Niall Gartland charts the recent winners of the MacRory Cup competition:

2025 St Patrick’s Maghera

ST Patrick’s Maghera won their 17th MacRory Cup title and a first in five years (well, in 2020 it was shared with St Colman’s) with a tense one-point victory over an Abbey Vocational team playing in their first final at this level. The Maghera school conceded two goals in the first eight minutes but dusted themselves down, took the lead with 15 minutes to go, and their defence held out superbly in the closing stages. They crowned their season with Hogan Cup honours, overcoming St Colman’s, Claremorris by 2-8 to 0-4.

2024 Omagh CBS

OMAGH CBS clinched back-to-back MacRory Cup titles for the first time in the school’s history nearly two years ago, seeing off the challenge of fellow Tyrone school St Patrick’s Academy in the final. Ruairi McCullagh and Liam Óg Mossey, among six survivors from the 2023 Hogan Cup winning side, shared an eleven points haul in a clinical display of finishing, with midfielder Charlie Donnelly chipping in with 1-2. In defence, Callum Daly and Brian Gallagher were in imperious form as they ran out 1-18 to 1-12 victors. They went on to retain their title at national level with a convincing 3-14 to 0-11 victory over Tralee-based Mercy Mounthawk.

2023 Omagh CBS

THE ‘Brothers’ recovered from a slow enough start to land MacRory honours with a 0-16 to 1-6 victory over Holy Trinity Cookstown at Healy Park in the 2023 showdown. Half-back Tomas Haigney won the man of the match award, while Ruairi McCullagh hit five first-half points to help establish a three-point lead at the interval. Another Loughmacrory sharpshooter, CBS captain Eoin McElholm, also had an excellent game. They finished their campaign with a second ever Hogan Cup title, absolutely thrashing Sligo side Summerhill with McElholm, McCullagh and Conor Owens running riot up front at Croke Park.

2022 St Mary’s Magherafelt

THE 2022 title went the way of St Mary’s Magherafelt, who were deserving victors against a Holy Trinity Cookstown team fielding in their first-ever MacRory final. First half goals from Niall O’Donnell and Cathir Quinn put the ‘Convent’ in a strong position and their defence was rock-solid with Conall Herron and Eoin McEvoy among the outstanding individual performers on the day. Holy Trinity had their moments but St Mary’s landed insurance points through Lorcan Convery and O’Donnell to set the seal on their second ever MacRory title.

2021 – Cancelled due to Covid-19

2020 – Trophy shared

2020 was a year defined by the Covid-19 Pandemic and Schools’ Football wasn’t exempt from the disruption. Finalists St Colman’s and St Patrick’s Newry (two traditional heavyweights who top the leaderboard with 20 and 17 titles respectively) ended up sharing the title as a result. The MacRory and MacLarnon deciders were pencilled in for October, having initially been due to take place on St Patrick’s Day, but they were eventually shelved altogether.

2019 – St Michael’s Enniskillen

A SPECIAL year for St Michael’s who completed the MacRory and Hogan double. In the provincial showpiece, they carved out a 0-16 to 2-6 victory over Omagh CBS. Wing-forward Darragh MacBrien delivering a shining performance with eight points, six from play, on a day where St Michael’s led from start to finish. Omagh came back into contention with 1-3 in succession but St Michael’s maintained their grip thanks to determined defending and fine fielding from capain Brandon Horan. They marched on to win a historic Hogan Cup title with an enthralling one-point win over Naas CBS.

2018 St Ronan’s College

A SEASON from the heavens for a group of talented footballers from St Ronan’s Lurgan. Formed in September 22015 when three previous schools from Lurgan combined, St Ronan’s embarked on a memorable journey right to the very pinnacle just a few short years later. They landed their one and only MacRory Cup title when they fended off holders St Mary’s, Magherafelt in a closely fought final, the clinch score coming from a stoppage-time free by Eoin McConville. They repeated the feat at national level with a Hogan Cup final victory over Rice College Westport, Oisin Smyth landing a sensational winning score in the closing stages of a memorable showpiece occasion.

2017 St Mary’s Magherafelt

A RED-LETTER day for St Mary’s, who won their inaugural MacRory Cup back in 2017 when they overcame St Colman’s Newry on a scoreline of 0-19 to 0-13. Kevin Small and Declan Cassidy were among the stars as they held off a second-half fightback to pull clear when the finish line was in sight. The Magherafelt school scored the final four points to secure a deserved victory, though St Colman’s did feel that they had a decent penalty shout turned down in the 55th minute. To the victors the spoils and this was St Mary’s day.