June 2004

Second Ribena FAIS All-Ireland Title in Three Years for Greencastle Girls

There were jubilant scenes in Greencastle last week when the victorious St Colmcille's national school girls team returned to the village following their win in the finals of the Ribena FAIS National Primary Finals.

A large crowd lined the footpath outside the school to welcome the girls home. Earlier in the day the cavalcade of well wishers who travelled to Meath to support the girls swelled when it came in to Muff as friends and family who could not be at the finals joined the convoy on the final part of its journey home.

The team dominated the finals as they had the Inishowen and Ulster stages of the Ribena sponsored nationwide competition, scoring 12 goals and conceding only three, winning all three games.

The results brings to four the number of National School titles won by Greencastle school. The girls team also won in 2002 (2004 team member Ciara Hegarty is a surviving member of the side) to add to the two titles won by boys sides.

Team coach Thomas Lake said the tremendous support of the local community is a big factor in Greencastle's continued success in this competition.

Greencastle was black with people when the team arrived in Greencastle. Thomas Lake commented "It was like Regatta Day." He admitted he would have been disappointed had his team not won in Navan. The only regret Lake has is that all the girls are in sixth class, he will have to start from scratch again next year! That's something the Moville man is used to doing, having coached soccer at the school for the last 16 years.

The St Colmcille National School Greencastle who won the girls school title at the Ribena FAIS National Primary finals in Navan. Back row from left Ciara Hegarty, Laura Canning, Leonie Furlong, Shaunagh Gillespie, Lóirín Melarkey, Front row from left Catriona Cavanagh, Danielle Barr, Evelyn Mc Laughlin

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