A masterful display saw St Louis, Monaghan beat Presentation College, Tuam by 5-12 to 4-4 at Pearse Park, Longford on Thursday April 1 to capture the 2004 All-Ireland senior 'A' ladies schools football championship. Monaghan's Match pays tribute to what was a remarkable achievement for the Monaghan town school. St Louis' stunning defeat of their Galway opponents in the '04 senior 'A' ladies schools football decider on April 1st sparked justifiable scenes of jubilation that rippled north-eastwards from the midland venue all the way back into Monaghan town and beyond. It was the second time the school - a veritable ladies football academy - had landed the premier prize and never before in the annals of gaelic games was a victory more thoroughly deserved. The final may have been played on the date dubbed 'April Fool's Day' but there wasn't a fool in sight as the Monaghan girls led the defending champions a merry dance to plunder senior national glory for the first time since the historic breakthrough success of 2000. It was a wonderful occasion as both schools brought a large vocal support to cheer them on. But Louis were the best team on view from start to finish. Though the westerners took the lead after a mere 30 seconds, the Monaghan town crew hit back through a point from Bonnie Fleming. When Tuam went back in front, Fleming this time replied with a superb 10th-minute goal. Player of the Match Therese McNally quickly followed up with a point and St Louis were 1-2 to 0-2 to the good. Presentation College were fortunate to goal against the run of play but Aghabog's Aine Mulligan goaled from the penalty spot on 20 minutes after substitute Yvonne Connell was felled in the area. The winners were now well on top and their lead was supplemented by further scores from Fleming, McNally, Connell and Mulligan as they streaked 2-6 to 1-2 ahead by the short whistle. What a start to the second half! Fleming gained possession from Lisa Hughes and danced through the Tuam defence to slam home her team's third major. When the Galway girls came back with 1-1, the magnificent McNally settled her team with two super solo points before placing the ever-dangerous Fleming for her hat-trick goal. Hughes pointed and the unstoppable McNally effortlessly scythed through the Tuam defence to fire low to the net. Presentation College refused to give up and came back with two consolation goals but St Louis were simply not to be denied, finishing strongly with further points from McNally and substitute Bronagh McAree. All in all, it was a stellar team performance from the winners, who were superb all over the field, nowhere more so than at midfield where Helen and Lisa Hughes excelled over the hour. The victory was every bit as sweet as the school's first All-Ireland heist four years earlier, especially considering that this particular crop of players had come through the ranks, performing gallantly all along and sticking admirably to their task despite a dearth of rewards on the national stage. The '00 breakthrough was at the expense of Intermediate Killorglin, who were pipped in a thrilling final on a scoreline of 3-5 to 2-7. St Louis - who won a Vocational Schools All-Ireland in 1995 - also reached the junior final in 2000, but were edged out. Team coach, Pauline Devlin is from Castleblayney. A former camogie player, she teaches PE, maths and computers at the popular Monaghan town school. An all-girl school, which was formerly a convent, St Louis boasts a huge student population of almost 900. Miss Vera O'Brien is in her second full year as Principal, while the Assistant Principal is Margaret Conlon. Both have been very supportive of ladies football, as Pauline confirms: "They've given us tremendous support all the way. "They go out of their way to make sure the teams are accommodated in every way possible and their understanding has been instrumental in the successes we've enjoyed. Ladies football is enormously popular in the school and we're kept extremely busy, with teams at senior, U16 and U14 levels. We've had a match literally every second week right through from October." Since the All-Ireland-winning exploits of the county team in the 1990s, ladies football has enjoyed vast popularity in Monaghan. And St Louis Secondary School is located right in the middle of the fervent hotbed of ladies GAA, with an astonishing nine clubs feeding into the school. St Louis boast a number of the players who helped Tyholland to All-Ireland junior club glory two years ago, as well as girls from Monaghan Harps, Aghabog, Scotstown, Emyvale, O'Neill Shamrocks (Clontibret), Rockcorry and Sean McDermotts. The team manager continues: "We're fortunate to have so many great clubs around us. The girls all train and play with their clubs on a regular basis and that's a big help. When we train, we depend on either the Monaghan Harps ladies or St Macartan's College for use of their facilities and both have been very good to us." At the start of the year, did Pauline think she had a potential All-Ireland winning team on her hands? "I knew we had a strong team on paper, but we had already lost to Presentation Tuam in senior and U16 semi-finals in 2003 with many of the same players on view. We lost eight sixth-years off that team, so this year we had to do a lot of work to get the team together. "We played a lot of challenge matches early on. We had some very worthwhile outings against third-level teams from St Mary's Belfast, Dundalk Regional, Jordanstown and Loreto College in Cavan. Some of our past players had gone on to play on those teams and playing against them stood us in good stead ahead of the Ulster championship." St Louis had won six Ulster senior titles in a row but there had never been more than a hop of the ball between themselves and St Ciaran's of Ballygawley. The Tyrone outfit would again provide the sternest examination. The Monaghan title was scooped by virtue of victories over fellow Monaghan town school Beech Hill and Inver College, Carrickmacross before St Louis saw off Ciaran's at the semi-final stage of the provincial championship. The Donegal champions St Columbus, Glenties were beaten in the Ulster final. Colaiste na Sceilge from Kerry provided All-Ireland semi-final opposition, a team St Louis had played several times at various levels over the years, invariably losing. On this occasion, however, the tide was turned emphatically. And the rest, as they say, is history! Along the way, St Louis had a helping hand from a famous All-Ireland winner from across the border in the Orchard County, as Pauline relates: "Joe Kernan is only a short hop across the border in Crossmaglen from me in Castleblaney and I got him down to talk to the girls before the semi-final. He spoke to them and his words gave them strength and confidence. He even came back before the All-Ireland final and was very obliging and encouraging. Before the final he shook hands with the girls saying he would shake hands with All-Ireland winners because he knew htey would do it! Joe drove up from Cross' to Monaghan just to visit the school and it was a wonderful gesture. "Over the year, the girls also took it upon themselves to go out and canvass local business for support and they managed to get some sponsorship, which was put towards track-suits and kitbags and an AIB-sponsored meal after the final. "Overall, there was great awareness in Monaghan that the All-Ireland final was happening and tremendous goodwill when the girls won. Everybody in the area got behind the team and it was great to bring the All-Ireland title back to the town again. "None of the girls had won an All-Ireland schools championship before and it was nice to see them get their just reward. Eleven of them were in last-chance saloon, having represented the school with great honour for the past six years. They were determined not to let this chance pass them by and I'm delighted for them." St Louis, Monaghan, 2004 All-Ireland senior ladies schools football champions: Dolores Gillanders; Grace Mullen, Cathy Murray, Grainne Treanor; Nicola Sherry, Orla McCarville (captain), Grainne McNally; Lisa Hughes, Helen Hughes (0-1); Colette Connolly, Therese McNally (1-6), Bonnie Fleming (3-2); Marguerite Reilly, Aine Mulligan (1-1), Laura McCague. Subs: Yvonne Connell (0-1), Catherine West, Angela Kerr, Bronagh McAree (0-1), Martina Beggan, Jennifer Connolly, Claire McKeown, Karla Smyth, Maureen West. Tweet

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