Scenes of joy as Cistercian Roscrea claim first title

Cistercian College Roscrea 18, Belvedere College 11:

Belvedere, going for broke in the last moments of a pulsating final in a bid to force a replay, were held out in a manner that befitted the new champions, a last ditch tackle forcing a turnover on the line in the 67th minute. And, if drama was the order of those closing moments, there was no doubt Roscrea were full value for their history-making victory.

All the neutrals were in favour of this win over a Belvedere side bidding for their 11th title. Although the game produced a share of handling errors, it was still a final to remember and one clearly never to be forgotten in Roscrea and its environs as the local college overcame a side with a lot more tradition in the history of this tournament.