Shannon RFC
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.
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| Full name | Shannon Rugby Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Union | IRFU Munster | ||
| Nickname(s) | The Parish The Parishmen | ||
| Founded | 1884 | ||
| Region | Limerick | ||
| Ground(s) | Thomond Park | ||
| Chairman | John Leahy | ||
| President | Dave O’Shea | ||
| Coach(es) | Tadhg Bennett | ||
| Captain(s) | Lee Nicholas | ||
| League(s) | All-Ireland League, 1B | ||
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| Official website | |||
| www | |||
History
Shannon was founded on the 18 February 1884, in the Shamrock Bar, a Pub by the old Park Bridge, Corbally Road, Limerick. The founder members were Paddy Lynch, Dan Duggan, Richie Gleeson, Pierce Hartney and Joe Hegarty. Paddy Lynch captained the first Shannon team and Stephan Hanrahan was president of the club for the first two years of its existence.
Shannon remained a junior club for the best part of 70 years, during which time Shannon supplied numerous players to Garryowen's successful senior sides. Shannon won the Munster Junior Cup for the first of many times in 1914. 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.
Shannon's consistent success as a junior club eventually led to the club attaining senior status in the 1953-54 season, becoming Limerick's fifth senior club.
It was not until 1960 that Shannon won their first Munster Senior Cup, defeating University College Cork, 6-3 in a replay at Thomond Park, having drawn 8-8 the previous week at Musgrave Park, Cork.
Over the years, since the club's inception, Shannon have had numerous temporary grounds, among them the field at the Island Bank, Gilligan's field, Johnny Cusack's field and Egan's Field on the Mill Rd. 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. However, a few years ago, it was determined that this was not big enough, so it was sold to Corbally Utd. soccer club in favour of our current more spacious grounds at Coonagh off the Ennis Road. Shannon currently have 3 training pitches there, floodlights and newly built dressing rooms, and are developing two more pitches.
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.
A milestone in the history of the club was the celebration of their centenary in 1984.
Honours
- AIB League
- 1994-95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008-09: 9
- All-Ireland Cup
- 2007-08
- Munster Senior Cup
- 1960, 1977, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998, 1999-00, 2000–01, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007-08: 19
- Munster Junior Cup
- 1914, 1920, 1924–25, 1939–40, 1954, 1961–62, 1996, 2015: 8
- Munster Senior League
- 1981, 1986, 1989, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004-05: 7
Notable players
See also Category:Shannon RFC players
Munster
Three Shannon players, Brendan Foley, Colm Tucker and Gerry McLoughlin, played for the Munster side that defeated the touring All Blacks 12-0 on October 31 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.
Ireland 7s
The following Shannon players have played for the Ireland national rugby sevens team:
- Greg O’Shea
British and Irish Lions
The following Shannon players have also represented the British and Irish Lions .[1]
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International referee
Potholes & Penguins Podcast
- The origin of the term Pothole originates from the former Australia national rugby union teamplayer, John Langford (rugby union) , during one Shannon Rugby training session, he called one of his teammates a pothole. Source of this information is not verified but it was mentioned on the Penguins & Potholes Podcast (episode 2) hosted by Barry Murphy (rugby union) & Andrew Trimble , that David Quinlan (rugby union, born 26 January 1978) inquired what a pothole was when John Langford had said it. You will have to tune into the podcast to have a listen.
References
- The Ireland Rugby Miscellany (2007): Ciaran Cronin