Lisnagry N.S are All Ireland Champions! 

History was made on May 14 as our boys did the unthinkable and won the FAI schools 5-a-side All-Ireland title.

It’s nigh on impossible to put into words the sheer scale of the achievement witnessed in the Aviva Stadium last Thursday afternoon. We set off early in the morning, unsure of what lay ahead but fully aware of our boys’ potential.

From their arrival through the player’s entrance, to the dressing rooms, to the top notch pitch, the kids enjoyed the same VIP treatment as their international heroes thanks to SPAR. The event was a family fun day focused on providing participants and spectators with huge excitement and entertainment, making it a day to remember for all involved.

The teams and families were entertained by Samba drummers on the day along with DJ Dara Quilty on the decks, spot prizes, Giggles the Clown, mascots for each province and some face painting for the crowds in the Stadium.

As Munster Champions, Lisnagry played their counterparts from the other three provinces – St Brigids NS, Killygarry (Co Cavan), Boyerstown NS (Co Meath) and Cloonakilla NS from Co Roscommon. After all three matches, we had one point to spare over runners up St. Brigid’s NS of Killygarry.

We had a whopping 7-4 win over St. Brigid’s in our first  tantalising tie. The momentum continued in our penultimate fixture as we worked hard to share the spoils with Athlone’s Cloonakilla NS. Lisnagry had another 9 goal thriller when we faced Meath’s Boyerstown NS with us advancing 5-4 in a thoroughly entertaining game. Our very talented captain Caimin Ayers was named Player of the Tournament which was well merited on the day.

That final victory was the glorious end to a long journey which began in Corbally in the Limerick blitz last March. Lisnagry won that competition , coming from 2 goals down in the County final against Abbeyfeale to win by 4 2. The Munster series however, was to prove an even tougher affair and a significant step-up in standards. The competition was played in a round-robin series with all 6 county champions playing each other, with the top team going through to the All-Ireland series. Lisnagry had to overcome the challenges of (Co. Waterford), The Spa (Co. Kerry), Glanmire (Co Cork), and Thurles of Tipperary in the Munster final.

Following the All-Ireland victory the team and supporters were greeted with a tremendous reception outside the school. Parents, family and friends came out to welcome home the champions. We are all very proud of this wonderful achievement. The players showed real grit, determination and no shortage of skill in all their matches and had to come from behind on a number of occasions.

May 14 2015 is certain to go down in the annals of Lisnagry’s proud sporting history in bold writing; attached to that log will be names of eight heroes which will read: William O Leary, Caimin Ayres (capt), Alan Conway, Sean Fahy, Dara Costelloe, Joey Ryan, Evan O Leary, and Mark Murphy. Well done lads!