Strong Clare Contingent Vying For Senior And Junior Cup Glory With St Munchin's College

I suppose it's unique in the sense that we're traditionally a rugby school and it's

2012 since we were last in the senior final and 2006 since we last won it.

I suppose we're regards to both finals and contesting junior and senior next week,

senior being under 19 and junior being under 16.

It's a huge achievement from our point of view.

As you said initially there were a huge clear contingent playing in board finals,

but we would have always had a huge clear background here over 40% of our

population, Derek, come from the clear side of the board or, you know, and as I said,

huge clear men like Anthony Fauding, Keith Wooden, their day went through the school.

And not just rugby, we've had Column Calvin and Donald Onovan too and Jack

Corbin in recent years, so from the Holland side, but it's a unique occasion to get the board

and it's a huge, huge opportunity and a big day for all the lads that are involved.

Was there a sense starting out this year that you felt you had two groups that could do this?

If I can backtrack a little there, Derek, first of all, regards to the last few years within

the school, like everything, like you would cover there with clear underage, hurting and so on,

you know, it has to start out at a young age. And about 2016, Derek, we put, we looked at ourselves,

we were wondering why we weren't getting to senior and junior finals, why we weren't competing.

And, you know, we shifted things in this school, regards putting huge emphasis on the coaching,

the structure within the school. And soon enough, Derek 2018, we wanted June or 2019, we lost the

final, 2020 was shared because the core of it, 21, it was called off and COVID then had a bit of

effect on us and we're back up running again now in the last couple of years. And, you know, due to,

I suppose, we're looking at the sense, Derek, that we have at the moment, our teaching staff,

it's completely voluntary, but we're looking at the sense that we have 10 coaches at the moment

that are teaching in the school, that are currently either playing in the AIL or coaching the AIL.

And we just sat down, we mapped out the next few years, regards to ourselves. And while it's

started a year, you never know where you're going to get Derek, I suppose, you know what I mean,

because they do a group stage in this now, early in the year. Our juniors are prominent early on,

and the seniors had a couple of rough outings, but since the turn of Christmas Derek,

they've really turned the corner and they've grown with every game that they've played, you know.

Fantastic. As you mentioned, Derek did and is there with you as well,

Derek from the Lara Course. Derek, what's it like this week in the school leading up to these

occasions? Derek, it's obviously a class achievement to make because it's been first since 2012,

and I think as much as there's a savage atmosphere in camp, which has been the case for a lot of

the year, even even when we weren't going as well. But just around school, it's just really,

really obvious. And I know I have a big, big game ahead of them in PVC, but everyone

that I couldn't really back on them, and they've really improved game by game. Even before Christmas,

the last two group games, they really kind of turned the corner and really had an upward trajectory

since then, I think. So, are there really conflict going into the last game?

And like being involved in a school environment like that, there are whereas Jason Outline,

there's such a rich history, rich tradition, and you know, big names, big players on the walls,

not out with pictures and all the rest of it. And from your own perspective, we know what

Marcus Horan did with a bottle of Lara, I suppose, and an Ireland monster jersey as well. So,

it's a real culture. Yeah, definitely. I think there's lots of names that have gone before us,

so I think there's definitely motivation there. And yeah, there is a real culture, and the school

will even, it's a real community vibe through the school. Like, you know, everyone who's gone

before you, and I think there's a real link between the past players, even Kitaros was in

helping out with the team this year. So, yeah, I think there's a real culture of big names.

And also, you'll be probably aware as well that your opportunity to win at schools level,

like hope you've a lot of years left in terms of adults, but like school titles can be pretty

special, but there is a set period in which you can win them. So, every year that you don't,

it's probably an opportunity to come by. So, you'll be very eager not to make the most of this

opportunity. 100%. I think this year, more than ever, I think I noticed just how special scene

Europe is. You're kind of like the matter of how far you go in rugby or even any sport,

hurling or whatever, even if you play with Ireland and rugby, it's not done really.

Be the same as playing in front of your school mates, your family, and

tommorow park, and most of the park in those big games. So, I think it's really special

to play and see in rugby. And Jason, as you mentioned there, like, the fact that there's,

you know, a lead from both sides of the river, Shannon, shall we say, often in schools,

you have that dynamic of different clubs coming together, but you have, you know, the Clarelem

Recreivalry has gone up in recent years, as far as I'm the Holland field, but on a rugby page,

they're kind of putting their heads and boots in for each other. Yeah, we look, as I said, Derek,

you know, our senior team there is backbone boy, a couple of lads like Jack Meaney there,

Brenda Minogue, who actually want to need to meet him a little bit, a little bit of Brian's

this year, Dan Foley, my little keen is come out the way from Kilkie. You know, and they're mixing

great with the, with the Limerick Lads here. And they said, even though the, the, the rivalry has

gone up in the, in the Jair world, you know, it's great to see those lads, uh, toggle together and

be as one. Um, I suppose on, on that senior team, you know, Derek kind of alluded to there,

like the opposition that we're up against next week is, uh, is quite scary in PBC. Um, I think

they've only considered one Troy in the last three rounds of, of the senior cup. Um,

and it's, it's pretty daunting task, but I suppose wanting that we got to look at and you

alluded to there that, when in a school's medal, be that monster senior cup or a herty cup,

you know, it's a, it's a real unique medal to win. Um, and it's one that the lads just have to

grasp that opportunity, um, albeit 10 of our 15 or, or, or in 50 year and underage again next year,

you know, fantastic. Take us to what the, uh, what the junior team did, what their challenges,

junior team, um, top their group before Christmas, um, which, which basically gave them a quarter

final and a win and a quarter final would send them direct to semi. Um, they're fairly impressive

and are in their quarter final win against Rockwell, uh, they won 25-7. Um, and then they had a

pre-substantial win against banding in the semi final, 44-8, no banding won that last year. Um,

so that was a good win. So, you know, junior rugby under 16, you're going to the final,

the guys are fairly confident, but at the end of the day, you're dealing with young lads, so

it's about keeping their feet on the ground, really, and, and they're taking on the other

car powerhouse in CBC. Um, and again, look, it's on a carc, again, the week after, so we're two trips to

carc, um, within seven days, um, which isn't easy in this current lawyer miss, um, going down

there, uh, and the cost of it and so on, but, you know, we look forward to that junior final as well,

and we'd be hoping for a real positive outcome there. And not just under the playing, um, staff,

we call the most positive, there's clear elements as well, but uh, take us through 100 clear

lads that are involved in in a coaching sense. Yeah, well, I suppose, uh, as I said to you there,

as I alluded earlier on, the, the number of lads that we involved in a, in a rugby background,

but we've a huge GA background here as well, um, Derek, and, and like this year, Derek was parked on,

was parked there under 19 team that got a monster fine in the last months. So, um, so we've

peeped from a wide range of sporting backgrounds here, Martin McMahon from, from back in Murray

Bricken, we have that Quilty, we've won a brilliant air in New America, we've had a man can laugh,

so we've a huge care contingent involved across the board and in a various levels of sports, you know,

um, but again, at the end of the day, even though we have all those people, Derek, like we're still

a school and it's getting that balance in, in, in school life is really, really important to us.

Um, I just wanted the biggest game changers for us, probably 18 months ago, was we managed to

employ a full toy medicine system coach for the school, Derek, um, and that's been huge across

the board for, for all sports in here. And we're ultimately seeing a little bit of that difference

now, um, and being able to compete with the, with the big car schools physically and over the

Christmas seniors and junior's board would have traveled and played Dublin teams and

won a couple and acquitted themselves quite well up there as well. Um, but again, it's, it's all

those things, it's all those elements directly, I'll have to come together, you know that, um,

and you get results, ultimately, it doesn't mean you're going to win cops, but what we want to do

is, is produce fine young men that leave the school and whether they go up back there and

hurling with their clubs, um, in chair or limerick or whether they continue to play a rugby or

whether they want to need level that you know, all we can do is, is, is prepare them as best possible.

And Darryu, you can answer this when I was shortly or otherwise as you like, but is it a case

this week when the school classroom door closes that it's just rugby talk? Is there much being done

with the books? Ah, to be fair, there's always, there's always in munchens, we kind of prioritize

school works and in everything, all sports outside of that are extra, but um, look at, do you have

any mess and then going on, um, there'll be consequences with the sport, but I suppose you kind

of learned that in first year and stay out of trouble from there on, but uh, look at this, there's obviously a big,

um, big emphasis on sport now, or the boys there have savage, uh, facilities and they're getting treated

very well, so they're going to do well every day and I'm trying to get used to the astro.

And uh, yeah, there'll be, there'll be more than ready on next Wednesday.

Unfortunately, these finals are the, the senior final is usually on St Patrick's Day, but that's

not the case anymore now, um, so it's under Wednesday 18 to blow a muscular park at two o'clock and,

you know, anybody from, from, from, from, from Claire, that, that, that is an interest in rugby,

we, we'd greatly appreciate their support. And as I said, the amount of lads we have involved,

oh, I've got to mention, oh, she been all there from Scarif as well. Oh, she's mad and sorry,

from Scarif, um, you know, we've huge clear contingent and they'll bring their following as well,

like, like, going to clear people, do Derek. Um, so yeah, we, we'll look forward to that, um,

and look forward to the clear support in it next Wednesday.