St Vincent's complete double in All Ireland Water Polo Championships

St Vincent's from Dublin have completed the double in the All Ireland Water Polo Championships when they won the Senior Men’s and Women’s national titles in Bangor, Co Down this evening.

It is the first Irish Senior Cup for the men in five years and they had to beat the reigning champions Cathal Brugha of Belfast. The Vincent’s women beat Drogheda to secure their eleventh title in a row.

Players on all four teams in the finals represent Ireland at international level.

Vincent’s got off to a blistering start in the men’s final, scoring four in a row and holding the champions scoreless in the first quarter.

Even though they were a man down several times, goalkeeper Shane O’ Brien stopped shots at point blank range, even saving one with his head.

Brugha could not buy a goal and never really found their form. Uncharacteristically, they only got their first, five minutes in to the second quarter and their second three minutes into the third.

However, Vincent’s responded decisively every time and won by 10 – 4, depriving Brugha of three in a row.

The St Vincent’s women’s team retained their Irish Senior Cup title by beating Drogheda, in a repeat of the last two Irish Senior Cup finals.

With both teams unbeaten coming into the final it was Drogheda who started the stronger, leading 3-1 at the end of the first quarter.

By half time however, Vincent’s had taken over the lead to 5-4, allowing Drogheda to score only one more goal in a final they won by 14-6.

The Most Valuable Player Award went to Ciara Franke of St Vincent’s, who scored four goals in the women’s final.

Not surprisingly, having conceded just four goals in over an hour to what was the best team in the country, St Vincent’s goalkeeper Shane O’ Brien received the men's Most