Great excitement on day one of Mayo Cumann na mBunscol finals

Hastings Insurance MacHale Park in Castlebar played host to a number of exciting Cumann na mBunscol finals on Tuesday.

In the Division 2 girls final, Currabaggan National School had too much firepower for Brackloon National School, with the Knockmore pupils recording a 6-8 to 3-10 victory over their opponents.

Brackloon played the shaper football during the opening exchanges and raced into a 1-4 to 0-2 lead thanks to a goal from Maely Hegarty and points from Chloe Albers, Lily Hegarty and Aoife McGing (two).

During that fruitful period, Currabaggan’s Elaina Ferguson landed a skyscraper of a long-range point, and this seemed to inspire her team-mates.

Ferguson then netted a goal for the Knockmore school on 11 minutes, with Ailbhe Sweeney supplying the inch-perfect pass, and then Ferguson added her second point of the contest on 12 minutes.

Brackloon didn’t panic, however, and a goal from Ella Broderick followed by a point from Aoife McGing helped them garner a 2-7 to 1-4 half-time lead.

Currabaggan kick-started their incredible comeback with a goal by Anna Cawley two minutes into the new half, with Ailbhe Sweeney adding a point, reducing the deficit to just two points (2-8 to 2-6).

Cawley struck for another goal to shunt her team ahead before Maely Hegarty’s point levelled matters for the west Mayo school. Brackloon’s Aoife Walsh and Currabaggan’s Cawley exchanged quick-fire goals, leaving the match was in the melting pot.

However, a significant moment of the contest arrived on 26 minutes when Elaina Ferguson’s close-range free kick rustled the back of the Brackloon net, and Currabaggan effectively ended the game as a contest when Ailbhe Sweeney added a sixth goal of the day with just a few minutes remaining.

Meanwhile, in what was probably one of the games of the day, Gaelscoil Uileog de Búrca captured the Division Two boys title after a terrific 3-11 to 2-7 victory over a doughty Brackloon National School.

Gaelscoil Uileog de Búrca raced into an early two-point lead thanks to a brace of points from Leo Ó Cionaoith (one free). However, Brackloon seemed well in control of proceedings as they landed a flurry of points from Kevin Moran, D.J. Bourke (two frees), Eoin Ó Raghallaigh and Conor O’Regan to lead 0-5 to 0-3 after 18 minutes.

Just before the break, Gaelscoil Uileog de Búrca netted a goal from Leo Ó Cionaoith, giving his team a 1-3 to 0-5 interval lead.

Five minutes into the new half, Brackloon plundered a goal of their own when Kevin Moran’s thunderbolt hit the back of the net, and the game continued to produce moments of magic thereafter.

A smashing goal from Uileog de Búrca’s Liam Mac Tomáis on 26 minutes was boosted by seven points on the spin by Leo Ó Cionaoith (five, three of whichw were frees), Arthur Ó Mórdha and Harry Ó Maolchaoin.

D.J. Bourke netted a consolation goal for Brackloon on 38 minutes when his swerving free kick ended up in the back of the net.

However, there was to be no denying Gaelscoil Uileog de Búrca and they rounded off a polished performance when Tom Mac Oscair netted a late goal.

Elsewhere, Roundford National School completed a historic three in a row of Division Three girls' titles as they defeated St. Jospeh’s National School, Meelick, by 9-7 to 6-8. However, such the victory seemed a long way off during the opening 10 minutes of the first half when Meelick raced into a 3-0 to 1-1 lead. Meelick’s goals arrived from Katelyn Moore (two) and Anna Brady, with Saoirse Hanrahan netting Roundfort’s opening goal.

Hanrahan, who would go on to be an influential forward for her team, added another goal on nine minutes.

Leading 3-4 to 2-3 at the interval, a positive start to the new half was imperative for Meelick but it was the chasers who raced out of the starting blocks for the second period and goals from Hanrahan (two) and Bróna Kelly turned the tide.

A goal for Meelick’s Moore, completing her hat trick, was followed by another for Roundfort’s Hanrahan during a ding-dong period of the second half.

The east Mayo school then began to change the momentum of the tie, with Moore adding a goal which was buttressed by 1-1 from Brady, and suddenly Meelick led 6-5 to 6-3.

A rocket of a goal from Roundfort’s Aoibhínn Malone briefly giving her team a slender lead before Brady’s point for Meelick levelled matters once again.

Trying to pick a winner at this stage of the game was next to impossible but a doughty Roundfort upped the tempo at a crucial phase and goals from Hanrahan and Emma Rose O’Reilly helped galvanize their lead.

Try as they might, there was no way back for Meelick and Roundfort celebrated a historic victory at Mayo GAA HQ.

In the Division Three boys final, SN Thuar Mhic Éadaigh produced some effective football in their impressive 3-12 to 1-8 victory over Bohola National School.

Thuar Mhic Éadaigh had most of the possession during the opening exchanges and points from Dara Ó Cualáin and Conor Breathnach were boosted by a superb goal from Alex Ó Doláin.

A gallant Bohola regrouped and landed two pointed frees from James Darcy and Shane McGahon.

Wary of a spirited Bohola comeback, Thuar Mhic Éadaigh conjured up further goal-scoring opportunities which were seized by James Ó Doláin and Dara Ó Cualáin, and at half-time they were 3-6 to 0-4 ahead.

Bohola were fired up for the second period and kick-started their comeback hopes with 1-3 from the deadly Shane McGahon inside the opening six minutes.

Gradually, the Gaeltacht side asserted their dominance once again and points from James Ó Doláin and Alex Ó Doláin mustered a 3-9 to 1-7 advantage.

Try as they might, there was no way back for a spirited Bohola side, but the east Mayo school could be proud of their efforts on the day.

In the Division Four girls final, Lankill National School claimed a historic title as they defeated St. Mary’s National School, Partry, on a 3-5 to 1-4 scoreline.

Lankill made the dream start with an early goal as Áine Hughes found the back of the net. They soon added their second goal of the tie on 10 minutes when Sophie Collins’ rocket flew into the corner of the net.

Jennifer McGuire notched a third goal for Lankill, and they led 3-2 to 0-2 during the half-time break.

Partry needed a lucky break, and it arrived four minutes into the second half when Sarah Foley’s speculative long-range effort flew into the back of the net. Now rejuvenated, St. Mary's chipped away at the Lankill lead thanks to a brace of points from Laoíse Heneghan.

However, Lankill managed to hold on and they celebrated a cherished victory at the sounding of the full-time whistle.

There was an avalanche of goals in the Division Four boys final, with Irishtown National School recording a staggering 11-18 to 3-7 victory over Killeen National School.

Irishtown made a whirlwind start, with Séamí Roche scoring a point before the same player set up Luke Roche for a goal. Séamí Roche also notched a goal on three minutes, and he ended up with an impressive personal tally of 5-11.

Further goals from Kealan Raftery and Séamí Roche on five and six minutes had Irishtown well ahead, although Killeen NS plundered a goal of their own on 10 minutes, much to the delight of their loyal band of supporters.

One minute later, Killeen added a second goal thanks to Cillian Coyne, but their comeback hopes received a setback moments before the break when Séamí Roche completed his first-half hat trick, helping his team to a 5-9 to 2-4 interval lead.

Irishtown netted two goals during the opening five minutes of the new half through Séamí Roche and Kealan Raftery, with Crevan O’Malley firing home a goal for the chasers during this period of the game.

The leaders closed out proceedings impressively, goals from Luke Roche (two), Bobby Murphy and Séamí Roche putting the icing on the cake for the south Mayo school.

In the day's first final, Taugheen National School recorded a hard-fought 5-11 to 3-4 victory over Carrakennedy in the Division Five girls decider.

Cara Trench was in sparkling form for Taugheen and her three first-half goals helped muster a 3-5 to 0-2 half-time lead for the south Mayo girls.

Carrakenndy bounced back on the resumption and a scorching free kick from Kate Conway ended up in the back of the net. However, Taugheen's Trench added her fourth goal of the joust to garner a 4-5 to 1-3 lead for her team.

Carrakennedy kept plugging away though, and a free from Conway was soon boosted by a goal from the same player.

Conway’s team-mate Grace O’Malley then added another goal for the west Mayo school and the deficit was reduced somewhat, although Taugheen still had a sizable advantage (4-11 to 3-4).

A gallant Carrakennedy poured forward towards the end of the game but their brave challenge was ended when Grace Cahill’s late free kick for Taugheen fortuitously ended up in the back of the net.

Finally, Mount Palmer claimed some coveted silverware as they edged a Titanic encounter against Lecanvey on a 1-10 to 2-6 scoreline in the Division Five boys final.

Both sides played with spirit during the opening exchanges, with Mount Palmer’s Cian McDonnell and Leecanvey’s Ethan Walsh swapping a brace of frees apiece.

Mount Palmer slightly edged the battle for possession for the remainder of the first half and points were notched by Shay O’Boyle (three) and Jospeh Schuster, which helped establish a 0-6 to 0-2 half-time lead for the Kilfian-based school.

The leaders netted a goal during the embryonic stages of the new half thanks to Shay O’Boyle, but that lead was reeled in when Lecanvey’s Bodhi Heneghan also found the back of the net on 14 minutes.

The Kilfian school very nearly fashioned a second goal on 15 minutes but Shay O’Boyle’s goal-bound effort was brilliantly saved by Lecanvey goalie Cathal Toland.

The game remained on a knife edge and one wondered if extra time was going to be required when Lecanvey’s Bodhi Heneghan added his second goal to restore parity (1-8 to 2-5).

Either side could easily have won the silverware but the contest was decided when Mount Palmer’s Cian McDonnell guided over a late pointed effort to seal the deal.