Schools in battle for right to make history

ST BROGAN’S College, Bandon, are bidding to create history by winning their first All-Ireland Vocational Schools Senior AHC title tomorrow in Cashel.

History will be very much in the air at the splendid Tipperary venue. Brogan’s have already won the football title and should they defeat St Brigid’s, Loughrea, they will also become the first school to win the double.

St Brigid’s, the holders, are chasing their fifth title in a row, something that has not been achieved before.

With 12 players in line to win their second All-Ireland medal in three weeks, Brogan’s have every incentive, but so too have the defending champions.

St Brogan’s mentor Jerry Walsh said he and his fellow selectors set out at the beginning of the year to win this particular championship.

“I knew we had a very good crop of players with great potential. That has been proven with a number of them on the county minor team,” he said.

“We didn’t play particularly well in the Munster final and will have to improve. St. Brigid’s have been through this before and have a tremendous record... At the beginning of the season the view in the school was that we had a better chance of winning the hurling title than the football.

“Fortunately the football title was won first and any player worth his salt will want to complete the double. It would be a fantastic achievement if we were to win it and would do wonders for the school.”

Brigid’s principal Michael Bond said it would be an historic day one way or another.

“We’ve enjoyed tremendous success at vocational level over the years and it would be beyond our wildest dreams if we were to win the title for the fifth successive year” he said.

“The school is fortunate to have a number of very committed teachers who give freely of their time to coaching and looking after teams. Such commitment has been rewarded over the years with many All-Ireland titles at both junior and senior and we never tire of winning them.

“Brigid’s have produced some outstanding players for the county over the years. Current seniors Fergal Healy and David Tierney are past pupils while Niall Healy, who was tremendous last year with the county minors and the county vocational team, is a former student of ours,” he said.