Players from two Mayo schools on Connacht squad for boys' interpro tournament

This weekend will see 68 of the top players in Irish schools line out for the FAI Schools Under 18 Boys’ Interprovincial Tournament, which will take place in the AUL Complex, Clonshaugh, Dublin.

Two Mayo schools are represented in the Connacht squad, which features Oisin Kelly of Ballyhaunis Community School and Reuben Gillespie of St. Muredach's College, Ballina.

Both Kelly and Gillespie played for the Sligo Rovers Under 17 team in the League of Ireland this year.

Elsewhere, the Connacht squad features a number of players returning from last year, including Callum Lynch of Summerhill College in Sligo, Eoin Hannon of Presentation College, Athenry, and Tommy Lillis of Yeats College, Galway.

Alex Lee of St. Joseph’s Patrician College, Galway, takes over the Connacht managerial reins from Alan Murphy this year. As manager, Ballinrobe native Murphy led Connacht to interprovincial success in 2018 and 2021.

Munster come into this year's tournament as defending champions, having won back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023 under the tutelage of Billy Woods.

The interprovincial series will be the first step in the process of selecting the FAI Schools international squad to compete in the SAFIB Centenary Shield competition against Wales, Scotland, England and reigning champions Northern Ireland.

The Republic of Ireland Schools will play Australia on January 18 in Home Farm FC to start their preparations for the shield campaign. After that, Derek O’Brien’s side will entertain Wales on March 20 in their opening game of the series while a week later, on March 27, they travel to Scotland. The penultimate fixture will see them feature against Northern Ireland on April 11 in Belfast, while they conclude their season on April 24 at home to England.

The weekend's tournament commences on Friday afternoon, with Leinster taking on Connacht at 4 p.m. while Munster entertain Ulster at 5.30 p.m.

In keeping with the long-standing tradition of maintaining the interest in the competition until the final matches on Sunday, the draw for Saturday’s and Sunday’s matches will be made following the games on Friday evening.

The Connacht squad in full for the tournament is as follows: Kyle Gabbidon (Coola Post Primary School, Sligo), Qudus Adelanwa, Jack Sweeney, Denis Sirbu (all Merlin College, Galway), Tommy Lillis (Yeats College, Galway), Eoin Gacquin, Jacob Carroll, MacDaragh Scanlon, James Morahan (all St. Joseph’s Patrician College, Galway), Oisín Kelly (Ballyhaunis Community School), Cillian Tollett (St. Paul’s Secondary School, Oughterard), Callum Lynch (Summerhill College, Sligo), Eoin Hannon, Zach Lawless (both Presentation College, Athenry), Reuben Gillespie (St. Muredach’s College, Ballina), Luc Griallas (Coláiste an Eachréidh, Athenry), Luca Menarini (Coláiste na Coiribe, Cnoc na Cathrach).

On the management team are: Alex Lee (St. Joseph’s Patrician College, Galway), Martin Conneely (Scoil Chuimsitheach Chiaráin, An Cheathrú Rua), and Ger Curran (Merlin College, Galway).