News

IT Carlow Celebrates a World Title, Six National Titles and Nine Final Placements

29/04/2015 10:02:00

SPORT CHAMPIONS!

The students and staff at IT Carlow this week celebrated, on the day of the Institute’s Clubs and Societies Ball, one of their most successful sports year to date that included a world title, six national titles, and nine final appearances along with some fantastic individual and team performances across a wide range of sports.

After a memorable sporting season, their slew of title wins include: the Division 1 Higher Education, All-Ireland Hurling League; in camogie, the Fr. Meachair Cup for the second successive year and, in women’s rugby, the Student Sport Ireland (SSI) Colleges Intervarsity Championship. In soccer, the team took home the Colleges FAI Umbro Cup for the fourth successive year and, in basketball, there was a most dramatic win of the NBCC Men’s Division One League for the first time with a half court buzzer beater. In athletics, IT Carlow student Marcus Lawler won double gold at the IUAA Indoor Championships in the 60m and 200m, breaking a nine-year IUAA record in the latter. He also took double gold at the famous Mary Peters track in Belfast during the Outdoor Intervarsities, taking home first prize in both the 100 and 200m events. Jeffrey Atkinson rounded off the year in great style, picking up a world title in Division 2 of the Handball Colleges Intervarsity’s held in Portland, Oregon in the USA.

IT Carlow’s sporting teams also racked up nine final placements that included, in women’s soccer, the Colleges Association of Ireland Football All Ireland, and the Women’s Premier Division final. In rugby, the men’s 1st, 2nd and 3rds and the women’s team all reached the finals of the SSI League while the men’s fresher rugby team progressed to the final of the SSI 3rd Level Colleges Fresher Rugby Finals. IT Carlow men’s basketball also reached the final of the recent intervarsity competition held in Belfast at the beginning of April, while the second string hurlers made the All-Ireland Intermediate Finals for the first time in IT Carlow’s history. In golf, the intervarsity match play squad reached the plate final (Divison 2) of the GUI Colleges 3rd level event, only to lose out narrowly to Queens University Belfast. In athletics, there were silver and bronze medals for the 4x100 men’s relay team, while student Amy Phelan took silver in the pole vault.

For the first time in their history, IT Carlow’s men’s Gaelic football team reached the semi-final stages of the prestigious Sigerson Cup hosted by UCC, whilst the senior hurling team reached the quarter finals of the Fitzgibbon Cup.

Speaking at the Clubs & Societies Ball, Donal McNally, Director of Sport at IT Carlow said, “I congratulate each and every student who, through hard work, focus and determination, has contributed to IT Carlow’s great sporting success this year. The staff and students are very proud of you all. This sporting success adds to IT Carlow’s reputation as a centre for sporting excellence. It also reflects the heavy investment by the Institute in the development of first class sports facilities and in the development of elite sports courses that attract the country’s top athletes. The awarding of sports scholarships also affords talented sports men and women the opportunity to compete at the highest level while pursuing excellent courses at the Institute”.

-ENDS-

For reference: Alma Feeley, Communications Dept., IT Carlow, t: 059 9175098, m: 087 8 204934, e: alma.feeley@itcarlow.ie