Heroic Offaly school return to All-Ireland final after impressive win in semi-final

A HEROIC young Ard Scoil, Chiarain, Clara side provied a real blast from the past as they qualified for the All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Senior Football 'D' final with a terrific win over Donegal's Pobalscoil Ghaoth Dobhair in Sligo on Wednesday.

All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Senior Football 'D' semi-final

Ard Scoil Chairain, Clara 1-9
Pobalscoil Ghaoth Dobhair, Donegal 0-8

Displaying terrific character and commitment in a real tough battle, Ard Scoil deserved to win and now prepare for an All-Ireland final.

Their performance rekindled fond memories of a glorious past for many in the school, town of Clara and surrounding areas. Ard Scoil Chiarain had a tremendous run of success back in the 1990s-2000s, winning All-Ireland Junior and Senior Vocational Schools Football Championships.

Before that, they had won an All-Ireland Vocational Schools Junior Football Championship title in 1983 with a team that included two All-Ireland U-21 football medal winners in 1988, James Stewart (Clara) and the late Padraig Moran (Tubber).

They had a golden era in the late 1990s/early 2000s. They won the All-Ireland Vocational Schools Junior Football Championship in 1999 and two years later, reached their pinnacle when they captured the senior crown with a terrific 1-11 to 0-5 win over Kerry's Causeway Comprehensive in the final.

That was a great time for all in the school. With retired teachers and two well known, successful football trainers, Larry Lynam and Dominic Guinan at the helm, Ard Scoil's success in those years created a welter of excitement in Clara and the surrounding clubs that they drew pupils in from. It was an exceptional Ard Scoil team with several of them going on to play county football for Offaly at various levels. John Reynolds and Thomas Deehan played a lot of very good football for Offaly seniors for years while Kevin Meehan, Matthew Mitchell and Joe Quinn also did well at that level.

In all Ard Scoil, have won five Leinster junior football titles (1983, 1993, '96, 97 and '99) and four provincial senior championships (1994, '97, '99 and 2001) along with their three All-Ireland titles.

Other Offaly footballers went through the school. Ballycumber's Colm Quinn, a Leinster SFC and National Football League winning star in 1997 and 1998, was on the Ard Scoil team that won the Leinster VS senior football title in 1993. Scott Brady, a defender in the 2000s, was on the 1997 Leinster VS senior football champions.

Football has been an integral part of school life for decades but they have struggled in recent years. Schools football changed some years ago with Vocational Schools competitions disbanded and them playing against colleges under the one umbrella. Colleges competitions have always had a much higher profile than Vocational Schools, occupying a pivotal place in the wider GAA psyche thanks to the excellence of some of their great sides in football and hurling and the household names that went through their ranks – some were boarding schools and the exploits of schools such as St Kieran's of Kilkenny, St Flannan's of Ennis and Cork's North Monastery in hurling and St Jarlath's of Tuam, St Mel's of Longford, St Patrick's of Maghera and St Brendan's of Killarney in football are part of GAA folklore.

There have also been outstanding teams and players at Vocational Schools level and Ard Scoil Chiarain have ensured their own legacy. With all schools in the same championships now, competition is tougher and Ard Scoil's re-emergence this year is another hugely positive development for Offaly GAA.

They did really well to win this game. Their win was particularly noteworthy as they were missing their star player Marcas Dalton. Dalton, a key member of the Offaly U-20 football squad, came off injured in the Leinster final and couldn't feature here. It was a serious achievement to win with him absent and Ard Scoil will be hoping he can get back for the All-Ireland final.

It was a real tough, dog eat dog battle with no quarter aked or given. Exchanges were tight the whole way through with Ard Scoil getting in front at half time, 1-3 to 0-2 with Myles Handy getting the all important goal.

Crucially Ard Scoil took most of their chances in the first half and they kept their noses in front in the second half. It was always tight, however. Pobalscoil Ghaoth Dobhair got the gap back to two points, 1-5 to 0-6 after 40 minutes but Ard Scoil showed their character when the serious questions were asked. They got crucial scores when needed and got the gap back up to four points at the final whistle.

ARD SCOIL CHIARAIN, CLARA: Tommie Bracken; Kevin Minnock, Christian McKeon, Ryan Carroll; Ronan Touhey, Daragh McKeon, Conor Taylor; Conor Doyle, Ciaran McKeon; James Cullen, Scott Griffith, Myles Handy; Greg Byrne, Barry Egan, Ben Kennedy.