We found ourselves in Group A alongside Scoil Aodáin Naofa Carnew, Aughrim NS and Avoca NS.

Our first game pitted us against Scoil Aodáin Naofa Carnew. Carnew Emmets would be rivals for many of the Coolkenno boys but meetings between Scoil Aodáin Naofa and Ballyconnell NS are not common occurrences. Ballyconnell started this game like a whirlwind hitting 2-5 in the first half. It was Conor Butler and Jack Farrell who raised the green flags with Farrell adding another point from a free. Elliot McCarthy (2), Jamie Coleman-Murray and midfielder Kian Hutton also got in on the act with points as Carnew could only muster two points in response. A 9-point lead at half-time was better than the most optimistic Ballyconnell supporter would have predicted. In the second half, however, Carnew showed their typical never-say-die attitude by hitting 1-3 without reply to make it 2-5 to 1-5. It seemed inevitable that an equalizer would arrive but Rory Donohue and Aaron Hiney-Doyle defended brilliantly to ensure Ballyconnell started with a win.

Game 2 was against Aughrim NS. The first half saw full-forward Jack O’Connor come to the fore as he hit 1-4 in a brilliant display of shooting, including one free from close to the sideline. Kian Hutton added another from a placed ball from distance to ensure Ballyconnell had 5 points to spare at the break – 1-5 to 1-0. Ballyconnell reversed their score in the 2^nd half, hitting 5-1 to bring their total to 6-6. Jack O’Connor hit two more goals to complete his hat-trick while Conor Butler and Elliot McCarthy added further gloss. Cathal Nolan added a classy point too. Aughrim NS did bag three goals of their own but, at the final whistle, Ballyconnell had 11 points to spare, 6-6 to 4-1.

Game 3, against Avoca NS, presented Ballyconnell NS with their toughest test so far. O’Connor kept up his goalscoring record and hit a brilliant free from distance to give Ballyconnell the advantage. At the back, they were under pressure with Rory Donohue and Oisín Townsend having to use all of their tackling and game-reading ability to keep Avoca at bay. Even still, they found the net once and added two points to keep Ballyconnell very much in their sights. Kian Hutton was having a mighty game in midfield. It was he who had opened the scoring with a point. His midfield partner, Conor Butler hit two more, with the citeog wizard Jack Farrell sandwiching a point in between Conor’s two. Avoca added another point of their own to make it 1-3 to 1-5. Two points is always a dangerous lead but Butler made the game safer with a ‘scór iontach’, his third of the day to make it 1-6 to 1-3. Réiteoir Eddie Leonard’s final whistle sounded shortly afterward which meant Ballyconnell NS were in the semi-final as group winners.

The semi-final saw us take on Aughrim NS 2 for a place in the final. O’Connor was once again in impressive form, hitting two frees accurately over the bar. Cathal Nolan, starting his first game of the tournament, showed why he had been given a starting position by slamming home a goal before Jack O’Connor added another to make it 2-2 to 0-0. When Aughrim did come forward, they found Rory Donohoe, Jamie Coleman-Murray and Oisín Townsend to be impassable at the back. In the 2^nd half, Jack Farrell was sprung from the bench and he was raring to go. Before Aughrim had a chance to draw breath, Jack had 1-1 on the board and the game was safe. Aughrim did breach Cathal O’Leary’s goal once but that was mere consolation, the boys in dearg & dubh winning on a scoreline of 2-4 to 1-1.

The final pitted us against Gaelscoil an Inbhir Mhóir who had enjoyed a good victory over Avoca NS in the semi-final. Given how close the game between Avoca and Ballyconnell had been, it seemed a tightly fought final was in prospect. As the final began, the clouds darkened and the rain began to fall. It seemed whoever could react to the change in conditions would be well-positioned to take the title. It was, undoubtedly, Ballyconnell who reacted better. Just like in game 1, they started with a blitzkrieg of scores which effectively ended the game as a contest before Gaelscoil had a chance to draw breath. Cúil from Conor Butler (2) and Jack O’Connor, allied to another O’Connor monster point from a free meant that it was 4-2 to faic (0-0) at the break. In the second half, we were treated to an amazing save from Cathal O’Leary as he dived spectacularly to his right to keep out a rasping drive from an Arklow player. Gaelscoil did get in for two goals but Ballyconnell responded with another cúl from O’Connor and a point from Farrell. When Eddie Leonard’s final whistle sounded, Ballyconnell had 5-3 on the board to Gaelscoil an Inbhir Mhóir’s 2-0. This meant that, for the first time, Ballyconnell NS were South Wicklow Boys Cumann na mBunscol Champions.

Organiser Pádraig Murphy presented the corn to captaen Bhaile Uí Chonaill, Cathal O’Leary. Cue massive celebrations for the Ballyconnell boys. A short time later they were joined by the girls who had also tasted victory, all of which made it a highly memorable day in Ballinakill. Those uachtair reoite from Walker’s on the way home were most definitely deserved! Míle buíochas to Pádraig Murphy and Wicklow GPO for all their hard work in organising such an enjoyable blitz.

The boys’ panel was:

1. Cathal O’Leary, 2. Oisín Townsend, 3. Rory Donohoe, 6. Jamie Coleman-Murray, 8. Kian Hutton, 9. Conor Butler, 10. Jack Farrell, 11. Elliot McCarthy, 14. Jack O’Connor, 15. Aaron Hiney-Doyle, 16. Seán Byrne, 17. Barry Quinn, 18. Teegan O’Callaghan, 19. Ethan Wilson, 20. Cathal Nolan, 12. Aaron Nolan, 13. James Carroll