Cumann na mBunscol finals return after three-year wait

A four-day feast of Gaelic games looked forward to by sport-loving schoolchildren, parents, teachers, sports journalists and the wider GAA community alike is returning to TEG Cusack Park from Monday week next.

The last time the Allianz Cumann na mBunscol primary schools’ football, hurling and camogie finals took place in Mullingar was the summer of 2019. The competition was suspended in 2020 due to the outbreak of Covid-19, and the public health situation had not changed sufficiently to allow it to go ahead in 2021, meaning it is a full three years since this extravaganza of school sport last graced Westmeath GAA headquarters.

2022 is a different story however, and over the last six months the hard-working committee of Cumann na mBunscol Iarmhí, working with primary schools across the country, have been running competition across fifteen categories of hurling, camogie, boys’ football and girls’ football.

Gunning for marquee (Division 1) honours this year will be St Mary’s NS, Collinstown and St Mary’s NS, Raharney in both hurling and camogie; St Kenny NS, Kilpatrick and St Etchen’s NS, Kinnegad in girls’ football, and St Kenny NS, Kilpatrick and St Colman’s NS, Mullingar in boys’ football.

Classics have been served up over the years at all grades, where the stars of the future are on show. Who can forget the summer of 2004, for instance – not only because of Westmeath’s maiden Leinster SFC title, but also future Lake County star John Heslin’s achievement in kicking 3-9 to steer Loughnavalley to a schools’ title. Then there was the summer of 2012, when Aidan Keena – now blazing a trail as a striker in the League of Ireland – fired 2-7 to win a Division 2 boys’ title for St Colmcille’s NS, Gainstown.

The fun begins at 2pm on Monday June 13, and the programme of fixtures as is as follows:

Monday June 13

2pm: Camogie Division 2, St Feichín’s NS, Fore vs St Colman’s NS, Mullingar OR St Patrick’s NS, Ballinagore

3pm: Camogie Division 1, St Mary’s NS, Collinstown vs St Mary’s NS, Raharney

4pm: Girls’ Football Division 4, Clonmellon NS vs St Colmcille’s NS, Ballinahown

5pm: Hurling Division 1, St Mary’s NS, Raharney vs St Mary’s NS, Collinstown

6pm: Girls’ Football Division 3: Tubberclare NS vs St Michael’s NS, Castlepollard

Tuesday June 14

3pm: Hurling Division 2, St Colman’s NS, Mullingar vs St Michael’s NS, Castletown Geoghegan

4pm: Girls’ Football Division 1, St Kenny NS, Kilpatrick vs St Etchen’s NS, Kinnegad

5pm: Boys’ Football Division 6, Scoil Phádraig Naofa, Dysart vs Moyvore NS

Wednesday June 15

3pm: Boys’ Football Division 4: St Michael’s NS, Castlepollard vs St Mary’s NS, Raharney

4pm: Boys’ Football Division 3: Clonmellon NS vs Gaelscoil an Mhuilinn, an Mhuileann gCearr

5pm: Girls’ Football Division 2: Tang NS vs St Colmcille’s NS, Gainstown

Thursday June 16

3pm: Hurling Division 3, Taughmon NS vs Scoil na gCeithre Máistrí, Átha Luain OR Coosan NS

4pm: Boys’ Football Division 5, Scoil Phádraig, Milltown vs Kilcleagh NS, Castledaly

5pm: Boys’ Football Division 2, St Joseph’s NS, Rathwire vs Holy Family NS, Mullingar

6pm: Boys’ Football Division 1, St Kenny NS, Kilpatrick vs St Colman’s NS, Mullingar