History
 

 
 
From the "ashes" of   St. Munchins . . .While Thomond Rugby Football Club, as we know it today, was officially formed in 1944, the parish of St. Munchin and rugby had long before developed a relationship and a winning one at that. For many years in the 20's and 30's St. Munchin's R.F.C. plied their trade in local rugby circles and  achieved a notable success in the 1927/28 season when the  much coveted City Cup was  captured under the captaincy  of Paddy Doran. Sadly, four years later, the club disbanded leaving a void in the sporting activities of the parish that went unfilled for 12 years. However, rugby did not totally disappear from the environs and tales are still told of many hard fought games between eager young participants on the empty plots of Farranshone. These young participants included the likes of Gerry Piggot, Paddy Galvin and Paddy Reid who all went on to give further distinguished service to the game in their own way.    Further rugby connections with the area were provided when Tommy Walsh, Foncie O'Shea and lifelong Thomond stalwart and patron, the late John Moloney, all won Munster Senior Schools cup medals with Limerick C.B.S. in the early thirties.  With connections like this to the game, the desire and ambition to have a club in the parish was barely simmering below the surface.  Happenings "across the water” in 1943 brought this desire clearly into focus when, in the far flung parish across the bridge, St. Mary's R.F.C was founded. This was to prove the catalyst that brought Thomond R.F.C. into existence.   After much informal discussion a meeting was finally arranged in the summer of 1944 for the old boat club near the Old Distillery in Thomondgate. The prime motivator for the meeting was Martin Galvin and he enlisted the support Paddy "Bantam" O'Halloran and Jack Kiely among others. This meeting was the launching pad for the formation of Thomond and the official re-introduction of rugby football to the parish of St. Munchin.   Among the founder members were Gerry Dillon (first president), Christy Lawlor (vice-president), Willie Sheehan (treasurer), John Moloney (secretary), Martin McMahon, Bob Richardson, Tom Powell, who became the first captain, and Seamus Kiely who later went on to become President for no fewer than 11 seasons.   The foresight, dedication and commitment of these gentlemen and other colleagues of theirs, laid the seeds for the future of Rugby Football on the north side of Limerick city.
 
THE FIRST COMBAT
 With all the formalities completed, Thomond were set to begin playing in the 1944/45 season with their first competitive fixture being set for Sunday October 15th 1944 against Garryowen in Thomond Park in the Junior League. With this demanding first game in prospect, preparations began on Sunday 17th September when the first practice was held at Shelbourne Park at 11.30 a.m. "sharp" as announced in the Limerick Leader. Thus began a relationship with a venue that was to be a home for 40 years.   Practice continued with intensity for four weeks and it was a well prepared Thomond team that took the field on that middle Sunday in October, when a historic day was marked by a notable victory on a 15-3 score line. After an understandably nervous start, Thomond settled down and when centre John Crowley grabbed Thomond's first ever score with a try it set "the blues" on the way.   Oddly enough, in fact, "the blues", in the initial stages, were the green and golds. At the outset, the official club colours chosen were the now famous Royal Blue to maintain a link with the colours worn by St. Munchin's. Scarce resources and war conditions decreed, however, that the official colours could not be acquired until some time later and when Thomond took the field for the first occasion, it was in a set of second hand green and gold jerseys acquired by John Moloney for fifteen shillings, formerly used, it is thought, by Commercials G.A.A. club. This did not deter the soda cakes however and further tries scored by Maxie O'Brien and life long stalwart Frank Kearney ensured a Thomond victory as Garryowen's only response was a Halpin try. The Thomond team lined out that day as follows: Neddie Flanagan; Gerry Piggot, John Crowley, Pat Reidy, Matty Mclnerney; Tom O'Brien, Jack Kiely; Tom Powell (Captain), Seamus Kiely, Paddy
Galvin; Willie Beville, John O'Neill; Frank Kearney, Maxie O'Brien, Murt Kearney. Off to a flying start then, Thomond's next encounter was a Transfield Cup tie against fellow"novices" St. Mary's in the first ever local derby between these two great rivals. The Limerick Leader of November 4th 1944, reports that "the contest was a hard but clean fought game mostly between the opposing forwards with the odd splash of open play between the backs. Thomond are improving and will be there or thereabouts before the end of the league series." St. Mary's were victorious on a scoreline of two tries (6) to one (3). The "Leader" report could probably describe most of the battles fought subsequently between the two clubs at all grades and the first encounter obviously set the tone for future jousts between the two great rivals.
 
JUNIOR CUP DEBUT
Not surprisingly, Thomond's first season in Junior football had it's fair share of ups and downs with more defeats than victories and, in fact, this was a pattern that would continue for the first twenty years or more of participation. But participation was the main motivation and on Sunday February 18th 1945, another milestone was reached when Thomond played their first ever Munster Junior Cup match in a second round tie against the Army at Thomond Park.  Thomond played with all the spirit for which the club became renowned but defeat, on an 11-3 scoreline, was their lot. Unbelievably, in fact given their tremendous recent record in the competition, Thomond had to wait 18 years for their first victory in a Munster Junior Cup game.  To celebrate their first sojourn into the famous competition, Thomond held a concert and raffle on the night of the game at the old Thomond cinema in Nicholas Street. Thanks to Gerry Dillon, this was the venue for most of the initial committee meetings as well as the odd social occasion. This first function took the form of a newcomer’s  talent competition and prize winners included Masters J.O'Reilly and P.Yelverton, who performed in front of a packed house.
A JUNIOR CUP DOUBLE
 In that initial season of 1944-45 Thomond fielded three teams, at   Junior, Under 20 and under’18 level and it was this latter age group that proved an outstanding success as, in their very first season, they reached the final of the Juvenile Cup. Playing against a very strong Old Crescent side they went under by 26-3 in April 1945 but they benefited immensely from the experience and many of the side were back 12 months later in April 1946  to give Thomond it's first ever trophy when they defeated Shannon 6-  0 under the captaincy of Stephen  Hughes. Tries by John Smith and Mattie  Morris (known as O'Brien to his colleagues) secured victory for Thomond and the others who shared in the victory were: J. Dillon, M. O'Leary, J. Copley, B. Gleeson,' T. Meehan (Club President in 1958/59) M. Reidy, M. Doyle, M.Houlihan, P. Hayes, M. Proctor, A.Kiely and J. Rainbow.
The Junior Cup was to subsequently prove a very productive competition for the club with the trophy being won on no fewer than ten occasions, including a four in a row in the late eighties. This was to prove the springboard for many of  the clubs players to go onto better things inside and outside the club with the juniors of the late eighties providing the nucleus of the club's recent historic three in a row  Munster Junior Cup successes. It was only a short wait for the second success in this competition as it came just twelve months after the first with John Copley, a member of the successful 1945/46 side, returning to captain his team to a victory over St. Mary's, again on a 6-0 scoreline through two penalties from J. Dillon. The other members of the 1946/47 panel were: L. Cusack, B. Gleeson, T. Meehan, M. Reidy, M.Galvin, M.0' Farrell, M. Houlihan, P. O'Shea, M. Proctor, A. Kiely, J.Rainbow, T. Kennedy and Mick O'Leary.

Back-to-back Juvenile Cups having been won then, it was safe to assume that the future was in good hands and that it would only be a matter of time before a successful Junior XV would emerge. This was not to be the case, however, and the rest of Thomond's first decade in Rugby was a series of near misses and struggles in adversity with all the clubs best traditions required merely to keep Thomond in existence.

The Lean Years
It was a full thirteen years before another trophy came to the club. However, there was no shortage of willing volunteers and the family spirit, which to this day prevails within the club, was a major asset in these lean times. A glance at the team sheets of the late fifties gives a sense of the family tradition within Thomond as loyalty to the blue jersey is handed down to new generations, with names like Hannan, Cronin, Frahill, McKeown, Fitzgerald, O'Rahilly, Healy, Pearse, Meehan, Ryan, O'Shaughnessy, Bromell, O'Halloran and O'Neill prominent throughout.
Among those that would ensure that the future of Thomond was in safe hands were the likes of Ger Frahill, Paddy McKeown, Alfie Hilton, Brendan Hannan, Phonsie Kiely and Martin Ryan. Stalwarts of that era also included Johnnie Hanley and Jack McNamara who were known to wait outside mass on Sunday mornings, if necessary, to ensure that Thomond would field at full strength in the afternoon.
Two other gentlemen who were to have a profound influence on the development of the club also came to the fore in this era. Seamus Kiely, the nine stone hooker of Thomond's first ever side to take the field, became President of the club for the first time in 1953/54 and had ten further periods of office including seven in a row from 1964/65 to 1970/71.  This tenure of office was indicative of a lifelong love that Seamus had for Thomond R.F.C.  Seamus was a highly respected official inside and outside the club and it was highly appropriate that he was around to share in the glory of some of the later successes, as his contribution in putting the club on a sound footing was invaluable. Anybody who donned the blue jersey of Thomond will scarcely need reminding of the name of the second gentleman. Liam Fitz. Despite the heated nature of some of his exhortations from the sideline, make no mistake about it, Liam Fitzgerald was a gentleman in every sense of the word. . After arriving on the junior playing scene in the late fifties, Liam was elected club Captain in 1963/64 and following over 20 years of unbroken service on the committee, he was finally persuaded to take the Presidency in 1984/85, an honour he held for three years and which he richly deserved. Liam was more at home and best remembered for his tremendous appetite for work and particularly the endless hours he spent toiling in Woodview Park at the development stage.  While others ventured to Kilkee, Ballybunion and beyond for summer holidays, Liam spent his fortnight digging drains in Woodview. It was thus only fitting, after his untimely death in 1989, that Woodview Park was renamed Fitzgerald Park in tribute to the finest clubman Thomond RFC has known.

Skipper in 1958/59, Paddy McKeown, in whose honour the annual McKeown cup fixture is played between Thomond and Garryowen, elicited the support of Kevin Doyle who, the previous season, had won a Munster Senior Cup medal with Bohemians. As player/coach, Kevin went desperately close to guiding the club to their first victory in a Munster Junior Cup game, an 87th minute penalty giving St. Mary's victory in an epic first round tie. The corner was slowly being turned, however, and under Kevin's presidency the following season, Thomond's 13-year wait for a trophy finally ended. Under the captaincy of Oilie O'Rahilly, Thomond lifted a trophy once more when, in the 1959/60 season, they won the under 20 City Cup (known then as the City Junior Cup) by beating a highly fancied Bohemians 8-0 at Thomond Park with centre Junior Morrison scoring a try and full back, the late Pat Lawler, adding a conversion and penalty.
 The full Thomond team was: Pat Lawler; Tom Moore, Junior Morrison, Peter O'Halloran, Tony Fitzgerald; Gerry Ryan, Noel Hannan; Dick Bromell, Seamie Slattery, Anthony Daly; John Nestor, Aidan Pearse; Oilie O'Rahilly, Larry Fitzgerald, Paddy Proctor: Gerry McNamara and John Fitzgerald also played in the competition, which meant that three medals went to the Fitzgeralds, all brothers of Liam. For 15-year-old John Fitzgerald it was the start of an illustrious career in the game. He went on to win two further City cup medals with Thomond, one in the shared title of
1963/64 with Old Crescent and the following season he captained his club to an outright victory before embarking on a long and distinguished Senior career with Young Munster and later Shannon.

Thomond finally achieved their breakthrough at Junior level two years later, on llth February 1962, as Ennis were beaten 11-0 in the first round and thus ended an unbelievable 18 year wait. Giving a superb exhibition of open football, Thomond had two tries through winger Mick O'Connell and Junior Morrison, yet again. Scrum-half Tom Kirby dropped a goal and added a convert. The try scoring ability of Morrison did not go unnoticed and he eventually went on to win a Munster Senior Cup medal with Garryowen and represent his province at Junior and Senior level before returning to finish his career at Thomond, lending his invaluable experience to the youngsters on the way up.
The full Thomond team on that historic day was: Pat Lawler; Peter Payne, Junior Morrison, Gerry Ryan, Mick 0' Connell; Noel Hannan, Tom Kirby; Dick Bromell, Joe Manning, Liam Fitzgerald, Ger McNamara, Ger Frahill, Oilie O'Rahilly (captain), Christy Quinlivan, Tom Tierney. Inspired by this breakthrough, Thomond reached their first junior final the following season, 1962/63, but were unable to break the stranglehold of Young Munster on the Transfield Cup and were beaten by 9-0. One season later, the clubs name was again to appear on the base of the Under Twenty cup as joint holders with Old Crescent as the final was never concluded. Thus, Thomond had finished their second decade in Rugby football, if not on the crest of a wave then, certainly, on a rising tide and the future.

The legendary Scan McNamara, was appointed club trainer, coaches being unheard of in those days. Sean had been one of the greatest prop forwards ever to pack down with Garryowen and formed a formidable front row with Lion, Gordon Wood and Interpro, Brendan Morgan. His ability on the field was only surpassed by his coaching astuteness off it, and he proved to be years ahead of his time in most aspects of the game. Engage in conversation any one who learned his trade under Sean and they will regale you with tales of his exploits for hours; each one with different tales to tell. One thing they will all have in common however is that Sean McNamara brought the rolling maul to Limerick, if not to Rugby Football. The other great asset that Sean provided was continuity and he remained to the fore for close on twenty years. Indeed, when he did finally "retire" it was his pupil, John Bromell, who succeeded him with considerable success to be followed by Donal McMahon, another keen "Mack" student who also had more than his share of achievement. Thus, it was a coaching dynasty, which started in 1962, and spanned only 3 coaches in 32 years advocating the Sean McNamara way that was to prove above all else the basis of Thomond's success. All will remember the indelible mark that Sean McNamara left on how Rugby Football was, and still is, played by Thomond R.F.C.

The Coming of Age
The 1964/65 season kicked off Thomond's third decade in existence and this, there 21st season in Rugby, proved to be a real coming of age. Having waited for almost two decades for a victory in a provincial tie, Thomond posted notice of things to come when they went within a whisker of going all the way and winning their first Munster Junior Cup title.  Not only was the club going from strength to strength on the field at
this juncture, but also the backroom boys, who had the energy and drive to avail of this rapid development, were consistently to the fore at committee level.  President, Seamus Kiely was in his fifth term of office and had Liam Fitzgerald doubling as his Vice President and Team Secretary.  Michael Corcoran, who gave a life long commitment to the club while working quietly away in the back ground, was Hon. Secretary, a position he held for countless years while Ger Frahill looked after the finances as Hon. Treasurer. On the committee were Sean Hanley, Paddy Smith, Dick Bromell, Charlie O'Flynn, Paddy McKeown, Brendan Hannan and Michael Halloran who went on to become Thomond's second official referee; Seamus Kiely being the first club man to take up the whistle.  Sean McNamara had John Bromell as his team captain; Paddy Proctor was vice-captain while John Fitzgerald was captain of the City Cup side with Paddy Meenaghan as his deputy. On the juvenile front, Bobby Kinehan led the team suported by Oilie McLoughlin, another to grace the senior scene with some distinction in later years.  All of these, plus many other combined to give Thomond the most successful season to date when, apart from the exploits in the Junior Cup, the City (Under 20) and Juvenile (Under 18) cups were each won for the third occasion.

 
JUNIOR CUP SEMI-FINAL
 Having disposed of Young Munster (helped by a try from the late Emanon Rea) in the first round at Priory Park, Garryowen in round two and Old Crescent in the area final, Thomond lined out against Abbeyfeale in their first ever Munster Junior Cup semi-final on April 11, 1965, at Thomond Park. Abbeyfeale were strong favourites, their heavier pack were better suited by the sticky conditions. However, the by now traditionally lighter Thomond pack had the better of the early stages and troubled Abbeyfeale with there numerous foot rushes, another tactic fine tuned by "Mack". The sides were locked together, scoreless, when Thomond were dealt a body blow with just eighteen minutes remaining. Outhalf Christy Lawlor had to retire injured and with no substitutes allowed, wing-forward Paddy Proctor had to withdraw to a reshuffled back line. The seven man Thomond pack defended gallantly against all the odds but, four minutes into injury time, left wing Tom Stack pounced on a loose ball for Abbeyfeale and subjected Thomond to a heart breaking 3-0 defeat. 
The Thomond team that lined out against Abbeyfeale was: Cyril Kiely, Paddy Meenaghan, John Meaney, Sean Cronin, Tony Rice; Christy Lawlor, Noel Hannan; Dick Bromell, Joe Manning, John Bromell; Tom McNamara, Shamie Ryan; Paddy Proctor, Oilie McLoughlin, Brendan 0' Rahily.    Referee that day was none other than Paddy D'Arcy who went on to become one of Ireland's finest  Two weeks later the blues appeared in their second Transfield Cup decider, but once again, Young Munster proved their nemesis as they avenged their Junior Cup defeat on a 12-6 scoreline. Peter (Petie) 0' Halloran, later to become the mainstay of the pack for almost a decade before his untimely death, proved his versatility by kicking two penalties while operating from the centre position where he played most of his early rugby. It was a disappointing end to a very successful season for the junior XV, but compensation for the club was on hand in the guise of the two premier under age trophies.

In the City Cup final, a John Fitzgerald led team, that included four of the junior XV defeated by Abbeyfeale, overcame the strong challenge of Garryowen in a replayed final and won by 17-3. After the initial game was drawn, with John Fitzgerald and Johnny Moroney exchanging penalties, Thomond proved much too strong second time round and had two tries from John Meaney with John Fitzgerald converting one and adding three penalties.  A notable member of that panel was Jimmy Tydings who, two years later, while playing with Young Munster, went on to win a full Irish cap against the touring Australians and thus became the first and only player to represent Thomond and go on to win full International honours. Other names of note included Johnny Barry, who has given endless hours to developing youth rugby in the club for more years than he cares to remember, Dick Smyth, John Meaney and the late Mick 0' Donnell who were all to be part of Thomond's historic break through in 1971.
 The full panel was: John Fitzgerald (capt.), John Meaney, Oilie McLoughlin, Seamus Ryan, Mike Smyth, Dick Smyth, Johnny Barry, Jimmy Tydings, Mick Frahill, Paddy Kiely, Pat Dineen, Pat Daly, Bobby Kinehan, Paddy Meenaghan, Peter Kearney, Mick 0' Donnell and Tony Grant.

For seven of this panel, it constituted an achievement that was not subsequently matched within the club as they also won Juvenile (O'Donovan) cup medals with Thomond in the same season. Led by one of the "double brigade", Bobby Kinehan, the under 18 side had a great 5-3 win over Shannon in the final thanks to a Johnny Delahunty try converted by Pat Dineen and, once more, there were names for the future in the victorious panel. Martin Moloney, a hooker of great ability with Thomond and Garryowen in the early seventies, appeared as did, Oilie McLoughlin (what a season he had), Dick Smyth, Pat Daly, Tony Grant and Mick 0' Donnell. Not only had a first XV emerged who could challenge the best in the province but, bubbling underneath, were the young faces who were ready to stake their claims to places. Undoubtedly, the winning of trophies was a great bonus in attracting youngsters to the game and boys who previously might have given full allegiance to Ballynanty Rovers or Treaty Sarsfields, were now prepared "to have a go" at the rugby and were prepared, at worst, to share this allegiance.  This shared allegiance to all three codes typified the spirit and sporting ecumenism that existed in the parish and the royal blue of "Balla", Treaty and Thomond were interchangeable between players and supporters alike. It was not unknown for the likes of Declan Cusack, Mick 0' Donnell, Johnny Ryan and many others to turn out in an F.A.I. Junior Cup game in the morning and a Munster Junior Cup tie in the afternoon. Indeed, when the seasons overlapped, there are some recorded instances of players appearing at all three codes in the one day!

 
Thomond won the Under 20 league (1966/67) season in its inaugural year. Unfortunately, this victory was achieved at a cost, as the highly promising career of Pat Dineen was brought to an end in the final when he suffered a broken neck. Fortunately, Pat made a full recovery but was never to don the blue jersey again. Even more encouraging than the Under Twenty victory was the emergence of talent further down the ranks as the Mick Bromell led Under 14 side won their first League trophy.
 For a club that had gone 13 years without a trophy, the honours were now coming thick and fast for Thomond. A pause for breath in 1967/68 at the end of which the trophy cabinet was empty, was followed by the breakthrough at Junior Level in 1968/69 when, after a 24 year wait, the bogey was laid to rest in great style with the Transfield and Clare Cups both being won in the same season. The initial breakthrough at Junior level was vital if the promise of the mid sixties was ever to be fulfilled. It was thus, amid great scenes of jubilation that the Transfield Cup was won at the third time of asking and it was fitting that Young Munster, who had twice previously consigned Thomond to defeat in finals, were the victims. Club Captain was Brendan O'Rahilly, brother of Oilie who had led Thomond to that famous victory over Ennis in the Munster Junior Cup seven years previously, but injury earlier in the season finished Brendan's career and it was Seamus (Shamie) Ryan who proved an inspirational captain on the day as he led Thomond back from an 11-3 deficit to win by 17-11.   A short few days later, Ennis were defeated 11-3 in the Clare Cup final, the first of eight successes in this competition before it was disbanded in the early eighties. Thomond had thus posted notice that they were a force in Junior rugby and the panel of players that succeeded in this were: Brendan O'Rahilly (captain), Roy Grant, Brian Flanagan, Denis Hogan, Martin Leonard, Peter O'Halloran, Tom McNamara, Donal McMahon, Tony Grant, Ger Cronin, Seamie Ryan, Johnny Reidy, Paddy Proctor, Johnny Ryan, Mick O'Donnell, Christy Lawlor, Paddy Kiely, Mick McNamara and Johnny Barry.
 

 
"SHAMIE'S BALL”
Those familiar with the line out calls of Thomond will know that Shamie Ryan is now part of Thomond folklore as he gave his name to the "Shamie's Ball" call which lasted for almost twenty years. As last man in the line out at training sessions in Shelbourne Park, when "Mack" wanted a ball thrown to the tail of the lineout, or over the top, he would call "Shamie's Ball" and this became the one and only call used by all Thomond teams for the ball to the tail. It inevitably became known to all clubs but Thomond persisted in using it much to the surprise of opponents.
Wingers throwing in at the lineout was in fact a tradition that died hard at Thomond and, indeed, they were one of the last in Ireland if not the last to dispense with the practice and move to the hooker throwing in, in the mid-eighties. Again, this can be traced to "Mack" who felt that hookers were more likely than wingers to want a rest at line-outs and, thus, the game would be slowed down when he preferred it to be kept moving. He obviously had the likes of Martin Moloney and Tony Bromell in mind when suggesting this! The breakthrough having been achieved at the highest level, thoughts were now turning to the ultimate prize, the Munster Junior Cup, and with a strong, well balanced panel, confidence was high that success was not far down the road. The 1969/70 season was not to be the year, as the under age proved the only provider in the club’s Silver Jubilee season with the first Under 16 League title being won, again under the captaincy of Mick Bromell. 1971....SWEET SUCCESS!
 Fittingly, Seamus Kiely was President for the landmark 25th season and he retained the honour for the eleventh and final time in 1970/71 when that ultimate breakthrough was made in capturing the Munster Junior Cup for the first time. Under the captaincy of Johnny Reidy, Thomond's campaign got off to a slow start and a 12-11 victory over Richmond in the first round gave little hint of what was to follow especially as Richmond missed a penalty from in front of the posts, which would have consigned Thomond once more to also rans. On such seemingly trivial things do seasons turn, however, and victories over Young Munster (9-3) and Waterpark (11-3) put the blues into their second ever semi-final against Highfield in Musgrave Park. A huge late penalty kick from Brian Flanagan earned Thomond a 12-12 draw and they squeezed home by 6-3 in the replay at Thomond Park a week later. On May 2nd the Munster Junior Cup was welcomed to Thomondgate like a long lost son.  
The Cork Examiner reported as follows:
“Thomonds fire gave them victory”
Thomond 6
Garryowen 3
Thomond, in winning the Munster Junior Cup for the first time, created something of a surprise when beating double chasers Garryowen by 6-3 in the final at Thomond Park yesterday.  Garryowen had a fast and dangerous backline but the fire and spirit of Thomond forwards gradually knocked the dangerous Garryowen backs out of their stride. At the finish, a Thomond win by a drop goal and a penalty goal to a try was just about a fair outcome. This was a tremendous game played before a remarkably large crowd. Thomond took the lead early with a penalty by Brian Flanagan, they’re full-back. However, for once the Garryowen backs were able to pierce Thomond's defence and after a beautiful handling movement, full-back Martin Tubridy scored a try far out. Garryowen had chances with close in penalty kicks towards the interval but missed three. Twenty minutes into the second half, Flanagan missed a kickable penalty for Thomond but, almost immediately, Tubridy knocked on a harmless looking ball right under his own posts. From the resultant scrum, the Thomond out-half, Noel Morgan, dropped a great left-footed goal.
The teams lined out as follows:
Thomond: B. Flanagan, L.Walters, J.  Meaney, P.O’Callaghan, N. O'Donnell, N.
Morgan, M. O'Donnell, J.Bromell, M. Moloney, M.Leonard, P. O'Halloran, D.
Smyth, J. Reidy (capt), D.McMahon, P. Proctor.
Garryowen: M. Tubridy, P.Pratt, W. Quaid, W. Gabbett, W. McGuire, M. O'Shea, E. O'Shea, T. O'Brien, C. Hurley, D. Hickey, P. Gilmartin, C. Mclnerney, W. Gibbons, M. Carroll, J. Devane.
Referee: Mr. J. Wouife  (MRA).

Ger ("Ginger") Cronin and Tom McNamara, both injured in earlier rounds, completed the 17 heroes that brought the club it's first provincial title and, while all six subsequent successes have been met with equal acclaim in the parish, there is no doubt that this was a little bit special with scenes of joy and emotion that are unlikely to be witnessed again. For 17-year-old centre, Pat O’Callaghan, it was a particularly memorable season. Drafted into the side for the semi-final replay as a late replacement for the injured Ger Cronin, Pat was also a part of the Under 18 side that gave the club their first ever Cup and League double. Indeed, he scored all ten points in a 10-3 victory over Richmond in the Cup final while the League was won by beating St. Mary's 6-3 after a replay, with Tom Cronin scoring the all important try.    Declan Cusack proved himself a club captain in the making by leading the double side while the panel of players that shared in this success were: Eamonn (Ned) Daly, Gerry O’Mahony, Robert Kerley, Ger Naughton, Ger Skehan, Derry Hartery, Pat O'Callaghan, Declan Cusack (captain), Ger Gleeson, Mick Bromell, Tom Cronin, Mick O'Shea, Paul O'Flynn, Andrew Daly, Kieran O'Dwyer, Ger Payne, Denis Hogan, Mick Cronin and Joe Bennis. Mick Bromell, who later had a distinguished career at Senior level with Bohemians and represented Munster on the wing, starred at hooker at this level but the prospect of being sandwiched in a front row between his brothers Dick and John obviously forced him to re-think his options and he ultimately made his way further from the thick of the action!
 

Another little piece of history that Thomond made in 1970/71 was the winning of three trophies in the same season for the first time and this was equalled the following season when the Under 18 League was retained and the Junior side maintained their upward march with another double. Retention of the Munster Junior Cup was, of course, the main priority for the season but as in previous seasons, Young Munster proved a thorn in the side when they won a fiercely contested quarter final tie, a feat, which the Black & Ambers repeated in 1972/73. Thomond gained some measure of revenge for this, however, when they turned the tables in the Transfield Cup final to capture the trophy for the second time. In order to add more competitive football to the Junior scene, the North Munster Branch of the I.R.F.U. revived the "Seconds” League in 1971/72 as a League for the Junior and Senior Seconds XV of the North Munster region. This would later become the North Munster Junior League and, ultimately, through its merger in 1991/92 with the Southern section, the Munster Junior League, as we know it today. This competition was to prove a remarkably fertile one for Thomond.  They monopolised the trophy for the first four seasons; were unbeaten in the fifth despite not qualifying for the final before eventually losing in the replayed final of 1976/77 to Nenagh, an unbeaten run of five and a half years against all comers in the North Munster competitive sphere. In all, this trophy, the Father Guinane Cup was competed for on twenty occasions up to 1990/91 and Thomond won no fewer than 15 of these 20, which truly established them as the most consistent club in the province for over two decades. Once again, in 1972/73, the Transfield Cup was added to the League title (by defeating Young Munster in the final) and, for good measure, this double was achieved for the third year running in 1973/74 as Presentation were pipped 11-10 in the Transfield Cup final, while the Clare Cup was also regained (by overcoming Ennis 19- 16) for good measure. The bogey of "Munsters" in the Munster Junior Cup was avoided in 1973/74 and, on the back of the splendid achievements in these other trophies, hopes were high for a second provincial title when Thomond faced Waterpark in the semi-final at Ballinakill. In an astounding game, where Thomond "owned" the ball, Waterpark emerged victorious on a 19-3 score- line and went on to win the trophy in their last season as a Junior club. Indeed, this was the last time a Junior club, other than Thomond, has won the competition.

The successful side of 1970/71 continued to provide the nucleus of these teams but the talent which emerged in the mid to late sixties on the under age scene was still coming through and helping to keep the momentum going. Throw in a couple of veterans on the way back from senior football and it is easy to see how the success story was maintained as competition for places became intense. Another factor which helped was the emergence of competitive thirds rugby in the form of the Webb Cup, which was introduced in 1972/73, and the Gleeson Cup, which came into being in 1975/76. Both of these competitions meant that players not breaking into the first team were still getting regular competitive activity. Thomond capturing the Webb Cup, in its inaugural year, under the captaincy of Mick O'Donnell and the Under 20 League in 1973/74.

As in previous times, success on the field was also related to the strength of the administrators off it and, at the end of the club's third decade, the old faithfuls like Martin Ryan, Brendan Hannan, Des Rice, Mick O’Rahilly and Paddy McKeown were still going strong. Plenty of new recruits were also fortunately coming on board with the likes of Aidan O'Halloran, Billy Walters, Peter Payne and Joe Griffin, amongst others, highly involved at this stage. Thus, the rising tide that marked the end of Thomond's second decade in football ten years previously, had, by 1974, very definitely become a swell, and unbelievably the club's fourth decade in football was set to surpass the third, a feat that did not seem possible.
 
 
 

THOMOND ON THE MOVE
Thomond's 31st season in operation was 1974/75 and it was the beginning of a decade, which not only saw further triumphs on the field but also significant developments off it. By the end of the decade, the club would have a new home at Woodvicw Park and, while this was due to the efforts of many, the ambition and tenacity of a few of the core administrators were the main impetus for this move.  In 1974/75, Brendan Hannan was in his second term of office as President while Dick Smyth was club captain for the first time. Brendan completed his third term the following season and both his successors to the office, Martin Ryan and the late Des Rice also presided for three years. It was the likes of these club servants that had the foresight in the early seventies to see that Thomond had outgrown its "tenancy" of Shelbourne Park.

No longer was it sufficient for a quick wash under the tap or in a nearby pool of water before rushing for a "date" after training! A playing pitch of their own, combined with training, changing and social facilities was identified as a major priority and no obstacle, including limited financial resources, was going to get in the way. It was also imperative that such a facility should remain close to the heartland and catchment area of Thomond, and while this made the search that bit more difficult, such a site was eventually located in the mid seventies in Woodview Park. The purchase of the 3.7 acre site was completed in 1976 for £10,000 but, such was the amount of work required to develop the area for playing Rugby, it was a full years before the first match we played and a further 2 years before completion of a clubhouse.The President of the I.R.F.U., John Moore officially opened the club on Sunday 2nd May, 1982.

THE CHARITY CUP IN AND OUT!
The 1976/77 season saw the Gleeson Cup retained but was the beginning of a two year "slide" by  the Junior side who had, for this season and the next, only the Clare  Cup (Westport defeated 25-3 in 76/77) to show for their efforts. It was the beginning of the changing of the guard in many ways as the careers of many of the old soldiers were coming to an end with the new blood needing time to adjust to the standards set by their predecessors.

A RECORD HAUL
Despite the relative lack of success of the first XV in 1977/78, however, five other trophies were added to the Clare Cup and another record haul of six trophies was achieved. The Under 14 side skippered by Joe O'Donnell won the double for the first time, beating Shannon 14-4 in the League final and defeating Nenagh 3-0 in the Cup final thanks to a 30 yard dropped goal from an out-half called John Pearse. It was to be the first of many winning dropped goals by the same player at Thomond Park, both in the blue of Thomond and the black and blue of Shannon. The full panel was: Pat McNamara, Timmy King, Cathal Prendergast, Fergus Meehan, Nigel Morrissey, John Pearse, Joe O'Donnell, George Costelloe, Pat O'Dwyer, Robert Duggan, Norman Walters, Joe Duggan, Tom Sheehan, Christy O'Shaughnessy, Billy Farrell, Pat Duggan, Derek Mclnerney and David Mclnerney.
On the same day as this Under 14 Cup victory, the Under 18 side won the Juvenile Cup with a 3-0 win over Young Munster through a Jerome Earls penalty. This squad was: John Cusack, Denis Malone, Eddie Kiely, Pat O'Donnell, Albert McNamara, Jerome Earls, John Hartery, Joe Carroll, Johnny Davitt, Joe O'Shaughnessy, Frank Lynch, Gussy Hayes, Lloyd Dillon, Ger Ryan, Peter Fitzgibbon (captain), John Power and Declan O'Dwyer.

The Second XV also had a double when the Gleeson and Webb Cups were won for the first time in the same season under the captaincy of Don Ryan. Bohemians were unlucky losers in both finals as Brian Flanagan kicked two penalties and converted a Derry Hartery try to secure a 12-8 win in the Gleeson final while the Webb Cup was won after a replay on an 8-6 scoreline thanks to tries from Christy Healy and Tom O'Neill. The other squad members were: Tom Cronin, Mike Doyle, John Nealon, Pat O'Callaghan, Sean Mclnerney, Donal Peters, Des Hanley, John Fitzgerald, Christy Delahunty, Billy King, Sean Carroll, Andy Tier, Eugene Smyth, Noel Hayes, Clem Earls, Mick O'Donnell, Johnny Reidy and Tom McNamara.

A NEW SQUAD EMERGES
The new squad members emerging at this stage included Mike Ryan, Niall Benson, Eugene Griffin, Louis Fitzgibbon, Tony Bromell, Nicky Hartery, Sean and Ger Copley, Derry Hartery, Eugene Smyth and John Fitzgerald. These players blended with the experience of those around them to bring the club to unprecedented levels of success over the next few seasons. Connie Hogan, a loose head prop of enormous strength and ability, led the 78/79 side to a 6-4 victory over Garryowen in the Transfield Cup final, a 13-6 win over Richmond in a replayed League final, and a 20-7 Clare Cup final victory over St. Senan's the day after the League final.

1980 - WORTH WAITING FOR!
Veteran of the 1971 side, Brian Flanagan was club captain for 1979/80, and, under his leadership, the second Munster Junior Cup title, which had been so tantalisingly close for all of the seventies, finally came to fruition, yet another Semi-Final slot this time against Constitution in Thomond Park and there was no slip up as the blues emerged victorious on a 12-3 scoreline which included two superb tries. Thus, Thomond were afforded the chance of revenge for the previous season as U.C.C. were to be the final opponents on Sunday April 20 1980. The following report appeared in the Cork Examiner: Thomond triumph over favourites
Thomond 15
UCC  9
“ Thomond had their second ever Munster Junior Cup victory when they defeated favourites UCC at Thomond Park, yesterday. Thomond were not flattered by the scoreline as their backs and forwards alike outplayed UCC.  College opened the scoring with an eighth-minute penalty from Declan Kidney, who made full use of the strong wind. A marvellous break by Thomond scrum-half, Declan Cusack, almost yielded a try when he picked up from a scrum and sold two dummies before being eventually taken down inside the  College 22. A fifteenth-minute penalty evened the scores as  Thomond's full-back Brian  Flanagan kicked a good goal into the wind. Declan Kidney kicked a lovely dropped goal in the 17th minute after College had the better of a line-out on the Thomond.
College found themselves in real trouble in the set scrum where Thomond's front five wheeled them off their own ball on numerous occasions. To add to their troubles, UCC were denied valuable points when Declan Kidney failed with two penalties in succession. Kidney compensated minutes later with a fine dropped goal after John Conrick fed a clean ball from a line-out. Thomond came back as outhalf Louis Fitzgibbon brought play into the College half. Following a Kidney clearance, College won the ball but were robbed in the ensuing ruck. Thomond scrum half, Declan Cusack, picked up inside the 22 and raced in for a beautiful try  near the posts. Brian Flanagan converted to equal the scores. UCC seemed unable to utilize their possession as Thomond's cover held them out whenever they ran the ball. Ten minutes after the restart, Declan Kidney was short with a penalty. Minutes earlier Owen Crotty, the speedy  College winger, almost had a try  after taking a ball and running from his own 22 only to be  stopped 10 yards from the line.  Thomond took the lead with a penalty in the 30th minute when Brian Flanagan was on target from the 22. College were in serious trouble at this stage and just seven minutes from the end Flanagan had another penalty leaving the score 15-9 in favour of the Limerick side. College had good performances from lock, David Howard, and second row Derry Guerin in the forwards, and Owen Crotty and Declan Kidney in the backs. Thomond had some notable performances from Brian Flanagan, at full back, John Murphy at prop forward, and veteran Dick Smyth in the second row”

Thomond: B. Flanagan (capt), M. Ryan, T. Hartery, E. Griffin, G. Copley, L. Fitzgibbon, D. Cusack, J. Murphy, T. O'Neill, C. Hogan, N. Hartery, R. Smyth, E. Smyth, J. Fitzgerald and S. Copley. Sub: D. Hartery for S.  Copley.
UCC: B. Moylan, 0. Crotty, C. O'Connor, 0. Barrett, P. French, D. Kidney, J. Conrick, R. Bevan, A. Hickey, J. Joyce, B. Spillane, D. Guerin (capt), W. Burke, D. Howard, H. Salmon.
Referee: D. Murphy.

As well as the sixteen that played in the final, Mike Doyle also appeared in the club's second
provincial title and, for skipper Brian Flanagan and Dick Smyth, it was all the sweeter as they were the surviving links with the 1971 side. Prop, Johnny Murphy, also created a little piece of history by winning a Senior Cup medal in Young Munster's much celebrated 9-7 win over Bohemians the previous day,and capturing a Junior medal the following day.  The 1979/80 season also marked Thomond's first competitive fixture at Woodview Park when, after a three year wait, in November 1979, Thomond entertained Thurles in a League tie. It proved a victorious debut as Thomond not only won the game but went on to win the League title at the expense of Galbally, 13-12, in a final played in Galbally. On a sadder note, January 1980 saw the tragic death of Mick O'Donnell, the second member of the 1971 side to pass away. The season was rounded off by the Under 16 side who captured the clubs only cup success at this level with the nucleus of the side drawn from the Under 14 double winners of two seasons previously.

THE BEST IN IRELAND
Victory in the Junior Cup qualified Thomond for an appearance at the prestigious Oval Trophy in Arklow the following September where the four Junior provincial winners meet to crown unofficial All-Ireland champions. Victory over Creggs by 11-4 set up a final against Ballyclare of Ulster and Thomond were forced to the pin of their collar to defend a 7-0 interval lead and emerge victorious by 7-3 after an incredible display of tackling in the second period. It may have been unofficial, but few could argue that Thomond had proved themselves the best in the country with a level of consistency over nigh on 11 seasons that could not be matched anyplace.

The North Munster Junior League title was once again captured by virtue of a 10-4 win over Bohemians in the final, but more importantly, Thomond defended their Munster Junior Cup title with tremendous resolve (including a heart stopping 10-9 victory over Bandon in the semi-final) and once more they lined up against U.C.C.  on April 19, 1981, this time in Musgrave Park. With the previous titles having been won at Thomond  Park, an extra effort was needed to  retain the title, but the travelling  masses made it home from home  and the title was retained in style.
The Limerick Leader report was as follows:     
Thomond Abu Celebrations were still going on last night to mark Thomond's second successive win in the Munster Junior Cup final. And it was a triumph fashioned with all the skill and determination which has made the club one of Ireland's best and most disciplined junior outfits. They won by a try and a dropped goal to two drop goals, but the scoreline does little to reflect the excitement of the occasion.  Thomond were now firmly established at the top of the pile in Junior Rugby and it was no surprise that they were re-admitted to the Limerick Charity Cup in 1981/82. A semi-final pairing against Shannon was a dubious reward for the junior side; but, against all the odds, Thomond won a tremendous contest against a side with three Internationals on a 9-7 scoreline. Danny Coady, who had taken over from Brian Flanagan at full-back, kicked three penalties to put Thomond into an intriguing final clash with Young Munster on October Bank Holiday Monday.
In between these games Thomond captured their first Roscrea Festival of Rugby for the Fasenfeld Cup, a trophy which they won for eight of the ten seasons it was played for before being unfortunately discontinued.

THE FIRST CHARITY CUP
A victory over one Senior V Club was surely the limit of what Thomond could expect in one season and a Limerick Charity Cup success was surely beyond even what this great side could achieve. Such was not the case and, however, the excellent account of this historic final by Edmund Van Esbeck of The Irish Times needs no further embellishment. A magnificent triumph for Thomond. Much of the romance and the glory of Munster rugby has been fashioned in Limerick, happenings imperishable in memory come crowding in, and yesterday at Thomond Park there was an occasion to set beside the very best when Thomond won a magnificent victory against the improbable to capture the Limerick Charity Cup for the first time in their history. Not for 42 years had a junior club captured this title and it is in this sphere that Thomond have fought their many great battles and fashioned their triumphs. But this was one to eclipse the lot as they beat Young Munster by nine points to six in a match made memorable not alone for its historic significance but for the quality of the rugby which graced the occasion. I have seen few better cup-ties at any level. Let there be not a semblance of doubt about it, Thomond’s victory owed nothing whatsoever to chance or good fortune. They thoroughly earned their success on a day when heavy clouds enveloped the city throughout the morning and the rain came down heavily, but fortunately, yielded to sunshine at the outset of the match. Perhaps it was a portent of things to come for Thomond. The Limerick public's enthusiasm for the game was reflected in the huge attendance; naturally the junior boys won the favour of the neutrals and everyone in the ground thrilled to every second of a regal match.  This encounter was full of rugby football of many virtues, not least total ommitment to a cause and honest endeavour with some sparkling back movements to thrill and agonise, depending upon where one's allegiance lay.  The game did not produce a try - four penalty goals and a dropped goal - but it was iron clad tackling that saved the line of both sides on innumerable occasions. In the closing quarter of an hour, the Thomond defence was under tremendous pressure, but they yielded not an inch, as they edged their way to glory. Saving tackles went in when a score seemed imminent as Ger Casey and his Young Munster backs tried to run for victory as they trailed by three points. It was a policy destined to perish on the rock of the Thomond defence.

MEMORIES AND TEARS
The sound of battle rolled around the grounds as the crowd responded to the action on the field and when it was all over the memories came crowding in of other such great occasions at Thomond Park and more than a few tears rolled down many a well-worn face as Thomond went on the victory rostrum to collect the spoils their bravery and initiative had earned. Limerick rugby knows no borders socially or otherwise and men, women and children ran to acclaim the victors.

Young  Munster:   G. McNamara, M. Moore, P. Cross, G. Brosnihan, D. McCarthy, G. Casey, E. Costello, J. Murphy, P. McGrath, R. Daly, P. Meehan, G. Clohessy, J. McNamara, J.Quigley, W. Casey. Replacement: E. Madden for Quigley, 31 minutes.
Thomond: D. Coady, M. Ryan, T. Hartery, E. Griffin, M.Bromell, L. Fitzgibbon, D. Cusack, C. Hogan, T. Bromell, J. Fitzgerald, N. Hartery, D. Smyth, S. Copley, G. Copley, D. Hartery.
Referee: J. Cole.

This magnificent victory was heralded far and near, and won the club the Junior club of the month award from the U.K. magazine Rugby World, and the Limerick Echo team of the year award for 1981. Despite the celebrations, which naturally lasted quite a while, on field activities were not neglected and the Transfield Cup and North Munster League were again won together with the Webb Cup, Under 18 League and Under 14 Cup.

Defence of the Munster Junior Cup also went smoothly and as Thomond prepared for a semifinal tie against Constitution, they were on the brink of a record equaling three in a row titles as well as a clean sweep of all trophies available to them.   A 12-12 draw in Thomond Park, however was followed by a cracking tie in Cork where Thomond overturned a 13-3 deficit to lead 16-13 before succumbing 25-16 to a Con. side that included Michael Bradley and Ralph Keyes and that easily went on to win the trophy.

The following season was very much "as you were" with another Charity Cup semi-final between Thomond and Shannon ending in victory for the underdogs, this time on a 9-6 scoreline, after Old Crescent's scalp had been taken in the first round. This put the Blues back in the final, but a repeat of the previous season was not on the cards as Bohemians proved too strong on the day, and won by a convincing margin of 22-9 with outhalf John Barry giving a faultless display of goalkicking for the winners.   A further Roscrea Festival victory and a Transfield Cup final defeat of Newcastlewest, were followed by another Munster Junior Cup semifinal defeat, after yet another replay, when Old Christians were winners in Musgrave Park on an 8-6 scoreline. The Clare Cup was added at the seasons end for the eighth and last time.

A SECOND CHARITY CUP
True to form, Dick's year of Presidency was marked by moreacts of "giant killing" as the Sean Copley led side claimed the scalps of Young Munster (13-12) and Garryowen (6-3) in typical backs-to-the-wall Thomond performances enroute to a third successive Charity Cup final appearance. Another tilt at the previous seasons conquerors Bohemians was the reward and this time the Junior side held the upper hand and a seventh victory out of eight clashes with Senior clubs over three seasons was achieved. Barry Coughlan of the Cork Examiner Reported as follows: Brave Thomond survive rally Thomond . Bohemians Highly charged Thomond hit another jackpot in winning the Limerick Charity Cup for the second time in three years in tremendous fashion at Thomond Park Limerick. Beaten finalists last year, Thomond gained a handsome revenge over the side that defeated them then. The overcame a 3-0 half time deficit, came back spectacularly to secure the points needed for victory and then survived a very late Bohemians rally. Those last few minutes were tense, emotionally charged moments as Bohemians full-back Pat Murray, one of the best players on view all afternoon, sadly watched as one penalty attempt hit an upright and another whistle inches wide.   They were glorious chances for the senior club to save the contest, but if they were a let off for Thomond, it was no more than they deserved. The win, slim and all as it was, was a merited one, so well did they lift themselves in that second period. They had always done enough in the opening spell to keep pace with Bohs and then after the break they made the most of the running.   The euphoric scenes which followed their win can only have been matched by their 1981 success in the same competition. Have no doubt about it either, they had something to celebrate, for throughout the competition this side has shown remarkable consistency, defeating Young Munster and Garryowen, and now Bohemians on the way to victory.   The winning points came from the boot of out half Johnny Pearse who brought his season's total to 85 points with a drop goal and a penalty - an answer to a first half penalty goal by Murray.  Pearse was undoubtedly one of the stars but if he was, another was surely number eight John O'Halloran who recovered from the disappointment of giving away the penalty which led to Bohs score, to play magnificently. He was the pick of a pack who may have had trouble on their own ball in the set scrums, but  which otherwise blended together and worked for each other to  such an extent that Bohs were often severely troubled. Murray's penalty goal came six  minutes from the interval but 11 minutes after the resumption, Pearse, who had earlier missed three drop goal attempts, finally got it right and he dropped the goal to equalise. With Thomond doing most of the attacking Pearse finally got the winning points with a 45-yard penalty  goal 13 minutes later, Thomond were on top for the remaining minutes.

Thomond: D. Coady, M. Ryan, E. Griffin, T. Hartery, M.Bromell, J. Pearse, D. Cusack,
C. Hogan, T. Bromell, J.Fitzgerald, D. Smyth, M.Sherlock, S. Copley (capt), J. O'Halloran, F. O'Donnell. Res:  P. O'Donnell for M. Bromell.
Bohemians: P. Murray, A. Kennedy,   P.   Rolls,   C. McDermott, M. Wixted (capt), M. Daly, C. Daly, T. Mulcahy, P. O'Donnell, B. O'Callaghan, J. Madigan, F. Considine, G. Madigan, B. Spillane, D. Bennett.
Referee: S. Fuller (MAR).

1984 - BEATEN FINALISTS
The Roscrea Festival trophy and North Munster League were also added by the first XV, and another Gleeson Cup was won when Young Munster were beaten in a replayed final. The Under 14 Cup was captured for the third time and, once again, a good run in the Junior Cup was achieved, the semi-final safely negotiated with a 17-3 victory over Old Christians, and a final pairing with Young Munster set up. Having secured the Senior Cup, "Munsters" were on the double trail and, after a dull drawn game, the Senior Club duly achieved this when Thomond lost in the final for the one and only  time on a 15-3 scoreline, after extra  time. It was a tired looking performance in the replay and with many of the side in the twilights of their careers, it was felt that, once again, a period of re-building was necessary. There was fight in the old dog yet, however, and twelve months  later "Dad's army" were back in  style to begin a decade that would  see them capture a further four  Junior Cups.          

From Strength to Strength
Now, firmly established in their Woodview Park base with a panel of 40 players vying for places on the
first and second XV's and a  strong set of administrators  looking after matters off the  field, Thomond were set fair for their fifth decade in rugby. Competition for players from the Senior clubs was becoming ever more intense but the loyalty to the blue jersey prevailed. This loyalty was evident particularly in the second XV where players who were obviously good enough to play at a higher level, were content to remain with a very successful second XV and wait for the chance of a break- through which came, in some instances, all too rarely. Apart from being a good breeding ground for junior players, seconds rugby also initiated coaches John Bromell and Donal McMahon before they followed up their second XV successes with a smooth transition to coaching the first XV. John Bromell gradually took over the reins from Scan McNamara through the late seventies and early eighties and helped lead the side to three provincial and two Charity Cup titles. Carrying on in the fashion set by Sean, he was a great motivator and instilled tremendous discipline into all the sides he coached. He was a very hard worker and, indeed, still is as to this day his dedication to Thomond knows no limits. It was fitting then that his last season in charge, 1984/85 saw the Munster Junior Cup regained. as the defeat in the previous season's final by Young Munster and the subsequent theory that his side were over the hill, had been a little hard to swallow.
Thomond's superb cup triumph
Cork Constitution 9
Thomond      18
Thomond are Munster junior cup champions for the fourth time with a merited win over Cork Constitution at Musgrave Park, in a match that provided plenty of entertainment for the large crowd. Thomond fully deserved their victory and praise must go to an exceptional set of forwards who gave plentiful possession to their  backs and worked hard at spoiling any advantage gained by the Cork Constitution side. The Limerick team were simply superb in every facet of the game with every player from full back Danny Coady to prop-forward  and  skipper,  John  Fitzgerald, giving their all for the entire 80 minutes.  The Thomond pack displayed the splendid virtues of traditional fiery approach, giving the big, but disappointing, Constitution a thorough lesson in all aspects of forward play. With the hard working pack providing the necessary possession for a backline, which was always eager for the ball and in this regard their stars were fullback Danny Coady, who handled very well and showed remarkable composure when under threat. Scrum-half, Declan Cusack had a marvellous match, both in defence and attack, and provided an excellent service to out-half John Pearse. Though these players stood out in the backs, the remainder contributed in no small way to the victory with some effective and crunching tackling in the second half, and rarely allowed "Cons” get into their stride.

A FOURTH CHARITY  CUP FINAL
A fifth in a row Roscrea Festival started the 85/86 season on a high note and a 9-6 victory over
Garryowen in the Charity Cup was followed by a 12-6 semi-final victory over Bohemians and put Thomond in their fourth Charity Cup final in five seasons. This time an all conquering Shannon side who went unbeaten through the season were the opponents and a 21-6 defeat in the final was no disgrace. Arklow denied Thomond another Oval Trophy beating the blues in the final but the North Munster League was again won in a replayed final against Cashel. It was, however, very much a transitional side as team building was now very much in evidence with three Juvenile players appearing in this latter success. This did not stop Thomond appearing in the semi-final of the Munster Junior Cup for the eighth successive season, but Constitution proved too strong in yet another replayed semifinal and indeed went on to win that  clubs second hat trick of titles.

ANOTHER JUVENILE CUP
The sound state of the clubs youth scene was in evidence however when the first of the four in a
row Juvenile Cups was won with a victory over Bohemians in a replayed final after an epic 6-6
drawn game which was a credit to the game of Rugby. A Ger Earls try, converted by Aidan O'Halloran,  gave Thomond their scores in the drawn game but tries from Ger Rice  and Ger Earls and a penalty and   conversion from Aidan O'Halloran gave Thomond a 13-0 victory in the replay. The squad was: Tony O'Dwyer; Sam Windrum, Niall McNamara, Ray O'Halloran, Ger Rice; Aidan O'Halloran, John Toomey; Eoin O'Neill, John Ryan, Peter O'Halloran; Mark Slater, Declan O'Halloran; Proinsias Hogan, Ger Earls (captain), Darren Kelly; Declan Costelloe, Barry Scanlan, John Bromell and Terry Busoli. Thus, the rebuilding process which was essential after the demise of many of the side of the early
eighties was being hastened by the emerging talent from the under age ranks. Credit for this great Juvenile  Cup run must go to the tremendous commitment displayed by coach Sean Mclnerney and this effort was  repaid by the loyalty afforded to him from all his players. The 1986/87 season was indicative of a team being reshaped as, despite some good displays and
near misses, the junior XV were without a trophy for the first time in 17 seasons and went out to Thurles  in a third round Munster Junior Cup replayed tie at Woodview Park, their first ever Junior Cup defeat at the  venue.

GLEESON/WEBB DOUBLE
Once again however, the second XV captured the Gleeson and Webb Cup double captained by Dermot McNamara; winning the former with an 11-6 victory over Old Crescent through tries from Christy Healy and Albert McNamara with John Cusack kicking a penalty. John Cusack also kicked a penalty and converted Mal Sherlock's try in a 9- 7 victory over Shannon in the Webb Cup final.
Other members of this double winning panel were: Tommy  Goodwin, Eric Daly, Mick Bromell,Tony Hartery, Noel Pearse, Fergus Moloney, Tony Bromell, Mike Grimes, Frank O'Donnell, Peter Fitzgibbon and Ger Copley.
The Under 18 cup was retained when Clanwilliam were defeated 12- 4 in the final thanks to a penalty try and a try from John Toomey, both of which Brian Fitzgerald converted.

1987/88 saw a return to winning ways for the Junior XV with the Roscrea trophy being regained in September and the North Munster League title being added at the season's end at the expense of Old Crescent in the final. A marathon quarter final tie against St. Mary's which needed two replays before the parish side got through on a 15- 12 scoreline, saw Thomond exit from the Munster Junior Cup, but it also meant that some more invaluable experience was gathered by this relatively young squad.
The Under 18 Cup hat-trick was achieved by virtue of an 18-14 win over Shannon in another cracking exhibition of football by both sides. Coming from 10-0 behind, Thomond (captained by Mark Kelly) only hit the front two minutes into injury time and held off a late Shannon flurry. Ray O'Halloran contributed 10 points from the boot that included two conversions of winger Ter Busoli's tries.
Team: Damien Dillon; Eddie Hughes, Dermot Mullane, Mark Kelly, Terry Busoli; Ray O'Halloran, John Toomey; Declan Costelloe, Joe McNamara, John Bromell; John Clancy, Jim Airey; Brian Pearse, Eddie Halvey, Barry Scanlan.

1989 - A LOCAL DERBY  TO BEAT ALL
Having got back to winning ways, the revamped Junior XV were now ready for the ultimate challenge and a revamped North Munster League in 1988/89 helped hone the skills for later in the season. A straight League system with 9 teams and no final saw Thomond win with 3 points to spare and capture their 13th title which was once again added to success in the Roscrea festival. Victories over Thurles, Young Munster, Bruff (after a replay) and a semi-final win over Constitution (12-6), who were going for a fourth title in a row, saw Thomond in a unique Munster Junior Cup final pairing against near neighbours and arch rivals, St. Mary's on Sunday April 23, 1989. The following report by "Full-Back" appeared in the Limerick Leader:
Experience and commitment were to prove an unbeatable combination as Thomond defeated city rivals, St. Mary's in the Munster Junior Cup Final at Thomond Park. The near capacity and colourful crowd witnessed an absorbing contest that was always close with the result in doubt to the final whistle. By virtue of their victory, Thomond have won the cup on five occasions, four of them coming in the 1980s. But this one will prove something special. It was the first occasion in the 80 year history of the competition that two Limerick city junior clubs contested a final. It also means Declan Cusack, Sean and Ger Copley with John Fitzgerald, have equalled Dick Smyth's club record with four winners medals. But a Thomond victory did not look on at the interval as they held a slender 6-4 lead after playing with a stiff breeze. However, after the interval, they took control of proceedings. They varied their tactics, keeping it close inside their own half, and allowing Aidan O'Halloran to kick for position to put pressure on their 15 opponents. While they encountered problems in the set scrums, their domination in the line-outs and to a lesser extent the loose play, denied St. Mary's possession. The game produced two superb tries and had the place kickers been on target then the match could have ended level. But this game was won and lost up front. John O'Halloran had a superb outing for Thomond as did the back-row trio of Tom Synott, Sean and Ger Copley.  Out-half Aidan O'Halloran can be well pleased with his contribution while Declan Cusack was ever vigilant, always looking for the opening and being denied a first half try. Full-back Danny Coady played a vital part in his side's win. Scorer of a try his all-round play was most commendable and his fielding of the high ball was a feature. To the cheers of the Royal Blue and White clad supporters, Declan Cusack, the second occasion he has captained a cup winning side, dedicated the 1989 cup win to the memory of the late Liam Fitzgerald. t was a fitting tribute to a great Thomond man, who had worked  unselfishly over the years for this  great club.
Thomond: D. Coady, M.Brommell, L. Coffey, N.McNamara, M. Kelly, A.O'Halloran, D. Cusack (captain),   R. Duggan, J. Ryan, L. Rowley, M. Sherlock, J. O'Halloran, S. Copley, G. Copley and T.  Synott.
St. Mary's: T. Fitzgerald, D. Mulcahy, P. Barry,   N. McNamara, P. Kiely, D. Tobin, T. Griffin, D. Frawley, C.  McNamara, G. Walters, J.  Culhane, J. Hassett (captain), P. Duggan, J. Hickey, T. Airey.
Replacements: P. Price for Walters (injured). Referee: Mr. M. Wallace (MAR).
It was an occassion tinged with sadness in some respects, as the death of Liam Fitzgerald the previous summer had left a huge void in the club and, on the morning of the game, John Moloney one of the founder members passed away.

1989/90 - THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN
And so began the 1989/90 season with Seamus O'Farrell as President, and despite the tremendous record of the first XV at various junctures previously, this season was to be the one to surpass all. They would participate in 7 competitions through the season with 6 being won, the only reverse being a 9-6 loss to Shannon in the Charity Cup final. An outstanding month of September saw the Oval Trophy captured by virtue of a semi-final win over Banbridge and a 19-12 final victory over Creggs. The Roscrea Festival captured for the seventh time. All these achievements, not surprisingly, led to Thomond being named Digital/Irish Times team of the month. A penalty and drop goal from Aidan O'Halloran was not enough from Thomond as they went under by 9-6 to Shannon in October in their fifth Charity Cup final after a  rousing battle at Tom Clifford Park.

FIRST CHALLENGE CUP
However, the newly conceived Munster Junior Challenge Cup, for the Junior clubs of the province,
was to provide ample compensation as a repeat of the previous seasons Junior Cup final was enacted with Thomond winning 6-3 after extra time. Controversially, this was the only season in which the winners of this competition did not qualify automatically for the Munster Senior Cup and, having performed so well in the Charity Cup a few months previously, it is a source of regret that a tilt at the premier provincial trophy was not forthcoming. Anyway, a dropped goal off either foot from Aidan O'Halloran gave Thomond another provincial success, the only one to date in this competition.With enough points being tucked away to once again ensure victory in the North Munster Junior League, Munster Junior Cup, and a clean sweep of all Junior trophies was very much on the cards.

1990 - SIX IN THE BAG.
Another all Limerick Junior Clubs final was in store as Thomond faced Richmond in the provincial final on April 29, 1990. This is how "Full-Back" of the Limerick Leader saw the game:
Thomond shine in great final
Thomond 16
Richmond. 9
Displaying all their considerable experience and no little skill, Thomond at first contained Richmond and then gained the necessary points that gave them their 6th Munster Junior Cup and their fifth in 11 years at sundrenched Thomond Park on Sunday.  It was a marvellous match fiercely contested by two totally committed teams and played in the best sporting spirit. Thomond fell behind on two occasions in the first half, were level at the interval, went in front two minutes into the 2nd half and from that point on took a firm grip on the game. The match, played at a very fast pace on a hard surface, was energy sapping for the players who displayed a high degree of fitness in the searing heat. For Thomond's Declan Cusack, John Fitzgerald, Sean and Ger Copley, a record equalling fifth Cup medal, while Ger Earls, Albert McNamara, Mick O'Halloran and Anthony Fitzgerald were gaining their first.
Thomond: Danny Coady, Anthony Fitzgerald, Niall  McNamara, Martin Ryan, Albert McNamara, Aidan O'Halloran, Declan Cusack, John Fitzgerald,  John Ryan, Robert Duggan (captain), Mal Sherlock, Mick  O'Halloran, Ger Earls, John  O'Halloran, Sean Copley. Replacements: George Costelloe for Ryan; Ger Ryan for Sean  Copley.
Richmond: Paddy McNamara, Ger Madden, Patsy Bennett,  Martin Clancy, Ken McNamara, Peter O'Dowd, Niall O'Connor,  Brian Keane, Derek Murphy, Pat Slattery (captain), Ger Lynch, Brian Hanley, John Healy, Ger Bennett, John Gallagher. Replacement: Kieran Markham for Hanley.
Referee:   Mr. Ronnie  McDowell, (MAR).

Apart from the 17 that played in the final, Mick Bromell, Mark Kelly and Liam Rowley were also medalists and Thomond had secured a sixth title. With no time left to complete the Transfield Cup that season, the final against Young Munster was held over until the beginning of the following season but it did not stop Robert Duggan completing the clean sweep and, in fact, for the first time the Junior Cup and Transfield  Cup were won by the club in the  same season. Thus, completed an amazing season which may never be equaled and which also saw the Under Age scene breaking new ground as the Under 13 Cup was won for the first time and hooker, John Ryan represented Munster with some distinction in a 13-13 draw with the touring New Zealand squad at Thomond  Park.

1990/91
It was a hard act to follow in 1990/91 but an amazing defence of all six trophies was launched under the captaincy of Mal Sherlock. The Roscrea Festival, in its final year, was successfully defended, as was the Oval Trophy by virtue of wins over Ballinahinch and Navan (24-6) in the final.  The North Munster League, also in its final season before giving way to a full provincial league, was again comfortably won for the 15th time but another Thomond/St. Mary's Challenge Cup final saw the parish side avenge their defeat of 12
months previously on a 9-6 score-
line.

 1991 - THREE IN A ROW
Indeed St. Mary's also defeated the blues in another delayed Transfield Cup final in the same season, but the hat-trick of Munster Junior Cup titles, so close just 9 seasons previously, was not to be denied and victories over Old Crescent, Nenagh, Thurles, after a replay, and an 18-10 semi-final win over a fancied U.C.C. side set up a repeat of the 1971 final when Thomond met Garryowen on April 28,1991. Michael O'Flaherty's report on the final in the Limerick Leader read as follows:
Thomonds historic three-in-a-row
Thomond. 19
Garryowen 15
The royal blue tornados of Thomond re-wrote the history books with a stunning 19-15 win over Garryowen in the final of the Munster junior cup, played at Thomond Park before an estimated crowd of 6,000  It was a match worthy of any occasion, total commitment, skill, passion and played at a breath taking pace that had the respective supporters in a state of nervous tension as the final minutes were played out. Thomond now become the first Limerick club to achieve a three-in-a-row success and for three players, Declan Cusack, Scan Copley and John Fitzgerald a record breaking sixth winners medal. John O'Halloran failed a late fitness test but Thomond were fortunate to have John Clancy to  fill the No. 8 shirt, an indication to the strength of their panel. Garryowen won the toss and played with the strong wind in their backs. Aidan O'Halloran saw his penalty chance fall short after two minutes before  Garryowen posted notice of intent when Ger Fitzgerald kicked penalties in the 4th and 10th minutes.   It was a just reward for Garryowen, superbly led by Sean Hartigan, who drove the much vaunted Thomond forwards back in the loose. They were first to the break in the opening quarter as the Thomond eight appeared sluggish and getting little opportunity to settle. Declan Cusack and Aidan O'Halloran were not combining as efficiently as one has come to expect from that pairing possibly due to the greasy ball, though I suspect the close attention from the Garryowen back-row played a major part. However, Thomond absorbed the early pressure and a strong run down the left by Anthony Fitzgerald was a timely reminder to Garryowen the Thomond machine can strike from any area of the pitch. Fitzgerald s run brought play to the '22' with Thomond awarded the scrum. A mighty push and they inched to the line for John Clancy to pick and drive over.  O'Halloran missed the conversion and Garryowen, through Dara O'Sullivan, who took a short pass from Gavin Russell, charged to the '22' where  Garryowen were awarded a penalty for off-side. Fitzgerald was to miss the kick at goal which fell short but Thomond were unable to clear their line. Russell forced a touch close-in which developed into a Thomond  scrum O'Halloran was forced to touch down behind his line and a five metre scrum to Garryowen   John Ryan took the strike against the head but the Thomond cheers were suddenly muted as O'Halloran, behind his line, was tackled by 0 Sullivan and as the ball went loose, Scan Hartigan was on hand to drive on  the ball for a try that Fitzgerald converted. That score would have shatered a lesser team but Thomond came back with Fitzgerald and Ger Ryan putting in strong runs before O'Halloran found touch one metre short of the line.
Garryowen cleared their line before the welcome sound of the half time whistle and an eight point advantage with 40 minutes remaining.
COME-BACK
Brian Dobson and Dave O'Driscoll replaced the injured Pat Sheehan and Padraic Hanrahan in the second half as Garryowen kicked off into the wind. Thomond opened in a more determined mood and were  rewarded after four minutes. Full back Fitzgerald failed to hold a high kick and from the resultant scrum O'Halloran dropped a goal to give his side a tonic start. Anthony Fitzgerald set up a second Thomond score when his strong run brought play deep inside the Garryowen half. From a Garryowen throw out of touch, Mick O'Halloran took a two handed catch, held the ball protected by his forwards, released to Cusack who set up O'Halloran for a second drop goal to reduce  the Garryowen lead to two points.          
Garryowen were attempting to move the ball wide and were unlucky when O'Driscoll, Wood and O'Sullivan were stopped short of the target. Fitzgerald saw a penalty attempt drift wide of the posts before Thomond took  the lead for the first time. Out  half O'Halloran started and finished the move that yielded three  valuable points when he broke to the left and kicked inside. The loose forwards were up to regain   possession for Ger Ryan to set up another ruck and Cusacks pass gave O Halloran the opportunity to drop his third goal. Garryowen had no intention of conceding victory as Fitzgerald was off target with two Penalty  attempts to one from O Halloran as the match moved into the final quarter.    
Dermot McNamara replaced the injured Mal Sherlock as Thomond launched yet another attack. Left wing Fitzgerald showed plenty of pace as his run brought play to the Garryowen line. Dara O Sullivan was lured off side in a scrum for O' Halloran to put over the resultant penalty.  Fitzgerald kicked his third penalty of the afternoon to leave one point between the sides with  seven minutes remaining. Garryowen were trying every variation to unlock the Thomond defence but the holders covered and tackled their light blue shirted opponents and yielded not an inch.  With three minutes remaining, Thomond ensured victory when awarded a penalty for a scrum infringement and the ever reliable O'Halloran made no mistake with the kick to bring his personal tally to 15 points.
In the dying minutes David Costelloe, Ger Fitzgerald and David O'Driscoll put in testing runs but on each occasion were swallowed up by the vigilant Thomond defence who protected their four point lead with the confidence of a team that knew victory and another couple of  records were about to be achieved by this marvellous junior club. Despite their defeat Garryowen will be happy in the knowledge that they were part of a final that brought a new dimension to the Munster Junior Cup. Every player that took part is to be applauded for their efforts and it may be unfair to pick out any individual for special mention. Suffice to say that they were all heroes but the display of Garryowen's skipper, Scan Hartigan was an example for younger players to attempt to emulate. Keith Wood, Gavin Russell and Dara O'Sullivan are young players destined for higher honours.
What can you say about Thomond who just continue to get better each season. It would take something special to deprive them of four in a row next year despite losing some of their panel. Six time winners, Declan Cusack and Sean Copley showed all their old skills and could make it seven come next cup time.  Aidan O'Halloran, Danny Coady, John Ryan and Michael O'Halloran will have every reason to remember this cup campaign  as indeed all the Thomond players whose names are now engraved in the history of Limerick and Munster rugby.
Thomond: Danny Coady, Michael Doyle, Martin Ryan, John   Hartery,   Anthony Fitzgerald, Aidan O'Halloran, Declan Cusack, Robert Duggan, John Ryan, Liam Rowley, Michael O'Halloran, Mal Sherlock
(captain), Scan Copley, John Clancy, Ger Ryan. Replacement: Dermot McNamara for Sherlock.
Garryowen: Ger Fitzgerald, Padraig Hanrahan, Philip Feddis, David Costelloe, Gerry Griffin,
Robert Kerbey, Gavin Russell, Dermot Hanrahan, Keith Wood, Eoghan  Prendergast,  Pat Finucane, Pat Sheehan, Sean Hartigan (captain), Jim Gibson, Dara O'Sullivan. Replacements: David O'Driscoll for P. Hanrahan; Brian Dobson for Sheehan.
Referee: Mr. John Cole  (MAR).

Thomond's seventh title, placing them fourth on the honours list, was won and the others who shared in it were: Albert McNamara, Kieran Goodwin, Mark Kelly, John Fitzgerald, John O'Halloran and Declan O'Halloran. Added to the four trophies for the season were three more from opposite ends of the spectrum. The Over 35's won the Nenagh Golden Oldies festival while the Under 12 B side won their League and Cup double.

MUNSTER JUNIOR LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
With much the same panel as the previous season still available, hopes were high that an outright record  four Munster Junior Cups in a row could be achieved. A home draw against Ennis in the first round,  however, surprisingly proved an insurmountable hurdle and, on a 12-  9 scoreline, Thomond exited the  trophy in the first round for the first time in over 20 seasons. While the County Clare side went on to  capture the second division of the newly formed Munster Junior League to win the inaugural Liam Fitzgerald trophy, adequate consolation was on hand for Thomond as they captured the first division title by the  handsome margin of 4 points. This completed a clean sweep of all the Junior Provincial titles in successive  seasons.

UNDER AGE STEP INTO THE BREACH
With the advent of the All Ireland League, the break up of the outstanding squad of the previous 4 seasons was inevitable if unfortunate. With no immediate passage to the A.I.L. available within the confines of their own club, the better prospects understandably turned to others in the city and the  consequent loss of players of the caliber of Robert Duggan, George Costelloe, James Hickey, Ger Earls, Ger Copley, Eddie Halvey, Aidan O'Halloran, Niall McNamara, and Paul McMahon left gaps that could not be filled without some short term re-building. Despite this, Thomond did qualify for a sixth Charity Cup final in 11 seasons in 1992/93 when they defeated Shannon 16-11 in the semi-final. Garryowen, however reversed the trend of previous meetings when they won the final by 9 points to 6. Later in the season, it was only an injury time try in the quarter-final of the Munster Junior Cup by the ultimate winners Garryowen that deprived Thomond of another semi final appearance. This defeat came only two days after the sudden death of one of the club's great servants, Des Rice who was a tragic loss to Thomond R.F.C. and to his family and many friends. Thus, without a trophy for the first time in 22 seasons, followed in 1993/94 by another blank, has the fall from grace for Thomond's first xv begun? Those who think so, do so at their peril. The healthy state of the under age structure within the club, the investment in better facilities at Fitzgerald Park and the recently acquired training grounds at Woodview North  Along with the promising under age scene at present, the essential ingredient of a sound administration still exists. Noel Pearse, Denis Scanlan, Pat Clarke (a very able successor as Bar Manager to the late Eddie Hayes), Tom Gavin, Sean Cusack Snr., Dan Creamer, Anthony Cronin, Hilary Dillon and the other ever presents mentioned previously will ensure that this publication is not a history of Thomond R.F.C., but merely a glimpse of the story so far. The Royal Blue Jersey of Thomond, that has served Limerick and Irish Rugby so well for so long, is set fair to continue and the challenges and stumbling blocks of another 50 years will not only be met, but surmounted. Here, here, the blues are here!