THE LAST POINT: St Clare's CS Manorhamilton rise to the occasion

Maybe Einstein was at work in the venerable St Jarlath's Stadium in Tuam last Saturday because time, for one fleeting moment, stood still, the thin line between ecstasy and heartbreak never clearer than when Ennistymon CS's Conor Burke stood over a 35 yard free that almost spelled the end of the dreams of St Clare's CS Manorhamilton.

We all know by now that Burke missed the free that would have sent the Dr Eamonn O'Sullivan Cup down to the north Clare coast, the wind dragging his on-target free wide of the near hand post to the overwhelming relief of St Clare's boisterous supporters, a moment when time literally stood still.

Such a moment seemed frankly inconceivable ten minutes earlier as the Leitrim school furrowed out a match winning four point lead, St Clare's well on the way to a victory that their performance merited. Yet here we were, praying to the Gods that, somehow, the ball wouldn't go between the posts, a sliding doors moment that defies all logic and belief.

But maybe, just maybe, it was a moment written in the stars because the one thing that this St Clare's team have done on their march to ultimate glory was to defy the odds and overcome expectations, delivering their best when the cauldron was at its hottest and when most of us would have been frankly losing the plot.

Had it been St Clare's who missed that free, and they missed a glorious chance  a minute earlier, we'd have been cursing our ill fortune but truth be told, as much as luck shone on the Manor school when  Burke stood over that free, luck had nothing to do with how St Clare's were crowned All-Ireland champions.

THE LAST POINT: RULES CHAOS THREATENS CONTROL

Consider the game's dramatic extra-time spectacular - Jack Kelly was the game's dominant personality but when his leg suddenly cramped as he went to take a free seconds after the start of the second period of extra-time, I wasn't alone in declaring that that was it for St Clare's. Kelly's influence was such that  the loss of their inspiration and leader should have seen the Leitrim lads collapse.

But no! Whatever Shane Ward and Adam McBarron have instilled in this group of young men, they are made of the sternest stuff! Ronan Fox did a more than passable impersonation of Kelly by nonchalantly lobbing a long range free over the bar before Zach Gethins became the Kevin McMenamin & Seamus Darby, all rolled into one, of St Clare's history by landing the killer goal deep into added time.

I often wonder how that happens? Is it something these players are born with, the way Kerry always seems to produce players touched by the Gods or is it something they develop? The nursery system in Glencar Manorhamilton has been producing some gems over the past few years, Barry McNulty the prime exhibit, but when the pressure was at its greatest, it didn't cause the St Clare's lads to crack, instead it produced diamonds of the rarest quality.

Plenty of people contributed to the work that has gone into the Glencar Manor and St Patrick's Dromahair lads, their displays in the Connacht Club reflect that but this St Clare's team had Shane Ward's fingerprints all over it. They were ferocious in their defensive set-up, resilient to every setback and organised to such a degree that it spoke of meticulous preparation and a devotion to the development of the game's skills.

No team is a one man show and St Clare's showed that and more last Saturday - Jack Kelly is rightly earning plaudits from anyone who witnessed St Clare's run to the final but as the youngster says himself, he was only finishing  what his teammates set up. How else do you explain what sub Ryan Kelly did to set up Zach Gethins' game goal? 

Just a point between the teams, Ennistymon probing endlessly for the guts of two minutes, seeking that one moment that would send the game to penalties. But St Clare's never wavered and when an Ennistymon pass was slightly, and I mean by a matter of inches, off target, young Ryan Kelly pounced and attacked with a verve and belief borne of utter confidence that his Dromahair clubmate Gethins would be there to take the chance to win the title for the Manorhamilton school.

That doesn't happen by accident - it comes thanks to hours of work on the training field that builds a confidence that meant young Kelly knew exactly what he had to do at just the right moment, a trait all of the St Clare's players demonstrated time and time again on Saturday and in their march to the final.

I've been lucky enough to witness some of Leitrim's greatest ever victories in Tuam Stadium - Aidan Rooney's winner in 1993 against Galway was the first sign John O'Mahony's team was ready to make an historic breakthrough the following year. Five years later, an unheralded Leitrim team turned the odds upside down as they beat Galway, coming from six down to win by one, and Sligo to claim the Connacht Minor crown.

What both those teams had was a defiance and self-belief that Leitrim teams rarely possess and it is that very quality that St Clare's CS also possess. I don't know what sort of alchemy went into it but Shane Ward worked some incredible magic and it was a pleasure and an honour to witness it come to glorious fruition last Saturday in Tuam.

So, congratulations to St Clare's CS Manorhamilton, the players, the coaches and teachers,  their families, clubs and everyone else came together to make this joyous triumph - it truly was an unforgettable moment!

LEITRIM LADIES NOT FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS - YET!

Loath as I usually am to read too much into a one-off match, still hard to avoid the conclusion that Leitrim Ladies have yet to fully fire on all cylinders in 2025 as they suffered a third League defeat last Sunday.

What made the result all the more remarkable is the fact that Leitrim beat the Yeats women by 34 points last year - now that may be more due to internal Sligo issues and a reboot in their squad after double relegation in the League and championship. Sligo have started to get their house in order but it is Leitrim that concerns us most and right now, I'm not sure whether to be worried or not! Jonny Garrity's side got caught in an ambush in last year's semi-final and avoiding that this year has been the sole aim of this campaign.

Leitrim are right where they want to be - one game away from promotion against an Antrim team they feel they can beat so, as far as I can see, everything is right on track.

THE LAST POINT: A GLIMPSE TOWARDS A BRIGHT FUTURE

Yet, watching Sligo charge through the middle leaves me thinking that Leitrim are missing the pace and running ability of the Bruen sisters, Orla Flynn, Aine Redican and the injured Laura O'Dowd. The new players coming in are undoubtedly talented but that quintet knit together Jonny Garrity's tactical master plan in a way that is hard to define, protecting the defence and getting up in support of the attack.

It was always going to take time to bed in so many new faces and maybe Garrity is timing everything to peak on March 30. Certainly Leitrim have that capability - they almost rescued a draw in a game last Sunday where they played second fiddle for long periods.

The pessimist in me is worried, the optimist supremely confident that Leitrim can turn it on when necessary - only time will tell!