National soccer title for talented Offaly primary school students
Mucklagh National School unbeaten in super 20 game run
THERE was a great sense of satisfaction and joy in a closely knit Offaly community on Tuesday when a multi-talented group of primary school girls captured a prestigious national soccer title.
Mucklagh National School were outstanding as they won their grade in the FAI Primary Schools 5s in Dublin's Aviva Stadium, playing some great soccer and winning all three of their games.
It was a super run by the young girls, with all bar one of them, Meabh Cassidy, in sixth class and heading into Secondary School at the end of August.
They played seventeen games to get to the final, winning in Offaly, mid Leinster and Leinster competitions and then taking three wins in the finals on Tuesday – the games were on a group basis with the team with the highest points tally taking the honours.
There was a large turnout of parents, family members and locals as the squad made a triumphant return to Mucklagh Village on Tuesday evening – there were loud cheers as a garda escort led the team bus into Mucklagh.
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They are an exceptional group of sports girls and have also excelled in ladies football, camogie and basketball – they were unbeaten in their 20 games.
This was Mucklagh's second time to win it – they were successful in 2019 when one of their stars was a future Irish soccer international, Ellen Dolan.
Managed by teachers Keith O'Connor and Claire McIntyre, they beat Pilltown from Waterford 3-1, Breaffy from Mayo 1-0 and Raphoe from Donegal 3-1 with the exceptional Alice Cunningham winning the player of the tournament award.
The Mucklagh panel was: Ciara Craven, Lauren Bane, Emma Cosgrave, Alice Cunningham, Grace Cooney, Amy O'Grady, Kate McLoughlin, Meabh Cassidy.