Table Tennis – All-Ireland Secondary Schools’ Team Table Tennis Finals

A massive congratulations to Grosvenor’s Under 15 Girls’ and Boys’ table tennis teams, each of which secured victory at the prestigious All-Ireland Secondary Schools’ Team Table Tennis Finals, held at the National Indoor Arena in Dublin on Thursday 28th April.

In the Under 15 girls’ category, Grosvenor’s team, comprising Lily Parke (9S), Melissa Johnston (10V), Naomi Humes (9R), Emma Mackey (11V), Amelia Jankowska (9G) and Gracie Ashbridge (9S), opened proceedings as they faced Leinster in a straight final. Despite narrowly losing a very close fought opening match, the girls soon stormed back and, not to be denied, enjoyed victory in the remaining singles matches, as well as all three of the doubles encounters, to add the All-Ireland title to the Ulster Championship trophy that they had secured prior to Easter at Lisburn Racquets Club. Having set the ball rolling, the pressure was now on their male counterparts to make Grosvenor’s visit to Dublin a day to remember…

As with the girls’ team, Grosvenor’s Under 15 boys, made up of Ben Watson (12S), Junior Close (12S), Euan Hanna (11R), Thomas Norman (11N), Joseph Rainey (11S) and Alfie Stone (11N), were drawn to play the Leinster Champions in their opening encounter, with the boys winning all of their single matches to collect a full six points and, thus, secure victory. Following this, the boys then progressed to face the Munster Champions in the final. In another nail-biting encounter, the scores were level at 4-4 following all of the singles as well as the opening two doubles matches, leaving the result down to the outcome of the final doubles match, featuring Ewan and Thomas. Once again, despite stiff opposition, it is to the boys’ credit that they stuck to their task and eventually prevailed, with their hours of practice helping them to a victory that saw the team, like their female companions earlier in the day, crowned Irish Champions.

Very well done to both Grosvenor teams, as well as their coach Mrs Peel, on their incredible success – the pinnacle of Schools’ success in table tennis within Ireland: with many more years at School for most of the players on show, they will hope that it is not their final All-Ireland success as Grosvenor pupils.

Grosvenor’s Under 15 boys’ and girls’ teams with their respective Irish Schools’ trophies.