St. Laurence O'Toole's in Cumann na MBunscoil Final Today!!

LARRIERS IN A SCHOOLS’ GAA FINAL … AGAIN!

Dublin Cumann na mBunscol finals are hard to get to and harder to win! This year the lads of St. Laurence O’Toole’s CBS - the senior boys’ school serving the North Wall and environs - aka Naomh Lorcán Ó Tuathail or The Larriers – make their sixth appearance over the last two decades in a Dublin primary schools GAA final.

As one of the original eight schools of Cumann na mBunscol, the Larriers have a long and distinguished career in primary schools GAA. This national organisation for primary schools Gaelic games and athletics was set up around Easter 1928 at 100 Seville Place by an interested group of teachers, led by Larriers’ teacher for forty-six years, Frank Cahill. The Larriers did well in the early decades. One win of note was the 1954 Geraldine Cup Final. North Wall community leader, Gerry Fay, captained the side, while legendary Dubliner Luke Kelly also played in that Croke Park win.

While the 70s, 80s and 90s were a fallow GAA period for the school, the dawn of a new millennium heralded the re-starting of the Ga in Larriers. Croke Park finals were reached in 2002 and 2005. The craved for Croke Park win was achieved in November 2009 in an epic encounter against Brunner (St. Paul’s CBS, Brunswick St.) which went all the way to extra time; a goal settling the tie at the death.

This 2009/2010 school year was epic in the annals of Larriers football. It was the year of five finals. Following the November 2009 Croke Park win, the Larriers went on to win the Leinster and All-Ireland FAI schools 5-a-side competitions and the FAI schools league, while narrowly losing the FAI schools Pegasus Cup Final. 2013 and 2017 saw two further appearances in Croke Park, with a win against St. Joseph’s, Bonnybrook, in the first and a draw against Scoil Santain, Tallaght in the second.

This campaign started with a solid victory over O’Connell’s on a wet, windy Thursday in Fairview Park. Wins over the aforementioned Brunner, Gaelscoil Colaiste Mhuire, Central Model School, Marlborough St. and Francis St. CBS followed, while the semi-final was a victory over Gaelscoil Inse Chóir. As a bonus the lads were invited to play in Croke Park at half-time in this year’s league final between Kerry and Mayo. O’Connell’s were, once again, the opposition and Larriers were, once again, triumphant. With Ed Sheeran using Croker, the Larriers will play the final in Parnell Park at 2pm on Thursday, 7th April against St. Anne’s NS, Shankhill, for the Corn John Nagle. The Larriers play the last match of a three-day festival of girls’ and boys’ Cumann na mBunscol Átha Cliath finals. As the school motto says Go on The Larriers – Strong and Proud!!