06 December 2024
Mountbellew Agricultural College’s Sports Teams Resemble ‘The Invincibles’
After a period of drought, Mountbellew Agricultural College’s sports teams have returned to GAA’s top table by winning all competitions available to them in the academic year – a feat never before achieved by an agricultural college, writes Christopher Scally, Distance Education Course Coordinator.
It’s May 15th, 2004, and Arsenal Football Club have achieved something which no other footballing great has ever been able to achieve in their respective histories – a full domestic league campaign unbeaten. After 38 league games, Arsenal beat Leicester City 2-1 in their final league encounter, etching their names in the record books, never to be removed or undone.
Twenty years on and Arsenal’s timeless legacy is still talked about with as much vigour today as it was all those seasons ago. This mark left on English and world football alike has justly christened the Arsenal team of the 2003/2004 season with the title ‘The Invincibles’.
Akin to ‘The Invincibles’, Mountbellew Agricultural College (MAC) has produced a conveyer belt of talent within both the football and hurling codes down through the decades. The culmination of this talent has resulted in several All-Ireland Agricultural College final successes. However, never before has MAC, or any other agricultural college, achieved a ‘clean sweep’ – claiming All-Ireland success on both the 7s and 15s fronts in football and hurling, respectively.
Enthused by the victories, Principal of Mountbellew Agricultural College, Dr. Edna Curley provided some words of encouragement: “Hearty congratulations to the team, panel and management that have worked so hard this year to achieve the unthinkable.
“The coming together of a group of learners under the flag of Mountbellew Agricultural College, and their success in winning each competition, is truly the stuff of legends.
“This incredible achievement will undoubtedly be remembered and spoken about for years to come, serving as a lasting testament to their dedication, teamwork, and perseverance. Well done to everyone involved in making this remarkable accomplishment a reality!”
Echoing Dr. Curley, Head of Education in Teagasc, Dr. Anne-Marie Butler congratulated the respective teams on their achievements, commenting: “Education at Teagasc goes beyond the classroom or practical environs, it allows our learners to develop and enhance key life skills, such as team work, dedication and preparedness – values exhibited by all the teams competing in the All-Ireland Colleges competitions.
“Each year, our educators give freely of their time to ensure that our students experience the full college experience. Notwithstanding our educational opportunities, the sport and social scene is essential to ensure students undertaking an education with Teagasc can find a place of belonging, develop friendships for life and thus allow them to develop in an academic environment.
“Along with extending my congratulations to the teams from Mountbellew Agricultural College, I want to thank all staff and students who participated in these competitions for your dedication, hard work and effort.”
7s Hurling
MAC’s sporting year commenced on Tuesday, October 1st when the hurlers competed in the 7s competition, which was held in Borrisokane, Co. Tipperary. Faced with tough opposition from traditional hurling strongholds in Cork, Limerick, Kilkenny, and Tipperary, respectively, MAC navigated their way to the final of the competition.
The 7s Hurling team from Mountbellew Agricultural College
Their route to the pinnacle of the competition was far from conventional – an opening round loss to a spirited and abundantly talented Kildalton Agricultural College meant MAC had to play the remaining games with one clear objective: not to lose a further game or their hopes of winning the competition would be quashed.
MAC’s hurlers embraced this adversity, and through tough round-robin games, they eventually booked their place in the final against Pallaskenry Agricultural College. In a game that ebbed and flowed, MAC secured the final win and tasted their first All-Ireland success in a number of years.
7s Football
Fast-forward eight days and it was the turn of MAC’s footballers. They made the two-hour trip to Thurles, Co. Tipperary to compete in the All-Ireland 7s Football competition. Although MAC had prepared quite diligently, management was unsure if the myriad of talent that they had at their disposal would translate to the playing field. This theory, similar to the hurlers’, would, once again, be proved wrong.
Players on the football 7s team from Mountbellew Agricultural College
In their opening round game against Pallaskenry, the footballers of MAC began to establish their foothold on their competition. A teak-tough defence, athletic and dynamic midfield, and ruthless forward line led the charge for the north-westerners. After some tactical and positional corrections, MAC powered their way to the final, never trailing the opposition at any juncture up to that point in time.
Again, adversity struck – MAC’s final couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start – an opening minute goal by Kildalton meant that they trailed for the first time in the competition. Kildalton’s goal was duly followed up with several well-taken points to leave them in command at the halftime interval. MAC’s assignment was now clear, and their resolve would be examined in microscopic detail.
Courage, fortitude, and resilience are just some of the eclectic ingredients required to trump almost any challenge. MAC’s footballers had these qualities in spades. Led by captain Ronan Mannion, his nonchalant kicking style bisected the posts on 4 occasions in the second half, paving the way for a dramatic final success.
MAC’s 7s assignments were now completed, but tougher, more intriguing 15s football and hurling encounters were waiting.
15s Hurling
On the back of their 7s success, MAC’s hurlers were on the road once again, making the trip to Coolderry, Co. Offaly to take on the formidable task of Pallaskenry in the competition’s semi-final. In a game which could have ended in either teams favour, MAC prevailed by six points after a hard-fought game of attrition.
The hurling final paired MAC and Kildalton in the same venue as the semi-final two weeks previously. A much-fancied Kildalton proved their worth with an immediate impact, slotting the first few points of the game. MAC began to take control of the reigns with a defensive unit led by Matthew Delaney and surged into a four-point lead at the break. To Kildalton’s credit, they immediately responded after the break with a goal to leave the bare minimum between the teams. However, MAC responded with aplomb, slotting over the last 4 unanswered points of the game to run out victors on a scoreline of 0-19 to 2-09.
On the day, MAC’s overall team performance proved to be the difference. From 1 to 15, including the substitutes introduced off the bench, MAC provided the answers to Kildalton’s relentless pressure. The talent on display from both sides on a bitterly cold November evening warmed the hearts of the hurling faithful who turned out to support their respective camps.
15s Football
To conclude the perfect season, MAC’s footballers took centre stage with a bid to add the coveted 15s cup to the college’s trophy cabinet. Their path to the final meandered on a number of occasions due to the moving parts within the 15s fixture list. The semi-final pairing of MAC and Gurteen Agricultural College was believed to be the penultimate game of the academic year for the players.
The 15s football squad from Mountbellew Agricultural College
The footballers from both camps made the short journey to Tubber GAA in Co. Offaly the day after the hurling final. Under the adornment of the clear night sky, the spotlights came down on Gurteen, who were the in-form team, having beaten Kildalton and Pallaskenry on their journey to this stage of the competition.
MAC raced out of the traps, opening up an unassailable lead at the break. Their bid to reach a fourth successive final was bolstered by the introduction of several key players off the bench, none more so than James Coleman who contributed two well-taken goals and, on another day, may have amassed a hat-trick. In the end, MAC ran out 5-15 to 1-5 winners. The scoreline, however, did not do the Gurteen players justice, given some goal chances that they rued.
The following week, all eyes were on what was expected to be the cup final held on the grounds of the University of Limerick. Due to some teams not playing the required number of games, a further ‘semi-final’ was fixed in advance of the cup and shield finals, respectively.
MAC’s footballers had to recalibrate and refocus on their objective. The fog may have formed a dense canopy, however, no external factors would come between MAC and their cup final success.
Paired with Pallaskenry in the semi-final, MAC withstood a valiant effort to eventually run out 1-11 to 3-point winners. With much to improve on, MAC produced a performance for the ages – providing a blueprint on how to win a final. Ruthless and clinical are just some of the superlatives that could be used to describe a mature performance from the players to overcome the challenge of Kildalton. Although Kildalton had some individually brilliant players, these threats were stifled by some of MAC’s most influential performers throughout the year, such as, Billy Gilvarry, Ciarán Clarke and Oisín Joyce, in particular. The final scoreline of 3-8 to 1-3 catapulted MAC to the top table of GAA royalty. Although the fog came down on the players that morning, it lifted the spirits of their peers in the agricultural college west of the River Shannon.
A successful year
Speaking on the success of the players, joint manager Ciarán Kinahan believed that the players from both codes “have contributed immensely to the success of the college on the national stage.” He also believes that “each player has served their family, friends, club and community proud and their on-field achievements will stand to them in good stead later in life.”
Christopher Scally, joint manager, praised the efforts of the staff in MAC “who went out of their way to ensure that the team’s preparations were meticulous – from organising buses; washing jerseys; arranging food; etc.” He would also like to “thank the support and encouragement received from fellow staff members in the college who supported the team and, particularly, the perseverance of Ciarán (joint manager) to recruit the players who donned the blue and gold of the college.”
Christopher Scally and Ciarán Kinahan pictured with Mountbellew Agricultural College’s trophy haul from the 2024 season
Conclusion
The Oxford Dictionary defines ‘invincible’ as ‘too strong to be defeated or changed,’ but in the context of MAC’s extraordinary triumphs, the word takes on a deeper, more profound meaning. It represents a group of individuals who began as strangers, yet forged unbreakable bonds of friendship. These alliances were tested time and again through challenges and adversity, yet they emerged stronger, resilient, and united. In the end, they didn’t just prevail – they became champions, their spirit and determination forever etched in history.
As a whole, both Ciarán and Christopher would like to whole-heartedly thank the contribution of other colleges to the competitions. They would also like to thank the inclusivity shown, exemplified by the arranging of refreshments for the 15s hurlers after the final by the management of Kildalton – for this, we’re extremely grateful. We hope that MAC’s return will provide healthy competition for many years to come.
For further updates, please visit the Mountbellew Agricultural College website.
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