Photographs provided by Cumann na mBunscol Dublin GAA
By Kathrin Kobus
Just before the summer break, the soccer team from St. Patrick’s B.N.S. celebrated victory in the schools’ competitions for Division 5. They succeeded with a penalty shoot-out against St. Joseph’s East Wall.
It was their team captain for that day, John O’Sullivan’s last game he played for St.Patrick’s because he has switched with the help of a scholarship to St. Michael’s.
Principal Ian Lane is quite happy about it, apart from losing a top soccer player, of course. “We have two or three others now where the paperwork is already in the line,” he told NewsFour recently, recalling a successful sporting year for his school.
After the summer break the Gaelic football dominated the school sports. The majority of the boys who had lined out in May in blue did so again in autumn, but now in red and white colours at the Cuman nanBunscol Dublin GAA competition.
St. Patrick’s boys worked and won their way steadily through, and right up to, the first big challenge in the semi-final against Guardian Angels. There was no stopping the Ringsenders, so in October, the team led by captain Darragh Crilly ran out on the pitch in Croke Park for the finale against St. Mary’s, Lamb’s Cross.
St. Pat’s stormed way ahead, leading from early on but it got close in the end. Two goals apiece from Josh McGuinness and Luke Harte plus one goal each from Calum Bradshaw and Sean O’Brien secured a three-point win. The margin was confirmed by the referee after the final whistle and the cheers and jumps of joy followed suit.
That makes it two team cups for this calendar year, plus medals some pupils got in other sporting activities with school or clubs. As the principal pointed out: “We are not just doing the football or the GAA but lately we also started hockey, and the boys love it. And there is also hiking, swimming and rowing, and maybe rugby as well.” Well, as long as academic results don’t get left behind.
