for the County in the SPAR ‘C’ Cup or the SPAR ‘C’ Girls Cup for large schools. Killanummery and Carrigallen have been here before both winning their respective groups two years running so they’ll be hoping to develop a good game plan early on to ensure the silverware!
Making a name for themselves in Mayo while enjoying home advantage are Straide NS, Meelickmore NS, Ballyvary Central NS, Belcarra NS, St. John’s NS, Breaffy, St. Angela’s NS, Claremorris BNS and Castlebar’s St. Patrick’s BNS. All schools are familiar with the layout and hoping that they can foster some early scores on the board as proceedings get underway. In 2016, St. Patrick’s BNS made it all the way to the Aviva with a silver medal for the Castlebar side. The school featured again in 2015 grabbing second but were accompanied by St. John’s NS, Breaffy whose girls picked up bronze with a third place podium finish.
The Roscommon line up with include the talented Lisaniskey NS, Corrigeenroe NS, St. Joseph’s NS, Boyle and Cornafulla NS. No qualifiers from the County in the SPAR ‘C’ Cup or SPAR ‘C’ Girls Cup for large schools. St. Joseph’s NS first qualified out of Connacht in 2006 with third at the Nationals, this was followed up a year later with a winner’s medal in the ‘B’ Cup. 2010 was Cornafulla’s year with a runners up spot for their school in the ‘B’ Cup while Lisaniskey are more recent graduates. The Roscommon side were third in 2013 but captured the number one spot a year later!
The experienced Scoil Chiaráin Naofa, Doorus, St. Joseph’s NS, Woodford, Bawnmore NS, Carnmore NS, Oranmore NS (A+B teams), Scoil Rois and Scoil Ide will sure to impress for Galway. Three schools will attempt to defend their titles having featured heavily in the national stages twelve months previous. Following their provincial success, Carnmore NS, Oranmore were crowned National Champions in the SPAR ‘B’ Girls Cup in the Aviva while there was a head to head result placing the Doorus outfit in runners up spot in the SPAR ‘A’ Cup. The Taylor’s Hill ladies managed to secure silver that day too highlighting the huge aptitude that these schools possess for the competition.
Following the conclusion of the Connacht Finals, the six Cup winners will test themselves against the best in Ireland as they travel to the Aviva Stadium, Dublin on May 30 for the SPAR FAI Primary School 5s National Finals.
LIST OF PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS
SPAR ‘A’ Cup (Large Schools)
Sligo Ardkeeran NS
Leitrim Gortletteragh
Mayo Straide NS
Galway Scoil Chiaráin Naofa, Doorus
Roscommon Lisaniskey NS
SPAR ‘A’ Girls Cup (Large Schools)
Sligo Scoil Realt na Mara
Leitrim Killinnumery NS
Mayo Meelickmore NS
Galway St. Joseph’s NS, Woodford
Roscommon Corrigeenroe NS
SPAR ‘B’ Cup (medium schools)
Sligo Scoil Ursula
Leitrim Gaelscoil Liatroma
Mayo Ballyvary Central
Galway Bawnmore NS
Roscommon St. Joseph’s NS, Boyle
SPAR ‘B’ Girls Cup (medium schools)
Sligo Rathcormac NS
Leitrim Carrigallen NS
Mayo Belcarra NS
Galway Carnmore NS, Oranmore
Roscommon Cornafulla NS
SPAR ‘C’ Cup (large schools)
Galway Oranmore A & B
Mayo Claremorris BNS & St. Patrick’s BNS, Castlebar
SPAR ‘C’ Girls Cup (large schools)
Galway Scoil Róis, Taylor’s Hill & Scoil Ide
Mayo St. John’s NS, Breaffy & St. Angela’s NS
Sligo Scoil Ursula
Follow the action on social media via #SPAR5s or at www.faischools.ie and www.spar.ie.
SPAR FAI Primary School 5s Programme
PROVINCIAL
Ulster Final: May 2 John Sherlock Park, Cootehill Harps FC, Co. Cavan
Connacht Final: May 3 Solar21 Park, Castlebar, Co. Mayo
Munster Final: May 8+9 Mounthawk Park, Tralee, Co. Kerry
Leinster Final: May 10 MDL Grounds, Trim Road, Navan, Co. Meath
NATIONAL
National Final: May 30 Aviva Stadium, Dublin
