Mercy Mounthawk win All-Ireland U19A title while Éanna and Mungret win U16 contests

Mercy Mounthawk’s captain Oisin McGibney leads the celebrations after winning the All-Ireland Schools Cup U19A Boys Final.

U19A Boys - Mercy Mounthawk (Kerry) 65  St Malachy's (Belfast) 55:

Joshua Osayanrhion scored 22 points as Mercy Mounthawk beat a resilient St. Malachy’s Belfast side by to capture the All-Ireland Under 19A Boys Schools Cup on Monday.

Baskets from beyond the arc by Malachy's Fionn Kennedy and Mark Burns saw the Belfast side race eight points clear early in the second quarter. MVP Osayanrhion punctured that surge with a score for Mounthawk before half-time with the two sides deadlocked again at 26 points apiece.

Osayanrhion was at it again in the third, producing a brilliant shut-out before putting up a deuce down the other end of the court.

The Kerry men finished the third quarter on a high when David Lucid netted to leave them nine points up heading into the final period.

A beautiful three-pointer from Michalczuk, along with a specular Osayanrhion dunk late on, were the cherries on top as Mercy held on for a momentus win.

“The All-Ireland Under 19A Cup, it’s the pinnacle of your schools career and I’m just so happy for all those lads” said Mercy Mounthawk head coach, John Dowling.

Mercy Mounthawk top scorers: Joshua Osayanrhion (22), Olaf Michalczuk (17), Tomas Kennedy (17).

St Malachy’s top scorers: Michael Donnelly (21), Mark Burns (15), Aidan Benson-Gough (10). 

Marist Dundalk’s Elahna Faapito with Sheila Ni Laoire Nic Aodh of Colaiste Ide.

U19B Girls - Marist Dundalk (Louth) 62 vs Coláiste Íde (Kerry) 37:

Marist Dundalk saw off the challenge of Coláiste Íde in the All-Ireland U19B Girls Schools Cup final. Marist led 35-19 at half time and held their cool to post a further 27 points in the final two quarters.

St. Malachy’s Mark Burns with Harry Lynch of Colaiste Eanna.

U16A Boys - Coláiste Éanna (Dublin) 69  St Malachy's (Belfast) 48:

Coláiste Éanna are All-Ireland U16A Boys Schools Cup champions after they recorded a convincing 69-48 victory over St. Malachy’s.

It didn't take long for Coláiste Éanna to take a firm hold on the decider, ending the first quarter with a 16-point advantage thanks to three pointers from Harry Lynch, Chisom Chime and MVP Karl Walsh.

Though the second quarter would be better contested by Malachy's, Adrian Fulton’s side were finding it difficult to make in-roads into Eanna’s advantage and their cause was not helped when Farrell drained a three just before the half-time buzzer to extend Eanna’s lead to 20.

However, the Belfast boys produced a third-quarter surge that pulled them back to within 10 points of their opponents, Burns leading the charge with some great drives down the lane, while O’Neill served up some timely baskets.

An Augustine Farrell three sparked Éanna back into life though, and when Lynch followed that up with four from the free-throw line, the Dubliners were back in control of the game once more.

Walsh and Farrell essentially wrapped things up in the final quarter, producing clinical displays from outside the arc as Chime, McCarthy and Lynch all contributed scores from the inside to seal the deal.

“This hasn’t been a one-year thing. We’ve been working on this for the last three-years” said Coláiste Éanna head coach Hillary Netsiyanwa after the whistle.

Coláiste Éanna t op scorers: Karl Walsh (16), Harry Lynch (16) Augustine Farrell (13).

St Malachy’s t op scorers: Mark Burns (18), Cormac Trainor (10), Layden O’Neill (8).

OLSPCK’s Hannah Cassin with Emer Purtill of Mungrett CC.

U16A Girls - Mungret CC (Limerick) 39  OLSPCK (Belfast) 21:

Mungret Community College captured the All-Ireland Under 16A Girls Schools Cup after they surmounted the challenge of OLSPCK Belfast in the decider.

A Six and five-point run in the second quarter put the Limerick outfit firmly in the driver's seat. Both Purtill and Nealon sisters produced superb scores before half time including a magnificent three Abbey Nealon to help leave the Munster side 14 points up at half-time.

DFespite their best efforts, The Belfast side were struggling to cope with the physicality of their opponents who remained in command with an 18-point cushion going into the final quarter.

OLSPCK did start that period on the front foot as McCarron drove to the basket down the lane, Cassin struck from the perimeter and Holly Donnelly converted one of her two efforts from the line.

Unfortunately for them Mungret were able to respond whenever they popped up with a score and saw the game out in style with a cracking basket from MVP Abbey Nealon.

“We’re absolutely thrilled because we have three girls who couldn’t be here today and who are central to our team, so the win was as much for them as the girls who are here” said Mungret CC head coach Aoife Donovan.

Mungret CC top scorers: Abbey Nealon (13), Emer Purtill (8), Anna Nealon (7).

OLSPCK Belfast top scorers: Hannah Cassin (7), Helen McGeough (6), Isa McCarron (5).