Carbery kids put on a show at division's Scór na bPáistí finals

BALLINASCARTHY Hall was the place to be for the 2025 Carbery divisional finals of Scór na bPáistí.

An excellent afternoon’s entertainment showcased talent from across the Carbery division in competitions involving singing, music, dance, recitation, question time and novelty act.

Proceedings for this year’s final and for the two previous semi-finals were excellently and skilfully marshalled by Bean a’ Tí, Kathleen O’Sullivan. Again this year, the Carbery division’s finest primary school talent was displayed in all competitions.

The Cloich na Coillte team that won the instrumental music were Áine Déiseach, Andy Twomey, Paddy O’Regan, Erin Coppinger and James Doyle.

The question time/quiz opened the day's entertainment at 4pm. This was won by Kilmacabea GAA with Ilen Rovers in second place. The stage competitions followed, beginning with the figure dancing category, which was won by Diarmuid Ó Mathúnas, with Gaelscoil Cloich na Coillte in second place. In solo singing, a strong competition finished with Kilmacabea placed first, Baile Nuis Football were second. In the solo dancing competition, Gaelscoil Cloich na Coillte came first, followed by Tadhg MacCárthaigh in second place. The set dancing competition made a comeback with Drimoleague National School taking first place.

The Ilen Rovers team that was second in the quiz included Conor Duggan, Ellen Collins, Emer Crowley and Sean Duggan.

The solo music competition saw Diarmuid Ó Mathúnas taking second place with Baile Nuis Football Club being placed first, and Baile Nuis Football Club also won the sean nós dancing category with Kilmacabea in second place. Tadhg MacCárthaigh emerged the winner of the recitation competition, with Kilmacabea in second. In an enjoyable ballad group category, Kilmacabea came out on top with St James in second place.

An entertaining novelty act competition saw St James GAA taking first place with Carbery Rangers in second. The evening’s entertainment finished with Cloich na Coillte GAA in first place in the instrumental music group competition and Tadhg MacCárthaigh in second.

The Tadhg MacCárthaigh team that took part in the ballad group were Róisín Murnane, Chloe Delaney, Charlie Daly, Kate Lynch and Emma McCarthy.

The Carbery Scór Committee expressed their gratitude to Clonakilty & Dunmanway Credit Union for sponsoring the medals for Scór na bPáistí. Kate Deasy, assistant manager, was on hand to make the presentations.

The winners of the various Scór na bPáistí competitions go on to represent Carbery in the county semi-final competitions on Friday, March 28th at 7.30pm in the Éire Óg GAA complex in Ovens.