Ruthless Sligo Grammar School book Connacht Schools final spot 

It will be a final decider with Marist College of Athlone next week. 

CLOSE QUARTERS: St Muredach's Oisin Breslin is held up by Sligo Grammar's Andrew Ryan and Matthew O'Grady. Pic: INPHO/Tom O’Hanlon

Connacht Schools Senior Cup Semi-Final: Sligo Grammar School 38 St Muredach’s, Ballina 10 

Since the pandemic, Sligo Grammar School and Marist College of Athlone have been the ‘Old Firm’ of Connacht Schools rugby and another chapter to this growing rivalry will be added to the history books next Wednesday after Sligo Grammar easily brushed aside St. Muredach’s of Ballina on their home field this afternoon.

A minute’s silence in memory of Cian Farrell and Pádraic Tuffy, the two former Muredach’s pupils who recently passed away as a result of a road accident in Ballina, was impeccably observed and keenly felt by everyone in attendance but once the whistle blew, Sligo Grammar School were ruthless in their play.

Dominance of the set piece exchanges and blisteringly quick clearing of rucks, matched by equally fast and accurate scrum half play from Andrew Ryan, put Grammar on the front foot early.

Muredach’s defensive play held on for the opening 15 minutes but a yellow card for one of their leaders, second row Cian Fitzpatrick, turned the tide of the game.

Ben O’Connor was flawless off the tee, kicking six from six, and he nailed the penalty and a perfect cross-field kick to Logan O’Neill-Markey for a try three minutes later.

Ryan Burrows added another score shortly before half-time, with O’Connor on the mark from both conversions, one from each sideline.

There was no shortage of endeavour and resolve from the Ballina side, who never let up in their forlorn pursuit of becoming the first ever Mayo school to reach a Connacht Senior Cup final, and a close-range score from Iarla Quinn, converted by Conor Connolly, was fair reward for the efforts.

There was no doubting the gulf in class however as Andrew Deegan and O’Connor (two) added three more second-half tries, setting up a heavyweight tilt with Marist College next Wednesday in the Dexcom Stadium.

Scorers for Sligo Grammar:

Tries: Logan O’Neill-Markey, Ryan Burrows, Andrew Deegan, Ben O’Connor (2).

Cons: Ben O’Connor (5).

Pen: Ben O’Connor.

Scorers for St. Muredach’s Try: Iarla Quinn.

Con: Conor Connolly.

Pen: Conor Connolly.

SLIGO GRAMMAR SCHOOL: James McGettrick; Kelvin Kalu, Bobby Hanrahan, Andrew Deegan, Logan O’Neill-Markey; Ben O’Connor, Andrew Ryan; Cathal Moffatt, William Draper, Mark Bradley; Ryan Burrows, Owen McNamara; Aron Martin, Alastair Hewson, Ronan Mullan.

Replacements: Seán Cashell for McNamara (half-time), Matthew O’Grady for McGettrick (half-time), Sam Carnegie for Bradley (40), Evan Barrett-O’Neill for Burrows (40), Arlo Holmes for Moffatt (50), Darragh Moran for Hewson (58), Moffatt for Holmes (62), Arran Symmons for Draper (64), Holmes for Carnegie (65), Luke O’Connor for Hanrahan (68).

ST. MUREDACH’S: Robert Young; Anthony Neary, Tom Ruane, Conor Connolly, Liam Sweeney; Eoin Golden, Jake Carr; John Langan, Cormac Kelly, Jamie Devers; Cian Fitzpatrick, Oisín Breslin; Matthew Beale, Conor Moore, Iarla Quinn.

Replacements: Shane Dowd for Beale (16), Donnacha McNamee Forde for Quinn (32), Nathan Duffy for Sweeney (half-time), Quinn for McNamee Forde (40), Craig Ferguson for Langan (50), Kai Kilbane, Matthew Munnelly, Cody Devane Gallagher, Donnacha McNamee Forde for Carr, Duffy, Neary, Golden (all 67).

Referee: Jamie Coyle.