SPORT: Water polo teams awash with medals

THE St Vincent’s Water Polo team, from Glasnevin, enjoyed major success at the Irish Under 16 Cup Finals held recently in Lisburn.

St Vincent’s Girls and Boys’ teams won gold and bronze respectively following their trip north of the border. 

Seven girls’ teams and 11 boys’ teams from Dublin, Galway, Drogheda, Lisburn and Belfast entered this year’s competition.

St Vincent’s Girls were clear favourites having not lost any match over the course of the season. They went into the competition as Leinster Under 16 Cup winners and are also winning the Leinster and National Under 16 leagues this season and National League Division 2.

They defeated Contarf 6-0 in the semi-final before defeating Tribes ‘A’ 7-5 in an exciting final.  

Sadbh Kindlon (3), Aoife Hennessy, Niamh O’Meara, Molly O’Reilly and Ciara Kindlon scored the goals for the North Dublin team.  

The St Vincent’s Boys’ team won their group, winning against North Dublin and Lisburn and beating Cathal Brugha from Belfast in the quarter final. 

The boys lost to Corrib in the semi final and met Grads from Belfast for third place and won 11-6.

It was a great weekend for the St Vincent’s Junior Under 16 Boys and Girls teams. They were the only Dublin teams to reach the semi finals this year.

The St Vincent’s Water Polo team trains at the National Aquatic Centre (NAC) on Mondays, and Wednesdays from 8.15 pm to 10.15pm for senior men and women and the Under 16 teams, and on Fridays from 8.15pm to 9.15 pm for junior members.

Meanwhile, six of the St Vincent’s Under 16 Girls’ team – Sophia O’Donnell, Sadbh Kindlon, Aoife Hennessy, Cliona Colvin, Niamh O’Meara and Molly Reilly – have been selected for the Irish Under 17 team that will travel to the UK at the end of this month for a Water Polo tournament, and to Odense in Denmark in April for the Women’s Under 17 EU Nations Water Polo Cup.  

The St Vincent’s Boys’ team had two boys selected on the Irish Under 17 team – Mathew Hynes and Shane O’Brien.

If you are interested in taking up water polo there are senior and junior teams fro both men and women.  Contact Nicky O’Meara, from the Leinster Branch Water Polo Association, at [email protected] or 086-3688254.