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Maynooth University
Lauren Kelly
Sports Roundup
Notwithstanding Covid-19 our MU athletes braved the sporting calendar this year with true commitment and competitiveness – domestically and internationally Soccer
The 2019/20 season for Maynooth University Soccer Club was action packed from the get-go. Six intervarsity soccer squads – four men’s and two women’s – represented MU in third-level competition this year. Despite reaching the quarterfinals in the Colleges and Universities Football League, our men’s senior squad suffered a 4-2 defeat against Carlow IT in early February, while our women’s seniors overcame UCC 3-1 in Cork in their semi-final to progress to the final. While both the MU women’s senior and men’s fresher teams togged out for their league finals, both teams were subsequently defeated by Ulster University and South West College respectively. In the Irish Universities cups competitions, both women’s squads attempted to qualify for Intervarsity finals for the first time. Quarterfinal success for the women’s senior and B squads was overshadowed somewhat by Covid-19, which forced the cancellation of the finals at WIT in late March. Success in the Harding and Collingwood Cups on the other hand were in sight for a time for the men’s squads, who, despite convincing campaign matches, ultimately succumbed to defeat. UCD overcame a valiant MU effort in the Harding Cup final, while in the Collingwood Cup MU was defeated by UL in the quarterfinal. For the first time since 2014, Maynooth hosted the Crowley Cup. Home advantage in the
final against UCC saw the Maynooth boys winning the cup – for the second time in 50 years – in a 5-4 penalty shootout. Turning our lens to MU scholar soccer watch 2020, former MU soccer scholar Amber Barrett continues to impress for her professional club FC Cologne and Ireland WNT. Sean Hoare has reached the Europa League group stages with Dundalk FC this year, while Scottish team Inverness Caledonian Thistle signed Business Management graduate and former scholarship winner Jamie McGrath. Luke McNally (St Patrick’s Athletic FC) and Daniel Grant (Bohemians FC) were both included in the Irish U21 squad this year. Current scholar Isibeal Atkinson was included in a preliminary women’s senior squad this year, while Lauren Kelly had an exceptional 2019-20 season, representing Ireland in Italy at the world university games. Lauren also scored twice for her club Wexford Youths in the Women’s FAI Cup final at the Aviva Stadium and was named Maynooth University Athlete of the year. Maynooth University Town FC continued their march upwards through the Leinster Senior League divisions this year. For the first time in the club’s history, the senior squad gained promotion to the LSL Senior Division and finished fifth in a highly disrupted season. The Saturday squad, who also gained promotion to the Saturday major division for the first time, had an excellent third place finish while the development squad were Sunday Division 3 winners with an exciting final day of the season victory.
