MacLarnon Cup

MacLarnon Cup

MacLarnon Cup


Up until 1960, the only Colleges football competition at Senior level was the MacRory Cup, and a number of schools had emerged which were anxious to participate but which did not have the numbers or resources to compete against the large diocesan boarding schools.

In 1959, Dean MacLarnon presented a trophy to the Ulster Colleges Council for a Provincial ‘B’ championship which would address the needs of these emerging schools. Coincidentally or otherwise, the first winners in 1960 were St Patrick’s Academy Dungannon, the school in which Dean MacLarnon was Headteacher!

A notable feature over the intervening decades since 1960 has been the egalitarian nature of this particular competition, as evidenced by the fact that in March 2012 St Paul’s Bessbrook became the 24th different school to lift this title. There is an additionally important historical dimension to the list of past winners in that it includes a number of schools which have now disappeared from the educational landscape due to demographic changes and/or amalgamations e.g. Armagh CBS, St Michael’s Omeath, De La Salle, Ballyshannon, St Tiernach’s Clones.

maclarnon-cup-history-headline-one

This 2nd tier championship is currently contested by 18 schools annually, and its ongoing unpredictability confirms the breadth of standards across such a large number of schools. The 2012 champions, St Paul’s Bessbrook, went on to lift the All Ireland ‘B’ title (the Noonan Cup).

The original MacLarnon Cup was retired in February 2012, and presented to the O’Fiaich Library in Armagh. A number of Past Pupils of St Patrick’s Academy Dungannon, convened by Peter Herron who is a well known coach in the school, presented Ulster Colleges with a magnificent new trophy, thereby maintaining the link between the Academy and this illustrious competition.

 

 

 

MacLarnon Cup Roll of Honour

2020 St. Pius X, Magherafelt / Our Lady & St. Patrick’s, Knock (Shared due to Covid 19)

2019 St Patrick’s Downpatrick

2018 Holy Trinity College Cookstown

2017 St Ciaran’s College, Ballygawley

2016 Patrician High School Carrickmacross

2015 Our Ladys Secondary School, Castleblayney

2014 St Eunan’s Letterkenny

2013 St Michael’s, Lurgan

2012 St Paul’s High School Bessbrook

2011 St Mary’s CBGS Belfast

2010 St Michael’s, Lurgan

2009 St Pius X Magherafelt

2008 St Mary’s C.B.S. Belfast

2007 St Eunan’s Letterkenny

2006 La Salle Belfast

2005 Our Lady’s Castleblaney

2004 St Louis Kilkeel

2003 St Michael’s Lurgan

2002 St Columb’s Derry

2001 St Patrick’s Downpatrick

2000 St Eunan’s Letterkenny

1999 De La Salle Ballyshannon

1998 Patrician High Carrickmacross

1997 Patrician High Carrickmacross

1996 De La Salle Ballyshannon

1995 St Michael’s Lurgan

1994 St Mary’s Magherafelt

1993 St Mary’s Magherafelt

1992 St Mary’s Magherafelt

1991 St Michael’s Lurgan

1990 St Patrick’s Downpatrick
1979 St Eunan’s Letterkenny

1978 Armagh C.B.S.

1977 St Patrick’s Downpatrick

1976 Armagh C.B.S.

1975 Armagh C.B.S.

1974 Armagh C.B.S.

1973 St Tiernach’s Clones

1972 St Patrick’s Dungannon

1971 Omagh C.B.S.

1970 St Patrick’s Maghera

1969 St Patrick’s Downpatrick

1968 St Eunan’s Letterkenny

1967 St Michael’s Omeath

1966 St Patrick’s Armagh

1965 St Patrick’s Cavan

1964 St Michael’s Enniskillen

1963 St Columb’s Derry

1962 St Malachy’s Belfast

1961 St Michael’s Omeath

1960 St Patrick’s Dungannon