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 9
Marist College 12
Rice College 0
Sligo Grammar 38
Athenry VS 22
Gallen CS 14
Colaiste Iognaid 19
Garbally College 0
Semi-Final
Marist College 7
Sligo Grammar 12
Athenry VS 5
Colaiste Iognaid 30
Final
Colaiste Iognaid 23
Sligo Grammar School 13
Defending 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 College
Colaiste Iognaid
Rice College
Pool 2
The Bish
Garbally College
Sligo Grammar
The 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 College
1914 Garbally College
1915 Garbally College
1916 Garbally College
1917 not played
1918 St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish)
1919 Ranelagh, Athlone
1920 not played
1921 not played
1922 St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish)
1923 Ranelagh, Athlone
1924 Coláiste Iognáid
1925 Coláiste Iognáid
1926 Garbally College
1927 Coláiste Iognáid
1928 Coláiste Iognáid
1929 Garbally College
1930 St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish)
1931 Garbally College
1932 Collegians/St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish)
1933 not played
1934 not played
1935 not played
1936 Garbally College
1937 Garbally College
1938 Garbally College
1939 Garbally College
1940 Garbally College
1941 Galway Grammar School
1942 Garbally College
1943 not played
1944 not played
1945 not played
1946 not played
1947 not played
1948 not played
1949 Garbally College
1950 Garbally College
1951 Collegians
1952 Garbally College
1953 Garbally College
1954 St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish)
1955 Garbally College
1956 Garbally College
1957 Garbally College
1958 Garbally College
1959 St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish)
1960 St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish)
1961 Sligo Grammar School
1962 Sligo Grammar School
1963 Sligo Grammar School
1964 St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish)
1965 St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish)
1966 Wilson Hospital
1967 not played
1968 not played
1969 Sligo Grammar School
1970 St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish) beat Garbally College by 6–0
1971 Garbally College
1972 Garbally College
1973 Garbally College
1974 Garbally College
1975 Clifden Community School beat Garbally College by 10–6
1976 Garbally College
1977 Marist College, Athlone beat Sligo Grammar School
1978 Garbally College
1979 Coláiste Iognáid
1980 Sligo Grammar School
1981 St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish)
1982 Garbally College
1983 Garbally College
1984 Garbally College
1985 Coláiste Iognáid beat St. Joseph's College,Galway (The Bish)
1986 Garbally College beat Colaiste Iognaid Galway
1987 Garbally College
1988 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 Galway
1990 Garbally College beat Sligo Grammar School
1991 Garbally College
1992 Garbally College
1993 St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish)
1994 St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish) beat Sligo Grammar School
1995 Garbally College beat Sligo Grammar School
1996 Garbally College beat Sligo Grammar School
1997 Garbally College beat Sligo Grammar School
1998 Garbally College beat St. Saran's College, Ferbane
1999 Sligo Grammar School beat St. Joseph's College, Galway (The Bish) by 24–5
2000 Sligo Grammar School beat St. Saran's College, Ferbane by 24–10
2001 Garbally College beat Portumna Community School
2002 Colaiste Iognaid beat Garbally College
2003 Sligo Grammar School beat Garbally College
2004 St. Saran's College, Ferbane beat Sligo Grammar School by 20–0
2005 Colaiste Iognaid beat Sligo Grammar School by 16–3
2006 Colaiste Iognaid beat Sligo Grammar School by 13–10
2007 Garbally College beat Marist College, Athlone by 25 – 18
2008 Colaiste Iognaid beat Marist College, Athlone by 10 – 7
2009 Colaiste Iognaid beat Sligo Grammar School by 10–3
2010 Sligo Grammar School beat Colaiste Iognaid by 26–11
2011 Colaiste Iognaid beat Sligo Grammar School by 23–13
2012 Marist College, Athlone beat Sligo Grammar School 12–0
2013 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 – 18
2016 Colaiste Iognaid beat Garbally College by 16–15
2017 Colaiste Iognaid Vs Summerhill College, Sligo to be played Wednesday March 15th 2017 at the Galway Sportsground.
2003–04 Sligo Grammar School beat Garbally College
2004–05
2005–06
2006–07 Garbally College beat Coláiste Iognáid by 22–0
2007–08 Coláiste Iognáid beat Marist College Athlone by 17–8
2008–09 Coláiste Iognáid beat Sligo Grammar School by 8–6
2009–10 Sligo Grammar School beat Coláiste Iognáid by 22–0
2010–11 Coláiste Iognáid beat Calasanctius, Oranmore 26–11
2011–12 Marist College Athlone beat Sligo Grammar School
2012–13 Marist College Athlone beat Sligo Grammar School by 13–0
2013–14 Garbally College beat Sligo Grammar School 11–6
From 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 School
2015–16 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, Sligo
2010–11 Rice College
2011–12 St Josephs College, Galway beat Clifden CS by 14–12
2012–13 St Endas College, Galway beat Clifden CS by 10–07
2013–14 HRC Mountbellew beat An Cheathru Rua
2006 Coláiste Iognáid
2007 Coláiste Iognáid
2008 Coláiste Iognáid beat Calasanctius College, Oranmore
2009 Coláiste Iognáid
2010 Coláiste Iognáid
2011 Coláiste Iognáid
Senior 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)
