ALL-IRELANDS

PAST GLORY

1998 brought the CBS their finest hour yet - winning the All Ireland B hurling title for the first time in our history.

The first appearance by C.B.S. Portlaoise in an ALL-Ireland semi-final was on the last Sunday of March 1993 in Carlow. St. Fachtna’s Skibereen (finalists in the 1982 ALL-Ireland S.F. A Championship) were the Munster representatives. After a fine match, C.B.S. had a one point advantage.

The ALL-Ireland final was a bit of an anti-climax in that the Ulster Champions Ballyshannon dominated much of the match. The disappointment of losing the final was overshadowed in the knowledge that another ALL-Ireland semi-final awaited them in the following week. But here luck deserted our senior hurlers and they went under to Roscommon C.B.S.

While disappointed in defeat the players could feel justifiably proud in that they had added their chapter of history to the school’s history.

At both junior football and hurling our success was limited-junior hurlers losing at an early stage to Callan C.B.S. and the footballers falling to Good Counsel. Like wise at juvenile hurling, Wexford C.B.S. put paid to our attempts to add another title.

The success in 1979/80 engendered its own interest for the following year. Could the school do it again? Our senior footballers provided the answer. They stormed through South Leinster.

In the leinster semi- final they survived a very determined St.Vincent's team who made team fight every inch of the way. A test that stood them well in the Leinster Final. They easily overcame Moyle Park in a rather one-sided match.