Crescent College minor hockey side earn prestigious All-Ireland title win

CRESCENT College Comprehensive's U15 minor hockey team created history recently by becoming the first Munster school to win the June Smith All-Ireland tournament.

The Limerick school saw off the challenges of Banbridge Academy, Loreto Beaufort, Salerno Secondary School and Kilkenny College to add the prestigious tournament to the Munster Cup and league titles that are already in the trophy cabinet. 

The round robin tournament was held in Loreto Beaufort with Crescent taking on the highly fancied Bangridge Academy side but came away with an impressive 0-0 draw from the game.

Crescent's second game came against the tournament hosts and earned victory thanks to a superb Eimear Keogh strike. A win over Salerno Secondary school followed thanks to a goal from short corner that was finished off by team captain Anna Coughlan. 

Results elsewhere meant that Crescent needed only a draw in their final game versus Kilkenny College to win the tournament.

Crescent keepers Megan Murnane and Grace Madigan put in superb showings to help Crescent keep another clean sheet to guide them to the title. Defender Isabel O'Carroll was subsequently named Player of the Tournament.

Coughlan was presented with the trophy by June Smith in front of a large support that travelled from the Dooradoyle school to support the Crescent side.

The Crescent squad that won the Julie Smith Tournament was as follows: Amy Baggott, Kate O’Mahoney, Lucy Powell, Grace O’Dwyer, Sourney Kilroy, Alicia Reddan, Grace Madigan, Anna Coughlan, Aoife Boyce, Eimear Keogh, Holly Murnane, Ava Doupe, Sarah Williams, Kayla Loughran, Megan Murnane, Isabel O’Carroll, Olivia Bain, Anna Shields, Niamh Stackpool, Catherine Scully, Emily MacNamara.