It is hard to know when a school goes from being one which achieves great sporting victories to one that has a great sporting tradition. But the High School in Carrickmacross must now be in that realm. The school has always produced top quality footballers but in recent times it is producing top quality teams at a momentous rate. Since 1991, the High school has competed in 17 Ulster finals, winning 12 of them from under 13, under 14, under 16 and under 18. 1997 was a special year because three Ulster titles were won and many people can recall the epic journey the under 18 team made through Ulster and all the way to Croke Park. Having accounted for St. Louis, Ballymena, the High School boys played St Eunan's Letterkenny in an Ulster semifinal on a snow-covered pitch in Enniskillen. On St. Patrick's Day of the year they met the hotly fancied St. Michael's Lurgan in the final in Casement Park. With Eamonn Hoey (Killanny) a colossus in mid-field and Gavin Sheehan (Kingscourt) having a tremendous game in goal, the High School laid the foundations for an epic come back to ensure a one point victory. Three weeks later the High School competed in an All-Ireland semi final in Drogheda against St Declan's Cabra. James Kiernan (Carrickmacross) and Ronan O'Donnell (Crossmaglen) had great games and the High School supporters had to pinch themselves to realise that the south Monaghan college had qualified for an All-Ireland in Croke Park against Roscommon CBS. This was a day full of heroes with Noel Swinburn (Carrickmacross) and Fergal McMahon (Donaghmoyne) first to settle. Leading at half time by 8 points to 4 things were looking good. Early in the second half some chances went a begging and the high School were rocked by a barrage of Roscommon scores to leave them one point behind with five minutes to play. At this point, John McDaid (Donaghmoyne) entered High School history when he put over a 50-meter free kick to equalise. In injury time, Ronan O'Donnell dived to retrieve an impossible ball from under a ruck of players. His bravery was rewarded with another free but could John put another 50 metre free over the bar? Having stolen 5 yards and with a mighty kick which sent the ball just over the bar, the All-Ireland title was secured for the south Monaghan academy. John McDaid (Carrickmacross) lifted the cup to the strains of the High School supporters singing 'You'll never beat the High School." The following year 1998 with eight new players - few thought the High School could repeat the feat but they battled their way through an Ulster campaign again to end up in the Ulster final in Casement Park on St. Patrick's Day. St Louis, Ballymena were looking for revenge but they didn't realise that the new crop of High School players were just as good as the old. With Tom Wakely (Kingscourt) unstoppable at full back and Fergal Monaghan (Magheracloone) dominating at midfield. The High School laid the foundations for a young Inniskeen man Fergal (Skinner) McSkane to emerge as man of the match and secure an eight point win for the High School. Controversy was to follow as the High School were not allowed to compete in the All-Ireland semi-final but instead Ballymena went forward to represent Ulster. It was argued that they could not win two All Ireland B titles back to back. The High School authorities appealed to All-Ireland Colleges which was widely reported in the national press but their appeal failed. The High School then went on to compete in the McRory Cup and a new team was emerging under the shadows - the likes of James Conlon and Jinxy Gollogly (Carrickmacross), Frank Markey (Donaghmoyne), John McMahon (Magheracloone), Paul Meegan (Inniskeen) and Kevin Carroll (Sean McDermotts). They had won an Under 13 Ulster title in 1998 and in 1999 were beaten in an Under 15 A title by Pat's Armagh but this only spurred them to greater heights and in 2000 they fought their to the under 16 A final where awaiting them were the king pins of Ulster colleges football - St Pat's, Maghera. But the High School playing a superb brand of open football beat them with the same ease as everybody else that year (1-14 to 1-6) to famously win the Rannafast Cup. This team has now (2002) qualified for the quarter final of the McRory Cup for the first in the High School's history. Unfortunately, though young enough, 6 of the Rannafast team have passed through the High School which is often a disadvantage that schools from the counties Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan have compared to their six-county counterparts. But true to the tradition of the school, other men have emerged to take up the gauntlet. Let's hope that on St. Patrick's Day 2003, a new group of heroes will emerge this time in a McRory final. The High School is now considered a nursery for footballing talent not just in Monaghan but in the neighbouring counties of Meath, Cavan and Louth also. This is reflected in the numbers of past and present pupils who are playing inter-county football at present. For example, of last years Monaghan minor team, 7 were from the High School. James Conlon, Jinxy Gollogly, Garry McEneaney (Carrickmacross) Padraig Dowdall, Paul Meegan (Inniskeen), Frank Markey (Donaghmoyne) and John McMahon (Magheracloone). Tom Wakely and Benny Corcoran are on the Cavan senior panel and their Kingscourt colleagues Keith McCabe and Tommy Pierce are on the Cavan minor and under 21 teams respectively. Cathal Matthews (Meath Hill) is Meath Under 16 captain while Louth's brightest young talent Kevin Carroll, also attends the school. The High School has 26 feeder Primary schools spread over south Monaghan and the neighbouring counties and is indebted to the role the teachers in these schools have played in the success the High School has had. As the High School has no playing facilities of their own, they rely on the generosity of the local clubs who have been very supportive with their facilities. Many commentators have recognised that the logical step to county football for young men is colleges football where they learn to play with their classmates even though they are from different clubs and where they compete against the best from Ulster's counties. Ask any former High School, player what it means to put on that blue jersey and one word keeps coming back ... "Pride". That pride has manifested itself time and time again and now in its one hundred and first year, this medium sized (420) south Monaghan boys school will continue to take on and beat the best. Tweet

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