Gearoid White stars as Tralee CBS edge out St Gerald's to book All-Ireland PPS SAFC final berth

The first half might have been a lukewarm affair for the most part, but the second 30 minutes was spell-binding from beginning to end

Sat, 28 Feb, 2026 - 16:38

John O’Dowd

All-Ireland PPS SAFC semi-final: Tralee CBS 4-11 St Gerald's Castlebar 1-15

The unstoppable individual magic of Gearoid White was too much for an excellent St Gerald’s Castlebar as Tralee CBS dug deep to overcome the stiffest of challenges in this absorbing Masita All-Ireland Post-Primary Schools senior ‘A’ football championship semi-final.

Played at the TUS campus in Moylish in Limerick, this contest between two evenly-matched sides had absolutely everything. The first half might have been a lukewarm affair for the most part, but the second 30 minutes was spell-binding from beginning to end.

At the end of the day, the ability of Marc Ó Sé’s charges to create, and take, their goal opportunities proved to be the difference between the Munster and Connacht champions – and, of course, the untamed magic that White possesses in abundance.

St Gerald’s Castlebar would have been the happier side at the break, trailing by just a single point (1-5 to 1-4) having played against the breeze. Corner-back Paul Hurst’s coolly dispatched penalty in the 21st minute had cancelled out Ronan Carroll’s composed finish for the ‘Green five minutes earlier.

White had already signalled his intentions with a pair of booming two-point scores from open play but, dominant around the middle of the park, and with Joe Forry electric in attack, St Gerald’s reeled off an unanswered six points to move four up, 1-10 to 1-6, by the 40th minute.

Three minutes later, Tralee CBS had performed a seven-point swing, with the John Mitchels’ attacker the catalyst. White slalomed his way through for a stunning goal to resurrect the ‘Green challenge, and another green flag soon followed courtesy of Nick Lacey.

Entering the last quarter, the Kingdom representatives were three clear (3-8 to 1-11), but there was to be no wilting from their opponents either. The likes of Forry, Caolan Moran, Conor Hoban and Ben Joyce were making significant impacts, and the game was level again after three points on the trot.

As the action built to a veritable crescendo, we were none the wiser as to who would advance to Croke Park on St Patrick’s Day. That was until Green midfielder Mairtín McKivergan launched over a stunning orange flag free, off the deck, in the 59th minute.

St Gerald’s top scorer Forry again responded by tapping over his sixth point, but Tralee CBS now had their second wind and, after Lacey slipped over another score, the coup de grace was supplied by Carroll four minutes into injury-time with his second crisply-taken goal of an exhilarating encounter.

Scorers for Tralee CBS: G White 1-4 (2tp), R Carroll 2-1 (0-1f), N Lacey 1-1, M McKivergan 0-3 (0-1 ’45, 1tpf), M Corridon, E O’Flaherty 0-1 each.

Scorers for St Gerald’s Castlebar: J Forry 0-6 (0-2fs), C Hoban 0-4 (0-2fs), P Hurst 1-0 (pen), E Walsh 0-3 (1tp), C Moran, R McNamara 0-1 each.

TRALEE CBS: O Lata; M Enright, E Moriarty, S Turner; F Ryan, E O’Flaherty, M Corridon; M McKivergan, C McKenna; T O’Connor, R Carroll, T Quilter; R Hurley, G White, N Lacey.

Subs: C Hurley for O’Connor (50), J Power for Moriarty (54), D Murphy for Quilter (60+2).

ST GERALD’S CASTLEBAR: O Costello; P Hurst, M Flannelly, M Kelly; A Burton, F McHale, R Connolly; C Moran, J Diffley; C Coghill, B Joyce, C Hoban; E Walsh, P Garvey, J Forry.

Subs: R Neary for Connolly, inj (ht), E Murray for Kelly (32), R McNamara for Garvey (47), D Connor for Coghill (47).

Referee: J Ryan (Cork).