This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations .(December 2009) |
Full name | Shannon Rugby Football Club | |
---|---|---|
Union | IRFU | |
Nickname(s) | The Parish The Parishmen | |
Founded | 1884 | |
Region | Limerick | |
Ground(s) | Thomond Park | |
Chairman | Denis O'Driscoll | |
President | Neil O'Carroll | |
Coach(es) | Matt Brown | |
Captain(s) | Harry Long | |
League(s) | All-Ireland D1B | |
2022–23 | 9th. [1] | |
| ||
Official website | ||
shannonrfc |
Shannon Rugby Football Club is the most successful club in the All Ireland League, having won the competition nine times. They hail from Limerick near the banks of the Shannon river. Shannon RFC is a member of the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch . The club is one of the top amateur sides in Ireland has seen many of its players progress to professional and international rugby. The 1st XV plays in Division 1B of the All-Ireland League. While the women's side compete in Division 1 of the Munster League. Shannon RFC fields underage teams for boys and girls from u6s - u20s. Shannon RFC made history in 2017 as being the first club in the country to field a girls u20s side.
Shannon RFC was founded on 18 February 1884, in the Shamrock Bar on Corbally Road in Limerick. The founding members were Dan Duggan, Richie Gleeson, Pierce Hartney, Joe Hegarty and Paddy Lynch, who was the team's first captain. Stephan Hanrahan was president of the club for the first two years. Shannon remained a junior club for close to 70 years, during which time Shannon supplied numerous players to Garryowen. Shannon won the Munster Junior Cup for the first time in 1914. [2] Their first Transfield cup was won in 1938. The following year, the Munster Junior Cup was won again. One year later (1940), in the process of winning their first Charity Cup, they added both the Munster Junior Cup and Transfield Cup.[ citation needed ]
Shannon attained senior status in the 1953–54 season, becoming Limerick's fifth senior club. In 1960 Shannon won their first Munster Senior Cup, defeating University College Cork, in a replay at Thomond Park, having drawn 8-8 the previous week at Musgrave Park, Cork. [2]
Over the years, Shannon have had numerous temporary grounds, including the field at the Island Bank, Gilligan's field, Johnny Cusack's field and Egan's Field in Corbally. The first purchased grounds were 14 acres (57,000 m2) of land at Fir Hill, Gortatogher, (better known as Athlunkard) just two miles (3 km) from Limerick city. Those grounds were later sold to Corbally Utd. soccer club in favour of our current more spacious grounds at Coonagh off the Ennis Road. Today, Shannon's home grounds are Thomond Park. [2]
While still a junior club, Shannon became co-tenants with Bohemians RFC at the Munster RFU-owned grounds at famed Thomond Park. In 1967, they completed their own Club Pavilion there. In 1978, the Pavilion was extended to the size it is today.[ citation needed ]
A milestone in the history of the club was the celebration of their centenary in 1984.[ citation needed ]
See also Category:Shannon RFC players
Three Shannon players, Brendan Foley, Colm Tucker and Gerry McLoughlin, played for the Munster side that defeated the touring All Blacks 12–0 on 31 October 1978 at Thomond Park. Mick Galwey captained the Munster side when they finished as runners up in the Heineken Cup finals of 2000 and 2002. In the 2005-06 season seven Shannon players, including the captain, Anthony Foley, helped Munster win the Heineken Cup for the first time.
The following Shannon players have played for the Ireland national rugby sevens team:
The following Shannon players have represented Ireland at full international level.
The following Shannon players have also represented the British & Irish Lions. [3]
Limerick Football Club was an association football club based in Limerick, Ireland who played in the League of Ireland and currently have teams competing in the underage National League of Ireland.
Thomond Park is a stadium in Limerick in the Irish province of Munster. The stadium is owned by the Munster Rugby and has Shannon RFC and UL Bohemian RFC as tenants. Limerick FC played home games in Thomond Park from 2013 to 2015 in the League of Ireland while the Markets Field was being redeveloped. The capacity of the stadium is 25,600 following its large-scale redevelopment in 2008.
Anthony Gerard Foley was an Irish rugby union player and head coach of Munster. He was attached to the same squad during his professional playing career. He was a member of the Munster team that won the 2002–03 Celtic League and was the winning captain during their 2005–06 Heineken Cup success. Foley played for Ireland from 1995 until 2005 and captained the squad on three occasions.
St. Munchin's College is a boys–only Roman Catholic secondary school in Limerick, Ireland. It was founded by The Most Reverend John Young, Bishop of Limerick in 1796. As of January 2020, a total of 657 boys were enrolled at St. Munchin's College.
Michael Joseph Galwey won an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship with the Kerry Gaelic football team in 1986, as a 19-year-old, before turning to rugby union. He is thus the only winner of an "All-Ireland" in both rugby union and Gaelic football. He also holds County Championship medals in Senior, Junior and Minor grades. His nickname 'Gaillimh' comes from the name of Irish town Galway, in the Irish language.
The Munster Junior Cup is a rugby union competition played in the province of Munster, Ireland. The competition was established for the stronger junior clubs and the second teams of the Senior clubs in the province of Munster. The current champions are University College Cork (UCC) in 2024. The competition has traditionally been dominated by senior clubs.
UL Bohemian RFC is a rugby club based in Limerick, playing in Division 2B of the All-Ireland League. It is affiliated with the University of Limerick. UL Bohemians are sponsored by UL Sport, Samurai Sports and HOMS Solicitors. The symbol of the club is the Red Robin
Bruff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club in County Limerick, Ireland. As at September 2024 it was playing in Division 2C of the All-Ireland League. The club plays at home in Kilballyowen Park, near the town of Bruff in County Limerick. As at the 2017/18 season they were fielding 16 rugby teams at the club including 3 men's adult squads, girls' youth, minis and boys' youth rugby teams ranging in age from under-7 to under-18.
Colm Tucker was an Ireland international rugby union player. He toured South Africa in 1980 with the British Lions during a period when at club level he was representing Shannon RFC. Tucker was educated at St. Munchin's College in Limerick.
Thomond RFC is an Irish rugby team based in Limerick. The colours of the club are blue and white.
Killarney Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland. It is affiliated to the Munster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The club competes in Division 2 of the Munster Junior League. While a club existed in the town as far back as the end of the 19th century it wasn't until 1983 that the club in its current format was founded. Killarney currently have one senior sides as well as a large underage and mini set-up, and runs a successful Tag Rugby league during the summer months.
Below are details of all the competitive matches played by Killarney RFC since 2002. They are listed season by season and arranged according to competition. They are compiled using data available from the Munster Junior Rugby website and also the Official Club Website.
Munster Rugby has a strong tradition of competitiveness against touring rugby teams. They have played the All Blacks, the national team of New Zealand, 8 times since 1905. In 1978, they became the first Irish team, including the Irish national team, to win a match in the history of competition between the countries, and remained the only Irish team to beat the All Blacks until the Irish national team defeated New Zealand in November 2016.
Mossy Lawler is an Irish former rugby union player who currently works as a coach. He primarily played as a wing or fullback, but also covered fly-half and centre. Lawler spent most of his playing career with Munster, playing in the Celtic League and Heineken Cup, and also played three games on a trial period for English Premiership side London Wasps in 2008. After leaving the professional game, he continued to play at amateur level in Ireland for Shannon and UL Bohemians, before retiring fully in 2015.
Brendan Oliver Foley is an Irish former rugby union player, who played in the amateur era of the sport. He played primarily as a lock. Foley spent most of his club career with Shannon in Limerick and played at provincial level for Munster, starting in the team's famous victory over New Zealand in 1978. Foley also played internationally for Ireland, winning 11 caps between 1976 and 1981. Foley is the father of two Ireland rugby internationals Anthony Foley (1973–2016) and Rosie Foley.
Fionn McLoughlin is an Irish rugby union player. He has represented both Ireland and Wales at youth level. He plays centre, winger and fly half. He is the son of former Ireland and British Lions prop Gerry McLoughlin.
Niall O'Donovan is an Irish rugby union coach who is currently manager of Munster, having previously coached Shannon, Ireland A and Ireland.
Gregory O'Shea is an Irish rugby union player. He played for the Ireland national rugby sevens team, usually as a fly-half. In July 2019, O'Shea partnered with Amber Gill won the fifth series of Love Island.
Patrick Vincent Murray is an Irish former rugby union player and coach.
Josh Costello is an Irish rugby union footballer who plays as a winger for Shannon RFC, Munster Rugby and the Ireland national rugby sevens team.