On Wednesday, 18th June, as part of Active School Week, our Second Class football team took part in their very first football tournament in Collinstown Park. Having trained hard since Easter, they were eager to put their skills to the test against local schools St. Peter’s JNS and St. Bernadette’s JNS. There had been huge excitement in the lead-up, and the day certainly lived up to expectations!
The sun was shining on Wednesday morning as Anthony Byrne set up the pitches in Collinstown for what would become a truly fantastic day. As we walked down into the park, we could tell it was going to be special—St. Peter’s JNS were arriving from the opposite direction, backed by a huge group of enthusiastic supporters from their school.
St. Bernadette’s arrived shortly after with a similar crowd of fans, and the tournament quickly took on a carnival atmosphere. Over the next hour and a half, the park was filled with cheering, chanting, and some brilliant football.
The parents of the St. Mary’s JNS football team did a great job encouraging our players—but they weren’t alone for long. Both First and Second Classes arrived shortly after, bringing flags, chants, and a wave of energy that transformed into a cheerleading squad led by Ms. Fields and some very enthusiastic pom-poms!
Despite the heat, both St. Mary’s teams gave it everything they had. The matches featured outstanding saves from our goalkeepers, brave tackles in defence, clever passes from midfielders, and some goals that left the St. Mary’s crowd stunned with delight.
The day ended on a high note, with all players receiving medals and enjoying well-deserved drinks and treats after putting on a fantastic show for half of Rowlagh. We’re already looking forward to next year, and we hope this becomes an annual event!
Finally, we’d like to extend some heartfelt thanks.
Thank you to Active South Dublin for funding the school’s purchase of new goals and footballs, which made training and the tournament possible.
Thank you to SuperValu Rowlagh and Terry’s Fresh Today for sponsoring the snacks and drinks.
Thank you to Mr. Wall and Mr. Molloy from St. Bernadette's JNS and St. Peter's JNS for getting involved and preparing their excellent teams.
And the biggest thank you of all goes to the parents of the football team. Week after week, they volunteered their time to coach the children and played a huge role in making the tournament a success. A special mention to Anthony Byrne for his leadership in coaching the kids and for setting everything up on the day, and to Anita and Rebecca Byrne for their initiative in securing sponsorship for the refreshments.
What a day. What a team. What a community.
