The Connacht School's Rugby Senior Cup is an annual rugby union competition for secondary schools affiliated to the Connacht Rugby Branch of the IRFU. Boys, usually of seventeen or eighteen years of age, compete for the Cup with rival schools from within the province of Connacht. The first round matches are typically played towards the end of January, with the final being played in the Galway Sportsgrounds the week before Saint Patrick's Day.
Historically Garbally College, Ballinasloe have been the most successful school in the competition lifting the cup 45 times, while Coláiste Iognáid have been the most successful team since the turn of the millennium winning in 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2016.
The current holders (2016) are Coláiste Iognáid from Galway who beat Garbally College, Ballinasloe by 16–15 on 16 March 2016 in the Galway Sportsgrounds.
2011's competition reached the final stages, with defending champions Sligo Grammar School beating Rice College, Westport 38–0 in the first round (quarter final). In the Semi-Final they then faced Marist |College, Athlone winning through to the Final narrowly by 12–7.
In the other half of the draw former Schools Cup heavyweights Garbally College lost to last year's beaten finalists Coláiste Iognáid 0-19. The Jes then went on to comfortably beat Athenry Vocational School by 30–5 in the Semi-Final to advance to the final and face Sligo Grammar on Wednesday 9 March 2011 at the home of Connacht Rugby the Galway Sportsgrounds.
Note: The format of the competition changed in 2010 from the format up to 2009. In 2009 every team played in the Senior Cup with the teams who lost their first game playing in the Development Cup. In 2011 12 Schools played in the Development Cup, with the two finalists qualifying for the 1/4 finals of the Senior Cup along with six other teams.
Round 1
Calasanctius Oranmore 9Marist College 12Rice College 0Sligo Grammar 38Athenry VS 22Gallen CS 14Colaiste Iognaid 19Garbally College 0Semi-Final
Marist College 7Sligo Grammar 12Athenry VS 5Colaiste Iognaid 30Final
Colaiste Iognaid 23Sligo Grammar School 13Defending Champions Marist College, Athlone were favourites to retain the trophy in 2012/13, with competition expected to come from Sligo Grammar School; and outsiders Colaiste Iognaid and Garbally College.
The Competition for this season was being played in Two Pools of three teams, with the first two teams in each pool qualifying for a semi-final slot.
Pool 1:
Marist CollegeColaiste IognaidRice CollegePool 2
The BishGarbally CollegeSligo GrammarThe Competition for season 2014/15 was played as one pool of five teams, with the first two teams qualifying for the final. The five teams who competed in the Cup were Marist College, Athlone, Sligo Grammar School, Colaiste Iognaid, Garbally College and Summerhill College, Sligo. Summerhill College, Sligo topped the group with 13 points with Garbally finishing on 12 points in second place to set up a final between the two.
Garbally College edged out Summerhill College, Sligo in a thrilling final by 19–18 on 18 March 2015 in the Galway Sportsgrounds to claim their 45th title.
1913 Garbally College1914 Garbally College1915 Garbally College1916 Garbally College1917 not played1918 St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish)1919 Ranelagh, Athlone1920 not played1921 not played1922 St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish)1923 Ranelagh, Athlone1924 Coláiste Iognáid1925 Coláiste Iognáid1926 Garbally College1927 Coláiste Iognáid1928 Coláiste Iognáid1929 Garbally College1930 St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish)1931 Garbally College1932 Collegians/St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish)1933 not played1934 not played1935 not played1936 Garbally College1937 Garbally College1938 Garbally College1939 Garbally College1940 Garbally College1941 Galway Grammar School1942 Garbally College1943 not played1944 not played1945 not played1946 not played1947 not played1948 not played1949 Garbally College1950 Garbally College1951 Collegians1952 Garbally College1953 Garbally College1954 St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish)1955 Garbally College1956 Garbally College1957 Garbally College1958 Garbally College1959 St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish)1960 St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish)1961 Sligo Grammar School1962 Sligo Grammar School1963 Sligo Grammar School1964 St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish)1965 St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish)1966 Wilson Hospital1967 not played1968 not played1969 Sligo Grammar School1970 St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish) beat Garbally College by 6–01971 Garbally College1972 Garbally College1973 Garbally College1974 Garbally College1975 Clifden Community School beat Garbally College by 10–61976 Garbally College1977 Marist College, Athlone beat Sligo Grammar School1978 Garbally College1979 Coláiste Iognáid1980 Sligo Grammar School1981 St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish)1982 Garbally College1983 Garbally College1984 Garbally College1985 Coláiste Iognáid beat St. Joseph's College,Galway (The Bish)1986 Garbally College beat Colaiste Iognaid Galway1987 Garbally College1988 Garbally College beat St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish) 9 – 6 Sportsground Galway; Garbally, Balfe 6, Carey 3)1989 Garbally College beat St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish) 18 – 6 Galwegians Galway1990 Garbally College beat Sligo Grammar School1991 Garbally College1992 Garbally College1993 St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish)1994 St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish) beat Sligo Grammar School1995 Garbally College beat Sligo Grammar School1996 Garbally College beat Sligo Grammar School1997 Garbally College beat Sligo Grammar School1998 Garbally College beat St. Saran's College, Ferbane1999 Sligo Grammar School beat St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish) by 24–52000 Sligo Grammar School beat St. Saran's College, Ferbane by 24–102001 Garbally College beat Portumna Community School2002 Colaiste Iognaid beat Garbally College2003 Sligo Grammar School beat Garbally College2004 St. Saran's College, Ferbane beat Sligo Grammar School by 20–02005 Colaiste Iognaid beat Sligo Grammar School by 16–32006 Colaiste Iognaid beat Sligo Grammar School by 13–102007 Garbally College beat Marist College, Athlone by 25 – 182008 Colaiste Iognaid beat Marist College, Athlone by 10 – 72009 Colaiste Iognaid beat Sligo Grammar School by 10–32010 Sligo Grammar School beat Colaiste Iognaid by 26–112011 Colaiste Iognaid beat Sligo Grammar School by 23–132012 Marist College, Athlone beat Sligo Grammar School 12–02013 Marist College, Athlone beat Garbally College by 23 – 11 2014 Sligo Grammar School beat Garbally College 10–9 (after 10–10 draw)2015 Garbally College beat Summerhill College, Sligo, by 19 – 182016 Colaiste Iognaid beat Garbally College by 16–152017 Colaiste Iognaid Vs Summerhill College, Sligo to be played Wednesday March 15th 2017 at the Galway Sportsground.2003–04 Sligo Grammar School beat Garbally College2004–052005–062006–07 Garbally College beat Coláiste Iognáid by 22–02007–08 Coláiste Iognáid beat Marist College Athlone by 17–82008–09 Coláiste Iognáid beat Sligo Grammar School by 8–62009–10 Sligo Grammar School beat Coláiste Iognáid by 22–02010–11 Coláiste Iognáid beat Calasanctius, Oranmore 26–112011–12 Marist College Athlone beat Sligo Grammar School2012–13 Marist College Athlone beat Sligo Grammar School by 13–02013–14 Garbally College beat Sligo Grammar School 11–6From 2014-15 onward the league competition winner is determined as the team finishing top after all rounds are completed.
2014–15 Garbally College Runner-up: Sligo Grammar School2015–16 Sligo Grammar School Runner-up: Garbally College 2016–17 Sligo Grammar School Runner-up: Coláiste Iognáid 2009–10 St Josephs College, Galway beat Summerhill College, Sligo2010–11 Rice College2011–12 St Josephs College, Galway beat Clifden CS by 14–122012–13 St Endas College, Galway beat Clifden CS by 10–072013–14 HRC Mountbellew beat An Cheathru Rua2006 Coláiste Iognáid2007 Coláiste Iognáid2008 Coláiste Iognáid beat Calasanctius College, Oranmore2009 Coláiste Iognáid2010 Coláiste Iognáid2011 Coláiste IognáidSenior and Junior Cup Doubles
Garbally College (24)St Joseph's, Galway (The Bish) (4)Sligo Grammar School (2)Ranelagh College (1)Marist College,Athlone (1)