Annual Paul O'Connor memorial hurling blitz at Gaelcholáiste Mhuire AG goes from strength to strength

Gaelscoil Uí Ríordáin were the overall winners as the Paul O’Connor Memorial Blitz once again proved to be a huge success.

Held in honour of the former Na Piarsaigh, UCC and Cork hurler who sadly died in 2012, the event is run by Gaelcholáiste Mhuire AG for fourth- and fifth-class students and has grown in popularity year on year.

Donagh Seartan, a teacher at the AG, co-ordinates the blitz – fittingly, as his older brother Liam played a major role in getting it off the ground in 2013, when he taught there – and he is delighted to see it evolve so successfully.

“Since it started, the only years that it wasn’t held were 2020 and 2021, due to Covid,” he says. “I don’t know how many it started with, maybe six or seven schools, but this year we had 18 primary schools involved and 26 teams in total.

“You have fourth- and fifth-class students, from Ballincollig to Glanmire to Mayfield and the surrounding schools.

“There was just short of 300 kids up at the two pitches on the day.”

Given O’Connor’s success as a coach was focused on player development – particularly with UCC, who he guided to Fitzgibbon Cup glory on five occasions, to go with his five medals as a player – it’s fitting that the focus of the competition is on nourishing the youth.

In addition, students from the AG play a major role in organising things.

“It’s the fourth years that run, it, really,” Seartan says. “They ref the matches and you have a coach with each team. It’s a group format, so every team got to play four games and it was graded after that, into the cup, shield and plate.

“It’s a good day out and everybody enjoyed themselves. It all went well, thank God.

“Gaelscoil Uí Ríordáin from Ballincollig won the cup, they would have won it a couple of years ago as well.

“Scoil Oilibhéar won the shield competition and Scoil an Athar Tadhg from Carraig na bhFear won the plate.

“There was a player of the tournament award too and we had Seán Óg Ó hAilpín doing the presentation, he was up there for the day.”

The presence of Ó hAilpín and other dear friends of O’Connor, such as UCC GAA development officer John Grainger, serve to reinforce the esteem in which 'Paulo' was held and how the continued success of the blitz ensures that he continues to be ed.

“Obviously, he used to go to the Mon and there’s always a big UCC contingent up there on the day, as well, his record there speaks for itself,” Seartan said.

“We get the goals from Na Piarsaigh, so you had all the aspects of his sporting life involved.

There’s nothing more fitting, really, than having 300 students up there, playing hurling up at the Mon field, enjoying themselves.

“Paul’s family attend, his nephews Paul and Ian come every year, in fairness, and there’s always big numbers and big appreciation for what Paul did.”