Mayo Young Sports Stars: From mini rugby in Ballina to major tournaments in South Africa

Fiachna Barrett achieved great things with Ireland last year, winning the Under 20 Six Nations Grand Slam and playing for his country at the Under 20 World Cup in South Africa.

In August, the Geesala native was selected for this season's Connacht Rugby Academy as a Year 1 addition, and the good news continued in December when he was selected for an Ireland Combined Academies squad to play four games against Italian opponents.

Many of that squad featured prominently for the Ireland Under 20s in recent years, like Fiachna, and the IRFU coaches saw the Combined Academies squad as an important step to ensure the development of talented players continues on an upward trajectory.

Fiachna, who started his rugby journey as a mini with Ballina RFC, has forged a rugby career that very much seems to on an upward curve.

His achievements are being recognised with a category win in The Connaught Telegraph Mayo Young Sports Stars Awards, which are taking place in Breaffy House Resort, Castlebar, this Friday (March 8). Tickets can be purchased by contacting Aiden Henry on (087) 6582141 or aiden.henry@con-telegraph.ie.