In attendance at the Lidl All-Ireland Post-Primary Schools finals captains' day are Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland senior partnerships manager Joe Mooney with each school's captain. Back, from left: Senior B finalists Úini Ní Chonghaile of Coláiste Oiriall in Monaghan and Mae Hession of Mount St. Michael in Claremorris, Mayo; Senior A finalists Áine Gaynor of Moate CS, Westmeath, and Dara Kiniry of St. Mary’s, Midleton, Cork; and Senior C finalists Abby Curran of Our Lady’s Bower in Athlone, Westmeath, and Lydia Sutton of Sacred Heart, Clonakilty, Cork. Front, from left: Junior C finalists Róisín Rahilly of Mercy Mounthawk, Tralee, Kerry, and Eimear Gaffney of Maynooth Education Campus, Kildare; Junior A finalists Áine Brady of Loreto College, Cavan, and Ava Kelly of Sacred Heart, Westport, Mayo; and Junior B finalists Sophie Maher of Presentation Thurles, Tipperary, and Bree McBride of Loreto Omagh, Tyrone. Photo: Brendan Moran / Sportsfile

Cracking games in store as Lidl All-Ireland Post-Primary Schools finals return

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The Lidl All-Ireland Post-Primary Schools finals are back, with captains from the competing teams gathering at Croke Park today (Tuesday) ahead of six eagerly-anticipated games.

Two Mayo schools are involved in the finals, with Mount St. Michael, Claremorris, taking on Coláiste Oiriall (Monaghan) in the Senior B final on Friday, April 1, and Sacred Heart, Westport, facing Loreto, Cavan, in the Junior A decider this Saturday (March 26).

The junior finals (A, B and C) will all be played on Saturday (March 26), with the senior showdowns (A, B and C) down for decision across Friday, April 1, and Saturday, April 2.

Mount St. Michael's opponents, Coláiste Oiriall, were Junior B All-Ireland runners-up in 2019 and now find themselves just an hour away from a possible senior title but the Claremorris girls have been very impressive on their run to the final.

Sacred Heart's rivals for the Junior A title, Loreto of Cavan, have real pedigree in the Lidl All-ireland Post Primary Schools competitions and in 2019, they landed an All-Ireland double by winning the Senior A and Junior A titles. Again, however, Sacred Heart have put in fine performances in their run to this stage of the competition.

The Senior A final between Moate Community School from Westmeath and St. Mary’s, Midleton (Cork), is fixed for Saturday, April 2, and will be live-streamed on the LGFA’s Facebook page.

Three years ago, the Senior A decider, won by Scoil Chríost Rí, Portlaoise (Laois), was live-streamed for the very first time. The 2020 and 2021 competitions were unfortunately cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic and there is a palpable sense of excitement surrounding the 2022 finals.

St. Mary’s are aiming to become Cork’s first competition winners since Loreto, Fermoy, back in 2013, while Moate CS would become Westmeath’s very first Senior A winners if they can achieve victory.

The Senior C final on Friday, April 1, is another Westmeath v Cork affair, as Our Lady’s Bower, Athlone, take on Sacred Heart, Clonakilty.

Presentation Secondary School, Thurles, were Senior B runners-up in 2019 and the Tipperary girls now have the chance to land the Junior B title when they take on Loreto Convent, Omagh (Tyrone).

The Junior C decider, meanwhile, will see Mercy Mounthawk, Tralee (Kerry), up against Maynooth Education Campus (Kildare).

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