Athenry News & Views Spring 2026

Athenry News & Views

Monivea Rugby Club – The Early Days By: Sean Cleary

In the early 1970s we were living in London. School sport at the time centred mainly on soccer, cricket and cross-country running, depending on the facilities available. Some schools played rugby and occasionally basketball, but for many of us the real passion was Gaelic football at the weekends. That meant regular Sunday-morning journeys from North London, through the Dartford Tunnel and out to New Eltham during the playing season. I played with a club called the Wolfe Tones, mentored by a Cavan man who worked as a building contractor in London. Every weekend he loaded players into his Jaguar XJ6 and headed south. My final year in London introduced me to rugby. I joined a local club called Fairlop, a large, well-run organisation with multiple teams, floodlit municipal pitches and proper club facilities. It was a structured environment, with dedicated coaches and experienced players and it gave me a solid grounding in the game. The squad included seasoned rugby men who had played through school, alongside newcomers like myself with little or no experience. The coaches were patient and inclusive, keen to integrate new players quickly. My background in Gaelic football did not go unnoticed and before long I was being tried in the front row - an education in itself. Rugby Comes to Monivea When I returned to Athenry in 1977, word spread that I had played rugby. It wasn’t long before I found myself involved with Monivea RFC. Training took place on

a flat, damp field beside a house, lit by a single 100 watt bulb plugged into a kitchen socket. Tuesday and Thursday nights meant running drills in drizzle and rain, dodging sheep droppings and learning the game the hard way. Training sessions ended with cold showers in basic changing rooms beside McGann’s pub, followed almost inevitably by a few pints by the fire while arranging lifts back to Athenry. Looking back, it seems extraordinary that anyone would attempt to establish a rugby club with such limited resources, particularly in an area dominated by the GAA. Yet that is exactly what happened. Over fifty years later, the Club’s survival and success stand as a testament to that early determination. Padraic McGann deserves immense credit for driving the Club forward in those formative years, often single handedly and for sustaining it through difficult times. Building a Club Culture The early years were a struggle. The trophy cabinet was empty, heavy defeats were common and finances were scarce. Yet there was a strong sense of purpose and optimism, helped by the growing profile of rugby nationally. Key traditions helped cement the Club’s identity: shaking hands with the opposition after matches, sharing drinks together and hosting post-match dinners for cup games. Annual social events - often held in the Meadow Court near Loughrea, became fixtures in the Club calendar. The traditional St. Stephen’s Day Captain v President’s match was

First official Club tour to the Isle of Man in 1979 Front Row: (left to right) Mal Concarr, Eugene Corley, P. Connelley, Padraic McGann. Second Row: (left to right) Mike Concarr, John Quinn, S Murphy, Jimmy Murphy, Jody Murphy, P. Boyle, Hubert Deane. Third Row: (left to right) P.Carey, Barney Costello, N. Flaherty, M.Connor, P. Lydon, J. Concarr, J. Flaherty. Back Row: (left to right) T. Kennedy, Iggy Madden, P. McGrath, E. Quinn, Vincent P. Shields, Kevin Connolly, Sean Lindsay, M. Tracey, E. Martyn, L. Byrne. Photography: Sean Cleary.

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