Corn Uí Mhuirí S-Final – Rochestown 1-10 St Brendans 1-9

St. Francis College Rochestown defeated St Brendans Killarney by 1-10 to 1-9 in the Corn Uí Mhuirí Under 18 1/2 A Football Semi-Final on Saturday February 7th at Mallow.

#CornUiMhuiri SF: Roco 1-10 St. Brendans 1-09 @Rocogaa @Munsterpps all over! Roco win!

— Rochestown College (@rococork) February 7, 2015

Roco revel in quadruple chase

By Edward Newman for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Munster Post Primary SAFA semi-final: St Francis College, Rochestown 1-10 St Brendan’s College, Killarney 1-9

St Francis College, Rochestown wrote another memorable chapter in their fairytale season when overcoming fancied St. Brendan’s, Killarney in an absorbing Corn Uí Mhuirí semi-final at Mallow on Saturday.

Already Harty Cup finalists, the Cork school remain on course for a quadruple of senior titles having being crowned Simcox Cup (Cork Colleges senior football) and O’Callaghan Cup (Cork Colleges senior hurling) champions, ‘Roco’ now aim to make it a clean sweep of titles and also complete a Munster ‘Double’ and equal a feat last achieved by Coláiste Iognáid Rís (Sullivan’s Quay) in 1975.

It was fitting that, as the 2015 team left the field, members of the last successful ‘Roco’ Corn Uí Mhuirí side of 1950 were on hand to offer their congratulations to a team containing 11 dual players and who now must first prepare for a Harty final on February 21 followed a week later by the football decider.

Team manager, Liam Murphy, described his group as one that “doesn’t get too worked up” about the hype building around them. “This is an absolutely fantastic result,” beamed the Watergrasshill clubman. “It’s all about momentum now but this group won’t get too worked up about the hype.”

Meanwhile, it was heartbreak for St. Brendan’s who were seconds from bringing this game to extra-time but struck wide in one of the game’s last plays. The Kerry boys stayed true to the Kingdom’s rich heritage, playing a wonderful brand of football, but will rue the 14 wides they shot over the hour. Cork minor football captain Seán Powter proved the match hero, coolly converting an injury time point in a powerful second-half performance from the Cork school that now goes forward to play Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne.

Rochestown overcame a five point deficit in a gutsy second-half performance where Powter, Niall Quirke, Shane Kingston, Evan Ryle and Daniel Meaney in a team of heroes played starring roles, while Brendan’s best performers included David Carroll, Shane Courtney, Dan O’Brien, Matt Rennie, Evan Cronin, Ronan Buckley and Michael Burns.

The ‘Sem’ could have been out of sight by half time: dominating possession they hit a rocky patch in the second quarter shooting six consecutive wides, though they still managed to lead 1-5 to 0-5 at the break, their 29th minute goal finished by Listry’s Ronan Buckley after some brilliant build-up play from Rennie, Gavin Whyte and Cronin. And having kicked the first two points of the second-half through Buckley and the impressive Burns, it looked like St. Brendan’s would be heading to yet another Corn Uí Mhuirí final.

However, Rochestown re-jigged their team, the decisive move being Evan Ryle’s to midfield. There the Carrigaline player dictated affairs as Roco hit 1-4 without reply, the points courtesy of Liam O’Sullivan, the inspirational Powter, Ben McAuliffe and Shane Kingston while the goal came from the hardworking Daniel Meaney in the 53rd minute. Minutes earlier it could have been curtains for the ‘Sem’ but Spa’s David Carroll saved bravely from a powerful Kingston shot.

The Killarney college struck back to level affairs with points from Liam Kearney and a superb effort two minutes into injury from Dara Moynihan, but Powter had other ideas driving forward from centre back to land the crucial score. “We’re lucky the vast majority of our players in both hurling and football are fourth and fifth year students,” added Murphy afterwards, “so most of our Leaving Certs aren’t affected.”

Scorers for St. Francis: D Meaney 1-0; S Kingston (free) 0-3 (0-2frees); S Powter 0-2; C Cormack, M McAuliffe, B McAuliffe, E Ryle and L O’Sullivan 0-1 each.

Scorers for St. Brendan’s: R Buckley 1-2; M Burns (free) and E Cronin 0-2 each; D Clifford (free), D Moynihan and Matt Rennie 0-1 each.

ROCHESTOWN: P. Lynch (St. Michael’s);D Murphy (Douglas), N Quirke (Carrigaline), N Walsh (Douglas);D Kelleher (Cobh),S Powter (Douglas), D Griffin (Carrigaline); E O’Brien (Douglas), L Dineen (Douglas); D Meaney (St. Michael’s), E Ryle (Carrigaline), M McAuliffe (Douglas), S Kingston (capt) (Douglas), C Cormack (St. Michael’s), L. O’Sullivan (St. Michael’s).
Subs: B McAuliffe for Dineen (ht); K O’Donovan (Nemo Rangers) for M McAuliffe (53); D Stack (Carrigaline) for Kelleher (58).

ST. BRENDAN’S: D Carroll (Spa); D Naughton (Dr Crokes), S Courtney (Glenflesk), J Flynn (Firies); G Whyte (Dr Crokes), D O’Brien (Glenflesk), M McCarthy (Spa); R Buckley (Listry), M Rennie (Fossa); E Cronin (Spa), M Burns (Dr Crokes), D Moynihan (Spa); D Clifford (Fossa), M Foley (Spa), L O’Donoghue (Glenflesk).
Subs: B Courtney (Dr Crokes) for Rennie (inj. 45); L Kearney (Spa) (capt) for Clifford (48); W Courtney (Firies) for O’Donoghue (51); C Spillane (Spa) for Buckley (55). D Doherty (Legion) for Flynn (59) .

Referee: K. Walsh (Clare)

Rochestown stun St Brendan’s to keep remarkable double bid alive

Report from the42.ie

SEAN POWTER WAS the stoppage-time hero as Rochestown College booked their place in the Corn Uí Mhuirí final and kept their Munster double dream alive.

The Cork school struck late to pip Killarney powerhouse St Brendan’s and set up a decider with Pobalscoil Corca Dhuibhne on 28 February. It was Brendan’s who hit the front in Mallow and Ronan Buckley’s goal shortly before the break helped them into a 1-5 to 0-5 lead. Two quick points after the restart stretched their lead to five but they were held scoreless until the closing minutes as Rochestown rallied with a vengeance.

They fired 1-4 without reply, capped by Daniel Meaney’s goal in the 52nd minute following some good work by Shane Kingston.
That put them ahead by 1-9 to 1-7 but Brendan’s, 20-time winners of this competition, weren’t done and drew level in the first minute of stoppage time.

It looked set to finish all square before Powter ventured forward from wing-back to kick the winning score and set up a massive week for Rochestown who face Thurles CBS in their first-ever Harty Cup final on 21 February before the football decider a week later.
They will have their work cut out for them against a Corca Dhuibhne side who continued their bid for four-in-a-row with a six-point win against Clonakilty.

Only a point separated the sides after a nip-and-tuck first half in Knocknagree, Corca Dhuibhne leading 0-5 to 0-4.
Clonakilty stuck to their task after the restart and only trailed by two with 10 minutes to play before the champions pulled away.
Corn Uí Mhuirí semi-finals

When – Saturday February 7^th at 12:30pm

Where – Mallow

Referee – Kevin Walsh

Admission Prices

Adults – €5
Students / OAP’s – €3

All Media and Munster Council passes accepted.

For the Record

Corn Uí Mhuirí Knockout Stages

Quarter-Finals

St. Francis College Rochestown 1-9 Col na Sceilge 2-4

St Brendans Killarney 0-13 HS Clonmel 1-6

Clonakilty CC 1-13 IS Killorglin 1-5

PS Chorca Dhuibhne 2-10 Tralee CBS 1-3

Semi-Finals

Fixed for Saturday February 7^th

St Brendans Killarney V St. Francis College Rochestown in Mallow at 12:30pm

Chorca Dhuibhne V Clonakilty CC in Knocknagree at 1:30pm

Final

Fixed for Saturday February 28^th

Corn Uí Mhuirí Table after Group Stages

Corn Uí Mhuirí Roll Of Honour

St. Brendan’s, Killarney (20) – 1929, 1930, 1937, 1938, 1942, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1963, 1966, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1986, 1992, 1994, 2008, 2010

Tralee CBS (15) – 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1940, 1941, 1944, 1945, 1948, 1953, 1955, 1976, 1999, 2000, 2007

Coláiste Chríost Rí, Cork (15) – 1967, 1968, 1970, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1997, 1998, 2004, 2011

Colaiste Iosagain, Ballyvourney (7) – 1949, 1951, 1952, 1954, 1957, 1971, 1981

De La Salle College Waterford (5) – 1958, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965

Colaiste Na Sceilge, Caherciveen (4) – 2001, 2002, 2003, 2009

North Monastery, Cork (3) – 1935, 1936, 1988

St Flannan’s College, Ennis (3) – 1959, 1993, 1995

St. Fachtna’s, Skibbereen (3) – 1982, 1990, 1991

Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne (3) – 2012, 2013, 2014

Limerick CBS (2) – 1956, 1960

CBS High School Clonmel (1) – 1928

Colaste na Mumhan (1) – 1939

Rochestown College (1) – 1950

Intermediate School, Killorglin (1) – 1996

Coláiste an Spioraid Naoimh, Cork (1) – 2005

De La Salle, Macroom (1) – 2006