Manchester United may have beaten Manchester City to the FA Cup at the weekend but all eyes were on Mary Immaculate College on Thursday 23rd May where a riveting local school derby was playing out.
Held for the thirteenth time this year, the League of Legends soccer blitz saw over 160 Fifth and Sixth Class students from 13 local primary schools tog out for a highly competitive day of soccer. The competition is a joint venture between the Transforming Education through Dialogue (TED) Project) – an MIC initiative that works directly with primary and post-primary schools—and the PLUS schools network comprising representatives from fourteen local DEIS schools.
The TED Project is based in the Curriculum Development Unit of the College and engages with the schools in activities and programmes throughout the school year. The League of Legends tournament aims to build partnerships between schools and the College, and to give the pupils an opportunity to explore what a third-level campus has to offer and to utilise the sports complex.
The tournament was held across four pitches on MIC’s sports field and eventually saw the teams whittled down to a final two in both the girls’ and boys’ competition.
In the first final, St Anne’s, Rathkeale took on Our Lady Queen of Peace National School. Isabell Lynch scored two for St Anne’s and a third goal from Mikayla Shiels sealed the win for the Rathkeale outfit, who won 3-0. Their captain, Naomi —who scored four goals across the day’s games—was crowned Player of the Match.
The second final saw reigning champions Scoil Iosagáin CBS Primary School face Our Lady of Lourdes National School. Led by Player of the Match, Ali, Scoil Iosagáin romped home to a second consecutive title with a commanding 8-1 win.
Speaking as she presented the finalists with their medals, Professor Niamh Hourigan, Vice-President Academic Affairs at MIC congratulated the players and their management for putting on another entertaining display of sporting ability in this year’s competition. Professor Hourigan said: “A hearty well done to all those who took part today and in particularly to our winners, Scoil Iosagáin and to St Anne’s Rathkeale for their brilliant achievement. The League of Legends competition is always a highlight in the calendar and the skill, camaraderie and enthusiasm on show today was a treat to see. I want to extend a note of thanks to the Limerick Sports Partnership and to MIC’s Áine Lyne, Dr Ruth Bourke, Lisa Martin and Beth Hickey for organising such a successful event.”
Other schools competing in the League of Legends were: Corpus Christi National School; Le Chéíle National School; Gaelscoil Sheoirse Clancy; Presentation Girls School; St. John’s Girls and Infant Boys School; St. John the Baptist; St. Joseph’s Boys School, St. Mary’s National School and Thomond Primary School.