Masita GAA All-Ireland Post Primary Schools

Paddy Buggy Cup Final

Cross & Passion College, Ballycastle 1-15 Calasanctius College, Oranmore 1-14

Saturday 15 March 2025

Brendan McTaggart reports from Ballyshannon

Cross & Passion held off the challenge of Calasanctius College to claim the Paddy Buggy Cup for the fourth time in their history on Saturday afternoon.

One point separated the sides at the end of the hour, in truth the score line flattered the Oranmore school, their goal came with the last puck of the game.

It was an excellent second half from the Mageean Cup winners who held a slender on point lead at the interval but held the Galway school scoreless for the opening 16 minutes of the second half.  In that same period of time, they rattled over four points to open a five point gap that was effectively the winning of the game.

It was a tough, physical game of hurling with neither side taking a backward step.  Defensively, CPC were excellent with Liam Glackin putting in a captains performance at centre half back.  He had plenty of support with Cian Baudant, Reece Cunning and Eunan Johnson all excelling while Darragh Kinney and Ronan ‘Rosey’ Fitzgerald combined superbly in midfield.  Up top, Oisin McCallin and Cadhan Crawford were always a threat and the Oranmore school did well to curtail their influence on the game, especially in the second half while Roan McGarry’s accuracy from placed ball was a major factor in deciding the outcome of this game.

Calasanctius scoring was heavily reliant on the prodigious talents of Colm Burke.  The midfielder would finish with 12 points – four of those coming from open play and he was a constant threat that CPC had to deal with.  He had little in the way of support however as the Oranmore school struggled against a strong CPC defence.

Roan McGarry and Crawford top scored for CPC, McGarry with four white flags while Crawford showed his predatory instincts with his sides goal in the eighth minute of the contest.

Man of the match came from further out the field however.  Conor Donnelly had an excellent game, more so in the second half while Rosey Fitzgerald signed off his school hurling career with an outstanding display but Glackin got my nod with a commanding performance that lead his side to All Ireland glory.

Both side showed signs of nerves in the opening exchanges before Colm Burke opened the scoring in the fourth minute.  It would be the Galway schools last score for 12 minutes though as CPC settled into the final.

Points came from Niall McClean and McCallin, the latter with a superb score from wide on the left before Crawford struck his major.  Roan McGarry’s effort for a point came back off the upright and with the Calasanctius defence on their heels, Crawford stole in behind to make the most of the dropping sliotar and the goal at his mercy.

Crawford would hit the next point of the game, capitalising on a poor puck out to fire over as CPC looked to make the most of their purple patch.

The Galway school added to their score by points from Gus Lohan and Colm Burke (free) before they were awarded a penalty in the 15^th minute.  Lohan causing problems in the CPC defence before evading the challenge of ‘keeper Anthony Mullan.  Reece Cunning looked to retrieve the situation with some excellent last gasp defending but he was adjudged to have fouled Lohan.  It looked a harsh decision but it was given after consultation with his umpires and Cunning given a yellow card for his troubles.

Colm Burke stood over the penalty but fired over the bar with a rasping drive.  He would score another brace (one free) to tie the sides before Roan McGarry edged CPC ahead once again but a trio of scores from Costello and Colm Burke (one free, one ’65) gave Calasanctius a two point lead with three minutes of the half remaining.

CPC finished the half on top however.  Padraig Martin split the uprights before McCallin and Fitzgerald followed suit in the time that remained.  It could have been even better for CPC but Conor Donnelly’s effort was cleared off the line by Thomas Blake but it was a deserving half time lead for the Ballycastle school.

The opening exchanges of the second half was the winning of the game for CPC.  Scores came from Kinney, McCallin with his third of the final before a brilliant steal and score from Conor Donnelly.  Roan McGarry fired over CPC’s first from a free in the 39^th minute as the CPC lead grew to five.

As the second half progressed, indiscipline was creeping into Calasanctius and Tiernan Grealish saw red for an off the ball incident with Martin and gave his school an uphill task with 18 minutes of the game remaining. 

They would score the next two points of the game with Colm Burke adding to his tally with a brace of frees but CPC dug deep in the final quarter.

Rosey Fitzgerald (two) and Roan McGarry (free) in the space of six minutes came with a solitary free from Colm Burke the only response from Calasanctius. 

With two minutes of the final remaining, Roan McGarry split the uprights to put five between the sides once again and while it was CPC’s last score of the final, it was enough.  The Oranmore school laid siege on the CPC goal with Jake Keady’s rasping drive superbly saved by Anthony Mullan and while Colm Burke fired over his 12^th point of the final at the end of the hour, time looked to be running out. 

They did manage to score a goal with what was the last action of the final.  ‘Keeper Harry Keady sending a ’65 to the edge of the square and while CPC dealt with the initial danger, substitute Niall de Paor squeezed the sliotar over the line. 

It was too little, too late for the Galway school however as CPC had done enough and earned the right to be called All-Ireland Champions for 2025!

TEAMS

CPC: Anthony Mullan; Darragh Kinney, Cian Baudant, Eunan Johnson; Reece Cunning, Liam Glackin, Ardan Kelly; Darragh Donnelly, Ronan Fitzgerald; Niall McClean, Conor Donnelly, Padraig Martin; Oisin McCallin, Roan McGarry, Cadhan Crawford

Subs: Conan Johnson for N McClean (52); Logan McConville for P Martin (60); Aidan Richmond for O McCallin (Inj)

Scorers: R McGarry 0-4 (3fs); C Crawford 1-1; O McCallin 0-3; R Fitzgerald 0-3; D Kinney 0-1; N McClean 0-1; C Donnelly 0-1; P Martin 0-1

CCO: Harry Keady; Sean Martyn, Thomas Blake, Alan Connaughton; Shay Rabbit, Fionn Fahy, Tiernan Grealish; Colm Burke, Eanna Costello; Matthew Furey, Jake Keady, Charlie Healy; Gus Lohan, Michael Leahy, Liam Burke

Subs: Stephen Ruane for M Furey (47); Darragh King for L Burke (52); Niall de Paor for S Rabbit (53)

Scorers: C Burke 0-12 (7fs 1’65); N de Paor 1-00; E Costello 0-1; G Lohan 0-1

TO SEE MORE OF BRENDAN’S PICS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINL BELOW

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Above – The Cross & Passion team and management wearing an Antrim strip for their All Ireland semi-final win over Clonmel two weeks ago. The boys will be back in the school colours on Saturdsay or the final

Masita GAA Post Primary Schools Paddy Buggy Cup Final

Cross & Passion College v Calasanctius College Oranmore at Ballyshannon

When you think of venues for big hurling finals Ballyshannon does not instantly spring to mind, but tomorrow Cross & Passion Ballycastle travel to the Donegal town to face Galway’s Calasanctius College Oranmore in the Paddy Buggy Cup final. Two weeks ago when they beat Munster champions Clonmel in the semi-final in UCD, Bellfield we all thought that the we would be back in Dublin for the final, with Abbotstown the probable venue….but it was not to be. We were all thinking of venues in the Dublin area, and to be honest nobody would have thought of Ballyshannon, Co Donegal as a venue for an All Ireland hurling final, but that is where it is fixed for. That is not a complaint, for word has it that the pitch is in great shape and the venue is equidistant from for both teams, the drive for both sets of fans around the two and a half hour mark.

CPC’s opponents are different than most of the teams they have faced in the past, with the vast majority of their players coming from one club, the local Oranmore-Maree GAC.

In their semi-final win over Leinster champions Enniscorthy of Wexford thirteen of the starting team were from Oranmore, the other two came from Castlegar, a club that is well known in Ballycastle. When the McQuillan’s became the first Antrim team to reach an All Ireland club final back in 1980 it was Castlegar they faced in the final in Navan, the Galway champions, back-boned by the famous Connolly family, winning a tight game by four point.

Oranmore were excellent in their semi-final win over Enniscorthy. Like CPC’s semi-final against Clonmel this was a really had fought contest and when the Wexord champions went two ahead with ten minutes left for play they appeared to be on course for a place in the final. However Oranmore finished strongly, hitting the last six points without reply to seal their place in the decider.

Joe Cassidy and his backroom team are reporting a clean bitt of health going into tomorrow’s game and are expected to line out along the same lines as they did against Clonmel.

Eoin Richmond should start in goal with Reece Richmond, Cian Baudant and Eunan Johnston taking their places in the full back line. Darragh Donnelly, team captain Liam Glackin and Arden Kelly formed the half back line in the semi-final and should do so again tomorrow, while Ronan Fitxgerald and Darragh Kinney should again be at midfield. Niall McClean, Conor Donnelly and Paudie Martin should once again form the half forward line with Oisin McCallin, Roan McGarry and Cadhan Crawford wearing the 13, 14 and 15 jerseys.

Its tem years since CPC journeyed home with the Paddy Buggy Cup. Tomorrow they are bidding to do it for the fourth time. They will face very tough opposition, but they have the players to do it, and if they can produce a performance like they did in Dublin two weeks ago that should get them over the line again.

Google Maps is showing the journey to take roughly two and a quarter hours so fans should be on the road early. The team will leave the school at 8am and the fans will probably start setting off around 10ish. Enjoy the journey and the game. These chances don’t come along too often.

Paddy Buggy has enjoyed the last year in North Antrim. Im sure he would like to come back for another year!

For those who can’t make it to Ballyshannon here is the link to watch the game online.

All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Paddy Buggy Cup Final

Cross & Passion College v Calasanctius College Oranmore

Saturday 15th March- 2pm Ballyshannon

Live stream

link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfmPUyE0zc8