{"id":383366,"date":"2026-04-05T15:38:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T15:38:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/383366\/"},"modified":"2026-04-05T15:38:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T15:38:12","slug":"terenure-and-st-marys-to-meet-in-mouthwatering-semi-final-clash-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/383366\/","title":{"rendered":"Terenure and St Mary\u2019s to meet in mouthwatering semi-final clash \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Terenure duly sealed fourth place in the Energia All-Ireland League Division 1A semi-finals with a hard-earned 19-15 win over UCD at a breezy Lakelands Park on Saturday. The players then waited a few minutes on the pitch before confirmation that their neighbours St Mary\u2019s had beaten Clontarf 14-10 in Castle Avenue set up a mouthwatering and first ever Dublin 6W derby in the AIL playoffs in a fortnight.<\/p>\n

Terenure and St Mary\u2019s have each shared a home win apiece in the last two seasons and although \u2018Nure will be underdogs, there was no disguising their excitement about a game which will likely draw the biggest attendance of the AIL season.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really excited for both sets of players. I think it will be a brilliant atmosphere,\u201d said Terenure head coach Paul Barr, who recalled the St Mary\u2019s-Young Munster showdown in the old Lansdowne Road in 1993 and joked: \u201cI feel a bit like the Young Munster fella in 1993 saying: \u2018Do they have the capacity up there to take this game?\u2019 It\u2019ll make for a great occasion.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a sharp finish by UCD\u2019s Czech winger Maxim Aschenbrenner trimmed Terenure\u2019s interval lead of 12-5 to just two points early in the second half, the key score was Adam La Grue\u2019s second try of the game from Harrison Brewer\u2019s pass in swift response, which Caspar Gabriel converted into the stiff wind from the touchline.<\/p>\n

\u201cMentally, I knew it was going to be tough for us, so we\u2019re really happy to get the win,\u201d said Barr. \u201cSome of our decision-making in the game showed what anxiety does in the moment and we gave the ball away quite cheaply. But we can learn from that too.<\/p>\n

\u201cTough conditions, tough game, a very good UCD team. If they can keep that team for the playoffs, they\u2019ll be very strong.\u201d<\/p>\n

UCD will host Garryowen in the promotion\/relegation playoffs, with Dublin University at home to Instonians, after Old Wesley sealed promotion from 1B with a 45-0 win at City of Armagh while Trinity were winning 34-24 at Blackrock.<\/p>\n

UCD head coach Emmet McMahon is optimistic that Irish Under-20 props, Max Doyle and Sami Bishti (aka the Bash Brothers) will be available as well as Leinster academy lock Conor O\u2019Tighearnaigh and influential outhalf Paddy Clancy.<\/p>\n

Despite earning two points and one win more than last season, when avoiding the playoffs, UCD have been resigned to their fate for weeks. \u201cI don\u2019t know if that\u2019s a good thing,\u201d said McMahon, \u201cbut we have to be excited about it, otherwise you\u2019re not going to perform. It\u2019s knock-out rugby in two weeks\u2019 time and then the following Saturday, if we both make it, we\u2019ll worry about Trinity.\u201d<\/p>\n

UCC were consigned to the 1B\/2A promotion\/relegation playoffs despite beating Garryowen 24-10 due to Naas beating Instonians 47-26. They will face Corinthians, whose 31-5 win at Banbridge enabled them to edge out Wanderers after their 26-20 defeat at MU Barnhall.<\/p>\n

Sligo sealed the last playoff place in the 2A\/2B semi-finals thanks to four second-half tries in a 39-7 win at home to Skerries.<\/p>\n

Results, tables and fixtures <\/p>\n

Division 1A<\/p>\n

Clontarf 10 St Mary\u2019s College 14; Cork Constitution 38 Lansdowne 12; Old Belvedere 61 Nenagh Ormond 12; Terenure College 19 UCD 15; Young Munster 22 Ballynahinch 12.<\/p>\n

\"DivisionDivision 1A table <\/p>\n

Saturday, April 18th (kick-off times TBC)<\/p>\n

Division 1A semi-finals: St Mary\u2019s v Terenure, Templeville Road; Clontarf v Lansdowne, Castle Avenue.<\/p>\n

Division 1A relegation\/promotion playoff: UCD v Garryowen, Belfield; Dublin University v Instonians, College Park.<\/p>\n

Division 1B<\/p>\n

Blackrock College 34 Dublin University 24; City Of Armagh 0 Old Wesley 45; Naas 47 Instonians 26; Queen\u2019s University 31 Highfield 19; UCC 24 Garryowen 10.<\/p>\n

\"DivisionDivision 1B table <\/p>\n

Saturday, April 18th (kick-off times TBC)<\/p>\n

Division 1B relegation\/promotion playoff: UCC v Galway Corinthians, The Mardyke; Shannon v Dungannon, Thomond Park back pitch.<\/p>\n

Division 2A<\/p>\n

Ballymena 45 Old Crescent 3; Banbridge 5 Galway Corinthians 31; Cashel 12 Shannon 24; Dungannon 33 Greystones 14; MU Barnhall 26 Wanderers 20.<\/p>\n

\"DivisionDivision 2A table <\/p>\n

Saturday, April 18th (kick-off times TBC)<\/p>\n

Division 2A relegation\/promotion playoff: Old Crescent v Sligo, Takumi Park; UL Bohemian v Clogher Valley, UL 4G.<\/p>\n

Division 2B<\/p>\n

Clogher Valley 19 Rainey 14; Enniscorthy 36 Malone 25; Galwegians 7 Buccaneers 20; Sligo 39 Skerries 7; UL Bohemian 54 Navan 5.<\/p>\n

\"DivisionDivision 2B table <\/p>\n

Division 2C<\/p>\n

Ballyclare 29 Clonmel 32; Bective Rangers 30 Thomond 12; Bruff 14 Midleton 26; Dolphin 31 Belfast Harlequins 14; Malahide 31 Monkstown 25.<\/p>\n

\"DivisionDivision 2C table <\/p>\n

Saturday, April 18th (kick-off times TBC)<\/p>\n

Division 2C semi-finals: Clonmel v Dolphin, Ard Gaoithe; Bective Rangers v Thomond, Energia Park.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Terenure duly sealed fourth place in the Energia All-Ireland League Division 1A semi-finals with a hard-earned 19-15 win…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":383367,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[34860,61,60,43],"class_list":{"0":"post-383366","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ireland","8":"tag-ail","9":"tag-ie","10":"tag-ireland","11":"tag-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=383366"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383366\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/383367"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=383366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=383366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=383366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}