Good to see the start of the ulster colleges football startin up again! Also as a past pupil pleastently surprised to see St. Mary's CBGS competing on the big stage again of the MacRory cup. Hopefully they can give it a good go and maybe even win it to add to there McLarnon succes last year! They appear to be the only school in the greater Belfast area that is trying to raise the profile of Antrim football. Can any of the other local schools such as rathmore, La Salle or St. Malachy's even try give them a hand?? Anyone any opinions on this matter??

opposition (Antrim) - Posts: 41 - 09/09/2008 16:12:49    96398

St marys are the best hurling school in ulster. fact. The best football school in antrim by a mile. No one can say any different. so dont.

rubberduck (Antrim) - Posts: 113 - 13/09/2008 22:30:18    99469

With falling school numbers, grammar schools are filling their places and are using sporting ability as a major decision maker as to whether a child gets their place in the school. This being the case, the grammar schools tend to get most of the good sportsmen, although not all. This is why grammar schools are becoming even stronger whilst secondary schools are becoming weaker. Great for the child's sporting development, but not always in the best interest of the child's future!!! Can't see any local schools challenging St Mary's in the near future!

ArmaghPaddy (Armagh) - Posts: 178 - 22/09/2008 20:30:34    105028

from my own experiences i feel that it swings in roundabouts.. st mary's may be doing well now however it wasnt too long ago when it was la salle who were dominating colleges hurling and football, up until mclarnon and mageean level as a lot of the pupils went out into the big bad world at 16/17..in saying that i was a member of a successful mclarnon side from la salle to get beat in the final by st colums derry,not to mention the countless soccer trophies sitting in cabinets on glen road and edenmore drive..
true to our school,
loyal to our motto..

enjoy it while it lasts cos im sure there will be a time when the p.e dept will have the talent that once was at their disposal..
not to mention all the fights at the back gravel pitch we won up on glen road woop woop..

paul_the_red (Antrim) - Posts: 17 - 24/09/2008 15:29:50    106743

i think you will find that St Marys always have been the dominant force on the Colleges scene in Belfast! just look at the facts... 28 mageean cup titles.. 2 Macrory Cup titles, 1 Hogan cup and 2 O'keefe cup(all ireland hurling).. not to mention the countless titles won at the younger age levels! paul the red you may have won the fights on the gravel pitches but we just went and won everything else:) BEST HURLING SCHOOL IN ULSTER FACT..... BEST FOOTBALL SCHOOL IN ANTRIM....FACT

ballboy22 (Antrim) - Posts: 18 - 24/09/2008 18:39:55    107014

Paul the red, I am also a former la sallian. Your right about the soccer end of things. We won everything going. We were also excellent on the gaelic and hurling fronts, but then the wonder of Ulster colleges hit home. We got to the maccrory cup semi final against Abbey in NEWRY! and it was played on a saturday afternoon. Imagine that a schools match being played on a Saturday afternoon when most of our team play soccer. If you ask me now, looking back the Ulster colleges didnt want an Antrim team to win this trophy. We still duffed maghera and omagh in the football that year too and a number of them played in an another final this weekend past!.

st pauls fan (Antrim) - Posts: 130 - 24/09/2008 19:24:25    107042

Now now, Lads, let's put the handbags away. Think it's true to say that you never really played against too many south armagh teams, then you would know what it's all about!!! I always loved coming up to play belfast teams as they always started b****ing and moaning at each other and forgot about the football. Never lost to a belfast team in my playing career!!! By the way Paul_the_red...what about these doors that need a hanging!!!

ArmaghPaddy (Armagh) - Posts: 178 - 25/09/2008 14:25:17    107720

All be it this is a GAA website someone from la salle came in to brag about soccer on this website! that's fair enough in my eyes as la salle dont have alot to shout about in ulster colleges compared to st. marys and thats jus facing the facts. Also if we were to look at the present and i know it shouldnt be said on this website but if you were to visit st. marys at the minute they would have more soccer trophies than la salle at the minute. i know it shouldnt be talked about but it was brought up an i thought i should jus say the facts.

opposition (Antrim) - Posts: 41 - 26/09/2008 17:27:29    109047

lassale shouldnt be used in the same sentance as stmarys!!

rubberduck (Antrim) - Posts: 113 - 27/09/2008 12:47:08    109294

See st. Mary's of to a flyer in the MacRory cup already with two great wins from two winnin by 10 and 12 points against st. pats armagh and st. pats cavan hopefully sign of these to come this year for them. Been at the games in cookstown and dermot mc veigh sees to be a key man this year ... mayber an all star?? anyone any opinions??

opposition (Antrim) - Posts: 41 - 10/11/2008 20:18:35    137982

It is great to see St Mary's doing well in the MacRory cup. My last year was in 1971, when we won the Hogan and O'Keefe cup.

However, it is great to see any Antrim school doing well.

In my last years at school, Antrim won the vocational schools football in 1968, and lost in the final in 1971. They won the hurling in 1971 beating the mighty North Tipperary.

St Mary's won the Hogan in 1971, St Malachy's got robbed in the 1970 final.

It would be great to see those days returning.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 12/11/2008 23:21:42    140148

Saw the fixtures in the Paper, St Marys play again on Monday i think it said. Good luck to them!

hurlinfan (Antrim) - Posts: 49 - 14/11/2008 19:46:52    141864

As i had thought st. Marys pushed on with a win tonite against monaghan and have a very tough draw against omagh on wednesday. not surprised at all of the success of the school at the minute its showing great promise and is an example for all schools in antrim for the sporting success of late! great goal from wee armstrong rollin back the years showin the promise his father showed. good luck on wednesday lads

opposition (Antrim) - Posts: 41 - 27/02/2009 22:37:09    220760

Heard a report from one of the players fathers, it was a boy called donnelly from st marys that scored their goal.....

osama_bin_laden (USA) - Posts: 246 - 28/02/2009 00:33:50    220826

Yeh, also heard that. Your boy Pearse Donnelly was quick off a rebound to slot it in.

hannastown_gael (Antrim) - Posts: 4 - 28/02/2009 13:18:38    220943

Brilliant to see St.Mary's in a McCrory Cup semi final. They were always a very strong football school and now seem to be getting back to the standard they really belong. I just wish my old school St.Malachy's would put as much effort into Gaelic games as it does into Athletics, Basketball and Soccer. The two schools were once powerhouses in Ulster Colleges Football.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9825 - 01/03/2009 01:23:25    221202

All the best to St Mary's on wednesday, great to see an Antrim school competing at this level. Long overdue.

SW_Gael (Antrim) - Posts: 55 - 02/03/2009 21:48:45    222491

Good luck to St Marys in the semi's great to see an antrim school competing at this level in this day in age, Good luck to the rossa boys on the panel!!!

Crom.Abu (Antrim) - Posts: 13 - 03/03/2009 12:58:53    222819

Great display by St Mary's, pity about the penalty.

Still, much progress in the last few years.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 05/03/2009 00:24:25    224397

patrique like to echo your sentiments the st marys lads should hold their heads up high, they put in a great display in a very enjoyable game and can only kick on from there. omagh just about shaded it.

bigfinger (Tyrone) - Posts: 203 - 05/03/2009 11:54:49    224562