Injury-time heartbreak for Coláiste Mhuire in Leinster semi-final
Mar 6th
For the second time in the 2009/10 season, Cistercian College, Roscrea edged out Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar in dramatic circumstances in the Leinster Colleges senior hurling ‘B’ championship, with last Friday’s astonishing turnaround in injury-time in Rath, County Offaly cruelly eliminating Niall O’Brien’s charges at the penultimate round stage.
It will be of no consolation to the losers that they were the better team on the day, but a lack of concentration in the dying minutes was to prove fatal, as an unanswered 1-2 in the first five of the six added minutes (which seemed excessive) propelled the school on the Offaly/Tipperary border to the provincial final.
Despite the bitter cold, conditions were ideal for hurling in the Drumcullen ground, near Kilcormac. Coláiste Mhuire’s Niall O’Brien opened the scoring with exactly a minute played, but Kevin O’Connell soon equalised with a well-taken score. Aonghus Clarke restored the Mullingar side’s lead from a routine free as the action continued to move from end to end. Cathal Scally, whose long-range freetaking was right out of the very top drawer, pointed an 80-metre free in the seventh minute. However, the winners had a purple patch between the eighth and 13th minutes, rattling up 1-3 without reply in that period. Alert corner forward Rory Skelly whipped in a goal, after Conor Lynch failed to hold the sliotar under pressure, and points followed from David King (two frees) and Micheál Vaughan.
It was all square by the 19th minute, an Aonghus Clarke free from 50 metres preceding an opportunist goal from his Castletown-Geoghegan clubmate, Neal Kirby in a goalmouth scramble. Reliable freetaker David King restored Roscrea’s lead but another monster strike from a free by Cathal Scally was superbly met in midair by Neal Kirby for a great goal for Coláiste Mhuire in the 23rd minute. Micheál Vaughan and Kieran Yourell (a terrific solo score) exchanged points. The latter player scored his second point in the last minute of normal time – he seemed to have a goal on his mind – but Roscrea rounded off first-half scoring in injury-time courtesy of a fine point from 60 metres by Daniel Africano. At the break, Coláiste Mhuire led by 2-6 to 1-7.
David King reduced the deficit to the bare minimum within three minutes of the resumption, from another free. However, three points in an impressive four-minute spell opened some daylight for the boys in green and white, all three coming from defenders, as Patrick Laide’s wonderful score from play was followed by two fabulous converted frees from Cathal Scally. Daniel King (35 metres) and Cathal Scally (from the halfway line) traded points from frees, leaving Coláiste Mhuire ahead by 2-10 to 1-9 at the midpoint of the half. Aonghus Clarke came close to finding the net, following yet another huge free by Scally, before the losers’ two midfielders combined for Willie McGrath to slot over a lovely point in the 17th minute.
David King and Aonghus Clarke exchanged points from frees, before Neal Kirby put the Mullingar lads six points to the good with an opportunist point. A successful free by David King and a neat effort from Rory Skelly reduced the gap to four points and this remained as Coláiste Mhuire’s advantage when Jack O’Driscoll and Niall O’Brien traded points in the dying moments of normal time. Coláiste Mhuire seemed certain winners, but Cistercian College continued to plug away and David King’s low shot crept into the net from a 20-metre free, in the third minute of added-time. The same player then equalised from a 50-metre free and extra-time looked on the cards when Rory Skelly’s shot went just wide. However, there was still time for Kevin O’Connell to emerge as his side’s hero with a last-gasp point, following Damien Egan’s long-range free. Aonghus Clarke was unable to get in a shot in the last action of the contest and a dejected Mullingar side soon left the pitch as their opponents celebrated a classic get-out-of-jail victory.
Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar: Conor Lynch; Thomas Egan, Cathal Scally (0-4, all from frees), Shane McGovern; Conor Thompson, Patrick Laide (0-1), Brian McLoughlin; Willie McGrath (capt) (0-1), David Gavin; Shane Fagan, Kieran Yourell (0-2), Aonghus Clarke (0-3, all from frees); Niall O’Brien (0-2), Tadhg Kelly, Neal Kirby (2-1).
Restoring Mullingar’s Hevey Institute to its former glory
Mar 6th
The architectural restoration of any protected building can be a painstaking business, but for the staff at Coláiste Mhuire, returning the famous Hevey Institute to its former glory is an act of love.
Now at phase three of the restoration process, which includes work on each of the 103 windows of the old building, which was first constructed in 1856 for the education of the poor children of Mullingar, excitement is growing in the school as the work takes shape.
The Hevey Institute, the original name of Coláiste Mhuire, was established as a result of the benevolence of local brewer and landowner James Hevey who left his lands at Bryanstown, Ballinea “to support and educate in literature, science and theology, such poor children as they should select in the parish of Mullingar, and for that purpose to build and keep in repair a schoolhouse”.
The Hevey Trust, the body established to administer Hevey’s will, had John Bourke design and build the imposing Hevey Institute with its variety of classical features including an impressive Italianate belfry, making the Hevey one of the finest buildings in Mullingar.
Principal of Colaiste Mhuire Joe O’Meara explained how the restoration was coming along: “Each window has to be taken out individually and be completely restored as they were back in 1856,” he says.
“Any glass that was in them has to be saved. The wood has to be stripped down, it is what you call an architectural restoration job, which makes it extremely costly. Even when they were doing all the plastering inside, they actually had to plaster the walls with the same process that was used in 1856 with lime and lath,” he explained.
Another feature of the Hevey Institute which the staff at Coláiste Mhuire hope to see working again is the old clock located to the front of the belfry, which he believes hasn’t worked for hundreds of years: “We would like to see that clock ticking again. I don’t think any one has heard it strike in living memory,” said teacher Joe Murray.
“We would be hoping that we could get someone to come on board and sponsor it, maybe even a past pupil,” he said.
Since its opening in 1856 thousands of Mullingar boys have passed through the doors of the Hevey Institute and gone out again into the wide world.
The intervening years have not always been kind to the building. The interior has been much altered with the original rooms being partitioned to cater for the greater numbers attending, particularly in the 1950’s. The construction of a new primary school in the late 1950’s and of a new secondary school in the early 1970’s meant that the Hevey Institute which had been swarming with pupils gradually fell into disuse. The building is now showing its age and is in urgent need of conservation.
“The building is made of cut limestone so they cannot sandblast it, they have to let the natural weathering process take place because it is a protecting building,” continued Joe Murray.
Phase One and Two of the restoration process have already been completed, which included work on the mechanics, electrics and roof of the building.
“Our main aim would be to integrate that building back into the school,” explained Principal Joe O’Meara. “Once upon a time there were hundreds and hundreds of pupils in it, so we would generally like to see it back to the way it was, with students in and out of it so that it will be a central part of school life again,” he said.
Architects Patrick Weafer and Westmeath County Council’s Bernadette Solon have been involved in the project, on how to best restore the Hevey Institute to its former glory.
“Both Pat Weafer our architect and Bernadette Solon of Westmeath County Council have been hugely supportive, and we would like to compliment them on that,” added Joe O’Meara.
Non uniform Day
Mar 5th
The school hosted a Trocaire non uniform day in aid of the Haiti earthquake disaster. It took place on the 5th of February and the school raised over 2800 euro for the earthquake victims.
Mock Exams
Mar 5th
The mock exams took place the week before before the midterm and good results were had by all, but now students must get the head down and work towards excellence in the state examinations. Junior students should study for two hours minimum per night and leaving cert students should study for three hours or more as well as completing homework.