Successful year for St. Peter's Community School

St. Peter's Community School, Passage West, celebrated a historic victory on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, as they clinched the FAI Schoolgirls Minor (Under 15) National title in Kilkenny. This triumph marked a significant milestone for the Cork-based school, showcasing their dedication and excellence in schools sport.

The final saw St. Peter's square off against Gallen Community School from Ferbane, Offaly. Both teams had earned their spots in the championship through impressive performances in the semi-finals. St. Peter's secured their place with a narrow 1-0 victory over reigning All-Ireland champions Glenamaddy Community School in Limerick, while consecutive Leinster champions Gallen Community School defeated St. Catherine’s Vocational School, Killybegs, with a commanding 3-0 win in Sligo.

In the final at Evergreen FC in Kilkenny, St. Peter's displayed remarkable skill and determination, a complete team performance, to emerge victorious against their Offaly opponents. The Cork side's ability to maintain composure under pressure and execute their well-drilled game plan of fast transitioning attacking football was pivotal to their success. Coaches Shannon Ryan (TY student and U17 Munster winning player) and Tony McSweeney (Principal) talked through the game.  

“There was a massive turnout at the venue and both schools were well represented by students, parents and families”. We knew Gallen CS would be very strong physically and we put the emphasis on moving the ball quickly and trying to get our attacking trio in behind the defensive line of Gallen. 

After a fiercely contested first half, the score was 0-0.  We regrouped in the dressing room and the instruction to the girls was to keep trusting the process, and the principles of play that had got us here, and as the game wore on in sweltering heat we would get more chances. Ten minutes into the second half a magnificent cross-field ball from left wing in behind the Gallen defence from Lexi O’Riordan found the clinical Eva Barry who controlled the ball and smashed it into the roof of the net at the near post to put St. Peter’s 1-0 up. Unfortunately, from a set piece 5 minutes later the Leinster champs equalised when their star striker Ella Kenny got free in the box to finish. 

St. Peter’s had to dig deep for the next 5 minutes with a direct approach from the much bigger Gallen CS outfit. However the defence of Sarah Hendrick, Mollie O’Donovan and Addison Murphy, backed by keeper Kerri Daly Spillane, which proved so hard to get through all year once again stood firm. With four minutes left on the clock and it heading to extra time Eva Barry once gain got hold of the ball at the right side of the box, dribbled past a Gallen defender and rifled an unstoppable  shot into the far top corner, a goal worthy of winning any final at any level of football, and 4 minutes later at the final whistle blew queue wild celebrations as the girls landed a first FAI Schoolgirls All-Ireland title at any age grade in 10 years and their first ever at minor girls age grade!.

“We had players carrying injuries, a player on crutches on the day, our captain Ida was struggling badly with sickness but no way would they miss it or not give 100%, and that has been the difference. We are truly so proud of them”.

The victory capped an exceptional year for St. Peter's Community School in Passage West. The school has consistently balanced academic achievement with sporting excellence, fostering an environment where student-athletes thrive both on and off the field. Earlier this year, the school's Junior Girls (U17) soccer team also claimed the Munster championship title, while the First Year girls’ team reached their own provincial final—a testament to the depth of talent and commitment within the school. 

The success of St. Peter's soccer teams is attributed to a well-rounded approach that emphasises personal development and accountability among student-athletes. The school introduced a "student-athlete contract" this year, which outlines responsibilities and expectations for participants in sports programs. This initiative has been instrumental in cultivating leadership qualities and fostering a sense of community among students, while also ensuring that academia is the schools foundations from which other successes flourish

It is not just the coaching staff at St. Peter's that played a crucial role in this achievement, Tony McSweeney said that “the local clubs are fantastic to support the school, with the majority of the squad being products of the thriving Passage AFC academy, while the squad was is represented by Douglas hall, Carrigaline United and Springfield Ramblers. The players' dedication to training and teamwork was evident in their performances, culminating in their well-deserved national title”. Tony added that the strength of the team is at the core of this success. We had a squad of 18 girls that never skipped a training or meeting and at every match, it was 100 % support of the team and the 11 players on the pitch at any given time. On top of that, Tony and Shannon (Ryan) highlighted that they are the nicest group of girls to work with and whatever position any of the girls was asked to play or if they started on the pitch or the bench the attitude has always been 100%.  These girls have displayed immense pride when they wear the school crest but they have finished the season as Munster and All Ireland champions, a perfect season for a perfect team”. 

This victory adds to St. Peter's rich history of sporting accomplishments and reinforces its status as a prominent institution in Irish school sports. The school's commitment to nurturing talent and promoting participation has made it a beacon of inspiration for other schools.

As St. Peter's Community School celebrates this remarkable achievement, it also sets the stage for future successes in both academics and sports. The triumph at Kilkenny is not just a win for the team but also a reflection of the school's ethos of excellence and community spirits legacy that will undoubtedly inspire generations of students who come to St. Peter’s as their post primary educational pathway, a school where excellence in the classroom is mirrored by excellence on the sporting fields