First up it was the Girls u16s the three times league winners but the Junior JP cup has evaded them in recent years. Railway grew into the game after a nervy opening but then started to impose themselves on the match and good link up play allowed Susie Halpin to open the scoring in the first quarter. Railway extended their lead at the start of the final quarter with a well worked PC being slotted home by Susie Halpin for 2-0.

That kick started Muckross who started to gain more territory and after a penalty corner awarded for not being 5m in the 25 but then controversially the Railway player also being double penalised by the Muckross umpire with a green card against Railway's play maker Jessica Carroll that changed the momentum of the contest in the final quarter. Muckross scored and used their numerical advantage to put Railway under pressure and a number of close quarter saves from Railway co-captain Chloe Hiles were vital to make sure the match ended with a 2-1 win for Railway.

We are so proud of our school diversity in our club and we always encourage players from lots of different schools, none more so than this Inter A team that are from six different schools all playing in Railway yellow !

Railway will now play Loreto under 16 girls on St Patrick's and congratulations to them making it through to the final too and a team Railway have much respect for and will look forward to playing them in the final.

Later in the day the girls u16s headed out to Rathdown School to watch the Womens 1sts take on Monkstown in the senior womens Jacqui Potter cup semi-final. Railway women were without their Irish international (Sarah Hawkshaw, Katie Mullan and Roisin Upton and not forgetting Niamh and Michelle Carey who now play in Belgium) against a full strength Monkstown womens 1sts meant the contest was much more even than would normally be expected. In fact it was only one goal that separated the teams and it was from Ali O'Leary in Q3.

Next Sunday 9th March the Boys u14s play Kilkenny in their Leinster cup semi-final which would mean a third Yellow & Green team playing on St Patricks day. The boys coached by Kenny C are unbeaten for three years in this u14 cup, winning it in 2023 and then being controversially being “expelled” from the 2024 competition semi-final by Leinster Hockey “politics” and were not permitted to play their semi-final and as such not afforded the opportunity to defend their u14 title. The boys will welcome Kilkenny to Park Avenue next Sunday and at least this year the cup will be decided on the pitch !

The Finals will be played on St Patricks day Monday 17th March at Grange Road Hockey Club and will be great to see as much yellow and green supporting the teams.