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 1A 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
Full nameShannon Rugby Football Club
UnionIRFU
Nickname(s)The Parish
The Parishmen
Founded1884 (1884)
RegionLimerick
Ground(s)Thomond Park
ChairmanDenis O'Driscoll
PresidentTony Wallace
Coach(es)Stephen Keogh
Captain(s)Ronan Coffee
League(s)All-Ireland D1A
2022–239th.[1]
Team kit
Official website
shannonrfc.com

History

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.

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.

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
    • Division 1B 2017–18, 2021–22
  • 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 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.

Ireland 7s

The following Shannon players have played for the Ireland national rugby sevens team:

Ireland

The following Shannon players have represented Ireland at full international level.

British & Irish Lions

The following Shannon players have also represented the British & Irish Lions.[3]

International referees

Potholes & Penguins Podcast

References
  1. League Tables 2022–23 at irishrugby.ie
  2. McCarry, Patrick (30 November 2013). "All you'll ever need to know about Shannon RFC". The42. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  3. The Ireland Rugby Miscellany (2007): Ciaran Cronin
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