Holy Family Primary Celebrates a Landmark Year in Sport

Holy Family Primary School has had a fantastic year in sport, with pupils enjoying success in Gaelic football, soccer, netball and cross country running. Holy Family offer a wide range of afterschool clubs which gives the children the chance to try different sports and develop their skills in a fun, supportive environment. This year, tennis was also introduced and has quickly became a very popular choice among pupils.

In Gaelic football, our boys’ teams enjoyed a season to remember. The campaign began with victory in the Ronnie Kelly Cup, an indoor Gaelic tournament hosted by St Conor’s in November. A particular highlight this year saw pupil Darragh McMahon selected to represent Tyrone Schools during the half-time game at the Tyrone v Cavan fixture. This was a proud moment for the school community.

As the third term got underway, attention turned to outdoor Gaelic tournaments. The boys narrowly missed out on silverware in the Ann Kelly Memorial Cup, losing in the final to St. Ronan’s Recarson, despite impressive performances throughout the day. That disappointment was short lived, however, as Holy Family claimed their first ever title in the Millennium Cuphosted by St Conor’s PS.

Momentum continued to build with a historic win in the Rice Cup, a prestigious competition among former Christian Brothers primary schools. Our boys triumphed 2-3 to 0-2 over Armagh CBS ending their nine-year reign and securing Holy Family’s first Rice Cup win since 1989. It was a particularly emotional moment for Joseph Tierney, who captained the team to victory just as his father, Paul, had done 38 years earlier in 1987. Remarkably, Conan O’Donnell’s father, Patrick was also part of that 1987 winning team.

The season concluded in dramatic fashion at the Omagh St Enda’s Tournament in Healy Parkon the June. Once again facing St. Ronan’s Recarson in the final, Holy Family edged a nailbiting match by a single point, sealing a fitting end to a remarkable Gaelic football season and a proud farewell for our Year 7 players.

Our girls’ Gaelic football team showed great progress throughout the season, finishing as runners-up in both the Conall McCrory Indoor Shield and the Omagh St Enda’s Plate. They continued their strong form by taking second place in the ERST tournament in Armagh. Many of the girls also took part in numerous netball tournaments, with their best result coming as runners-up in the St Joseph’s Drumquin Tournament.

The boys continued their strong sporting form on the soccer pitch. In September, they took part in the Drumragh Integrated International Peace Day competition, winning five out of six games and finishing as runners-up to Killen P.S. Later in the year, they celebrated a major achievement by winning the McDonald’s Sixes Indoor Soccer Tournament for the third year in a row. Held at the Station Centre and sponsored by McDonald’s, the tournament ended in a tense 1-0 victory over McClintock in the final.

It has also been an exceptional year in Cross Country running. At the Edwards PS Challengein October, standout performances included 1st for James McCarron, as well as podium finishes for Sam Motherwell (2nd), Kyra Mimnagh (2nd) Rionagh Mc Mahon and Paul Slevinin 6th. Our U12 boys' team made up of Sam, Hugh McGarvey, Conan McCann and Joseph Tierney won their event outright.

James McCarron qualified for the Flahavan’s NI Primary Schools Cross Country Finals, capping a strong series of results across three competitive rounds. Elsewhere, at the St. Mary’s P.S Strabane Cross Country, Kyra Mimnagh finished 2nd and Rionagh McMahon 9th in the P6 girls’ race, while in the P6 boys Sam finished 3rd, James 4th, and Paul 7th. Laura Crumlish had an impressive 6th place finish in the P7 race.

Further notable finishes came at the Killyclogher and Greencastle Cross Country events, with Kyra Mimnagh continuing her dominance by claiming top spot in both competitions. Laura Crumlish finished in 3rd spot in the Killyclogher race,

The season concluded in Irvinestown at the Fermanagh and Omagh Cross Country Championships, where Holy Family shone brightly. Kate McCarron (P4), Kyra Mimnagh(P6) and James McCarron (P6) all claimed 1st place finishes, while Sam Motherwell (2nd)and Daire Caldwell (3rd) also secured podium spots. The girls’ team placed 3rd overall, while the boys were crowned Fermanagh and Omagh Cross Country Champions 2025.

Behind the success of our young athletes stand the dedicated efforts of Ms McSorley, Mr McCusker and Mr Clarke, whose guidance and encouragement continue to nurture the sporting talents of Holy Family pupils. Their passion has helped foster a vibrant sporting culture at the school, where children are supported to develop their skills, enjoy healthy competition and make memories that will last a lifetime.

Mrs Dolan: I couldn’t be prouder of our amazing sports stars! The huge success in sport this year is testament to the excellent PE curriculum and after school sports programme available to our pupils. I sincerely thank Miss Mc Sorley, our P.E co-ordinator and Master Mc Cuskerand Master Clarke for their tireless dedication to the development of sport within our school. We look forward to many more successes for our pupils in the upcoming year.