Drumshanbo dream ends with calm Castleknock

Drumshanbo Vocational School’s dream of adding another All-Ireland Schools Volleyball title to their roll of honour came to an end on Tuesday when St Vincent’s Castleknock held off their ferocious challenge to lift the Cadette B boys crown.

It was one of those finals for Drumshanbo where things just didn’t go right. And still, by the end of the match, they still managed to show how strong they can be. Castleknock had to fight for point after point to win the second set. Unfortunately, while Drumshanbo knew Castleknock were good, they soon found out that they also were unbelievably consistent and made everything hard for their opponents.

Seventeen Drumshanbo teams have fought in competitions since Covid and finally the 18th team succeeded in getting to a final. In the warm-up Drumshanbo looked good, Castleknock forgettable. Sure, Drumshanbo started with two errors. But then Eoghain Rynn had spectacular winners as Brian Nolan hit three scintillating serves. 

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But another Drumshanbo error meant that, for all their brilliance, Drumshanbo only led 4-3! There followed the nightmare final as player after player missed serve and it was 10-17 before Drumshanbo scored on serve again (Oisín Mulvey Gildae served 2). 

Drumshanbo panicked and played out of position. Castleknock served deep and just kept the ball in play to await the next Drumshanbo error. At 13-21 Castleknock even hit two winning spikes.

Finally, on came Aaron McDonagh and he dumped a ball for an immediate winner and Jack Beirne finally did what we all knew he could do, when he hit three great serves to bring the score from 15-24 to 18-24. But one more error and the set was lost.

Castleknock continued to serve deep in the second set. One spike winner from Rynn, after a long rally, broke the run but Castleknock raced ahead 10-3 as Drumshanbo couldn’t get ball control.

Then Drumshanbo finally arrived. They stopped panicking and began to send the second ball touch, no matter how awkward to handle, into a good position to launch counter attacks. The stats showed a big win for the Dublin school but the reality was that from there to the end, Drumshanbo were the more attacking and better side. 

Ronan Guckian aced and dived. Marcel Zelias came on and hit three decisive winning spikes. Oisín McGarry began to chase everything, as he can, while also upping his serve. Drumshanbo began to do the impossible. Castleknock now had to win points. But surely they held out and still could win a long rally by hitting down fast to the front court.

Jacub Zapala served hard, Rynn blocked and spiked for two winners and reduced the lead to 15-12. Castleknock though continued to serve hard and, if not quite acing, they put Drumshanbo again on the back foot.

The Drumshanbo VS team who were All Ireland Volleyball Cadette B Second-level Schools silver medalists 2023-24. (Back, from left) Gareth Gilmartin (coach) Jack Beirne, Senan McGowan, Eoin Rynn, Ronan Guckian Oisin Mulvey Gildae, Brian Nolan, Oleh Yurchenko, Colin Moran (assistant manager); (Front) Aaron McDonagh, Jacub Zapala, Oisín McGarry, Darragh McCormack, Marcel Zelias

Drumshanbo hit several great spikes as Oleh Yurenko came on. Castleknock somehow managed to keep them in play, although a former Drumshanbo player watching thought the referee should have pulled the Dublin school several times for lifting the ball up in a foul touch. Had he, it would have radically changed the score.

Dominic Little, the Castleknock coach, said that the ending was very hard and that there was nothing between the teams. Drumshanbo definitely won all the dramatic winners but calm Castleknock quietly amassed the scores. They were deceptive: deep serves, balls flicked down the front court, finding an empty back court. It was no shame to lose to them.

Senan McGowan and Darragh McCormack came on at the end but too late to alter the flow. It was still great to see Drumshanbo back in the National final.

Serves: Beirne 3, McGarry 2, Mulvey 2, Zapala 2, Rynn (vice capt.) 2, Yurenko, McGowan, McCormack, Guckian (capt.) 4, Nolan 3, McDonagh 3, Zelias 1