The Royal School Armagh crowned Kate Russell All Ireland Schoolgirls Champions
Friday, Mar 22: The second and final day of the Kate Russell All Ireland Senior Schoolgirls’ Championships took place in Armagh today with the hosts The Royal School of Armagh in poll position after Day 1, St. Angela’s in second place and Wesley College in third. Each of the five participating teams had two more round robin games to play before the final positions were decided and the Champions, second and third place prizes awarded.
DAY 2/ GAME 1: COLAISTE IOGNAID 0 WESLEY COLLEGE 6
Colaiste Iognaid, the Connacht provincial representatives, had been on the receiving end of a couple of hidings on Day 1 and went into this game with the defending champions determined that this trend would not continue. The first quarter was scoreless. Milla Fulton gave Wesley College the lead and exerted enormous pressure during the latter end of the second quarter. Half time score was Colaiste Iognaid 0 Wesley College 1. Galway’s Colaiste Iognaid defended their goal tenaciously and ensured that when the half time hooter blew they were only a goal behind. Colaiste Iognaid forced their first penalty corner in the third quarter as an indication of their improved performance in this particular match. Milla Fulton was yellow carded as was Sarah Ruttle so at one stage Wesley College were down to 9 players in the third quarter but Colaiste were unable to turn their numerical advantage into a goal. It remained 0-1 to Wesley at the end of the third quarter. One of Wesley’s most impressive performers was Annabel Squires, who is also an Under 19 cricket international player for Ireland. Wesley’s first penalty corner of the fourth quarter went wide. A second penalty corner saw Milla Fulton force a save from Iognaid keeper Emily Fitzgerald, but Evelyn Quick reacted quickest to the rebound for Wesley almost within a minute to make it Colaiste Iognaid 0 Wesley 2. A third penalty corner for Wesley College resulted in the Dublin school being awarded a penalty stroke and Milla Fulton got her second of the game, when she made no mistake to leave Wesley College 3-0 ahead. Sarah Ruttle made it 4-0 for Wesley a minute later. Annabel Squires teed up Stewart who found Milla Fulton in space and she completed her hat-trick to make it 5-0. Culbert found Sarah Ruttle made it 6-0 to Wesley just before the end.
DAY 2/ GAME 2: THE ROYAL SCHOOL ARMAGH 1 KILKENNY COLLEGE 0
Hosts Royal School went into their third game of the tournament top of the table with a 100% record. Looking to add to their points total, Grace McCool scored for Royal School in the first quarter. And they enjoyed a period of ascendancy in that first quarter which ended with Royal School 1-0 ahead. Kilkenny College managed to keep Daisy Nicholson of Royal School off the scoresheet after her hat-trick exploits on Day 1 against Colaiste Iognaid. But this was a close and tightly fought game and remained so till the final hooter. In the second quarter, Kilkenny enjoyed more possession but were unable to carve out the equaliser needed. They had created numerous chances which produced a fair share of penalty corners that they were unable to convert. It was still 1-0 at half time. In the third quarter Kilkenny forced a penalty corner their fifth of the game but their captain Amy Handcock was unable to make it count. Play went from end to end during this quarter and Royal School Armagh goalkeeper Vicky Cupples had to be sharp to deny Kilkenny an equaliser in the closing stages of the third quarter. A succession of penalty corners for Kilkenny were repelled by an Armagh defense marshalled staunchly by goalkeeper Vicky Cupples and Joanie Cunningham. Armagh then proceeded to take the initiative and forced a few penalty corners of their own but their was no further scoring. Lily Grace of Kilkenny College was chosen player of the match which ended Royal School Armagh 1 Kilkenny College 0.
AFTER MORNING ROUNDS
| TEAMS | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS |
| THE ROYAL SCHOOL | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 9 |
| WESLEY COLLEGE | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| ST ANGELAS COLLEGE | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| KILKENNY COLLEGE | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| COLAISTE IGNAID | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 19 | -16 | 0 |
DAY 2/ GAME 3: COLAISTE IOGNAID 0 ST. ANGELA’S 2
St. Angela’s took the lead through Aine Power from a converted penalty corner in the first quarter. They added a second in the second quarter when St. Angela’s were awarded a penalty stroke. Aine Power converted with aplomb to register her second goal of the game. It was Colaiste Iognaid 0 St. Angela’s 2 at half-time. Colaiste Iognaid had a penalty corner near the end of the third quarter, but they didn’t score. Aine Power and Beth Ann O’Farrell combined but could find no way past the Colaiste Iognaid defense early in the fourth quarter from another penalty corner. St. Angela’s finished strongly, forcing a couple of penalty corners late on, but they did enough to finish the game, winning 2-0 and remaining unbeaten going into their final pool match with Royal School Armagh who had 3 wins from 3 and 9 points. St. Angela’s having drawn one of their three matches to this point now need to beat Royal School Armagh in that match to win the Championship. St. Angela’s Aine Power was selected player of the match by the commentary team.
DAY 2/ GAME 4: WESLEY COLLEGE 3 KILKENNY COLLEGE 2
Two teams whose championship aspirations were over managed to produce the most entertaining game of the tournament so far. Wesley College took the lead with a goal through Imogen Stanley to put themselves 1-0 ahead. Kilkenny College got back on terms with a goal from Sara Sheehan to make it 1-1. Milla Fulton restored Wesley Colleges lead. It was 2-1 to Wesley at the end of the first quarter. Amy Handcock equalised for Kilkenny College with a converted penalty corner early in the second quarter to make the score 2-2. Kilkenny had a number of chances to take the lead during this quarter but did not convert them and it remained 2-2 at half-time. Wesley College goalkeeper Lucy Bond was the busier of the two goalkeepers in the third quarter but it remained 2-2 heading into the final quarter. In the closing moments of the game Milla Fulton sent it in and the Kilkenny College keeper played it and it fell to Laura Heaney to make it 3-2 to Wesley College. That was how it was when the final hooter blew. Amy Handcock of Kilkenny College was chosen as player of the match by the commentary team.
DAY 2/ GAME 5: THE ROYAL SCHOOL ARMAGH 2 ST. ANGELA’S COLLEGE 2
First played second in the final match of the Kate Russell All Ireland Senior Girls Hockey Championship in Armagh. Schools Champions of Ulster versus Schools Champions of Munster to decide the outcome. Both teams went into this game undefeated. After some end to end play early on Royal School Armagh took the lead through a goal from Grace McCool in the first quarter. 1-0 to Royal School Armagh, in a march that St. Angela’s needed to win to secure the championship. A draw would do the hosts to secure the title.
It was still 1-0 to Royal School at the end of quarter one. St. Angela’s started the second quarter strongly and Nicole Clarke equalised from a converted penalty corner for them early in the second quarter.
Royal School responded when Hanna Redmond got a goal somewhat against the run of play to leave Royal School leading 2-1 at half-time. St. Angela’s got a penalty corner at the start of the third quarter Emma Naughton converting to make it 2-2. It was 2-2 at the end of the third quarter. Royal School Armagh were awarded a penalty corner early in the fourth quarter. From this penalty corner they were awarded a penalty stroke. Up stepped Joanie Cunningham, and she hit the post, what a let off for St. Angela’s College, and the score stayed at 2-2. This was the first penalty stroke missed of the entire tournament. Daisy Nicholson went on a solo run and looked certain to score for Royal School Armagh but she missed the target but they won a penalty corner with their next effort. Royal Armagh’s penalty corner didn’t produce a goal and
St. Angela’s won possession back with two minutes to go. But Royal School Armagh held out for the draw they needed to win the championship for the 5th time. Royal School Armagh’s Rianna Gillespie was selected as player of the match by the commentary team on the livestream. Ellie Stephenson of Royal School Armagh was voted Player of the Tournament.
| TEAMS | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS |
| THE ROYAL SCHOOL | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 10 |
| ST ANGELAS COLLEGE | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| WESLEY COLLEGE | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 7 |
| KILKENNY COLLEGE | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| COLAISTE IGNAID | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 20 | -18 | 0 |
DAY 2 RESULTS
COLAISTE IOGNAID 0-6 WESLEY COLLEGE
THE ROYAL SCHOOL 1-0 KILKENNY COLLEGE
COLAISTE IOGNAID 0-2 ST. ANGELA’S
WESLEY COLLEGE 3-2 KILKENNY COLLEGE
THE ROYAL SCHOOL 2-2 ST. ANGELA’S.
We spoke to Royal School Armagh head coach Greg Thompson after their Championship win:
“It was a very competitive tournament from start to finish. St. Angela’s pushed us all the way I am very glad we held out in the end. Going into today we had done the double-double (Ulster Schools League and Cup in 2023 and 2024). We have lots of experience in the squad about 9-10 have represented Ulster at this stage and some of those have gone on to represent Ireland at underage level. We will lose 5 of this squad at the end of this year, they are doing A Levels and will head off to University. The Firsts have done the treble, the seconds and thirds have won their Cups and the Under 14s have won their competitions as well. The girls across the school are hardworking and committed. We only opened the new pitch in September to be standing here and looking at the girls celebrating it’s all come together very well. We’d like to thank all the parents, the sponsors and everyone who helped us to host the tournament.”
