Garryowen Football Club
Encyclopedia
Garryowen Football Club (Irish: Cumann Rugbaí Gharraí Eoin), usually referred to as Garryowen, is a rugby union
club from Limerick
, Ireland
. Historically it has been one of the most successful clubs in Irish rugby union leagues.
. The word Garryowen is a transliteration of the Irish Garraí Eoin - "the garden of John" - and relates to the association in the 12th century between St. John's Church and the Knights Templar whose house in Limerick was dedicated to St. John the Baptist. As the team's kit consists of a blue and white jersey with a five pointed white star on the breast representing the five medieval parishes of Limerick, white shorts and blue socks, they are known colloquially as the "boys in blue" or "the sky blues".
Founding member of the club, W.L.Stokes, had a huge influence on the game in Limerick during the 1880s. He made sure Garryowen received Union recognition in 1884. If not for his tireless work promoting rugby, Garryowen might never have begun.
Another great family linked to Garryowen were the O'Connors who won 49 senior cup medals beginning in the 1890s. Born in Athlunkard Street, Limerick, the seven brothers - Mick, Charlie, Jack, Thade, Joe, Bryan and Jim - set an impressive record with 47 medals between them. Jack with 11 had the most. His son, Mick, won 2 making the total: 49.
The club has had two fixed homes. The Markets Field until 1958 then the club moved to Dooradoyle. After the club moved, Garryowen which had won the Senior cup in 1954 did not achieve success again for 15 years. This was the longest period in the clubs history without a cup win. It was not till 1969 that another led to a glorious period for the club with probably the finest collection of players since the great nine in row team. With 5 senior cups coming in the next 10 years. There was also great success on the international scene with 6 players getting capped for Ireland in this time.
After winning the Cup in 1979 the club did not achieve Cup success again until 1993, not the largest gap between wins but this was the 1st time that they had failed to win at least one cup in each decade. Back-to-back Munster Senior League successes in 1982 and 1983 were the highlights of the 80's. The foundations were laid for the great success that was achieved in the 90's. The advent of the All Ireland League would give the club game in Limerick the platform it had long sought.
Having won the league title in its second and fourth year (1992, 1994), Garryowen reached two finals and a number of semi-finals only to fall just short. However, 2007 proved a spectacular year for the Limerick side, seeing them finally re-take the AIL crown after their years of disappointment and also the Munster Senior and AIL cups in what is an unprecedented clean sweep of all domestic competitions in Irish club rugby.
In total Garryowen have won the Munster Senior Cup
38 times, more times than any other club. Garryowen won the trophy nine times in a row between 1889 and 1898 and have the distinction of having played in the first final in 1886 and the 100th final in 1986. Garryowen are also the only club in Ireland to have played at the top level of competition since competitive rugby began in Ireland (i.e. (Provincial)/Munster Senior Cup, AIL Division 1, AIL Division 1A).
kick (named after the rugby club) designed to put the opposing team under pressure, by allowing the kicking team time to arrive under and compete for the high ball. It is thought to have come part of the modern lexicon in the early 1920s as one of the great Garryowen teams that won three Senior cups from 1924 to 1926 used this tactic to the utmost.
at full international level, 56 players in total. The club is honoured to have had players represent Ireland at every position.
.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club from Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. Historically it has been one of the most successful clubs in Irish rugby union leagues.
Name
The club is named after Garryowen area of LimerickGarryowen, Limerick
Garryowen is a neighbourhood in Limerick, Ireland. Contrary to common misconceptions, Garryowen Football Club, a prominent Rugby Union club in Ireland's AIB League is not located in the neighbourhood of Garryowen but rather in the Dooradoyle area of the Limerick Suburbs. Garryowen is home to the...
. The word Garryowen is a transliteration of the Irish Garraí Eoin - "the garden of John" - and relates to the association in the 12th century between St. John's Church and the Knights Templar whose house in Limerick was dedicated to St. John the Baptist. As the team's kit consists of a blue and white jersey with a five pointed white star on the breast representing the five medieval parishes of Limerick, white shorts and blue socks, they are known colloquially as the "boys in blue" or "the sky blues".
History
The club was formed in 1884. The founding members of the club were:- President W.L. Stokes
- Secretary J. Gogarty
- Treasurer M. L. JoyceMichael Joyce (MP)Michael Joyce was an Irish politician who twice served as Mayor of Limerick and was the Member of Parliament for the Limerick constituency from 1900 until 1918.- Early life :...
- Captain J.O'Sullivan
- Messrs, Stapleton, Prendergast, J.O'Connor, J.G.O'Brien, Roche, Riordan, Pender, Gilligan and Dick
Founding member of the club, W.L.Stokes, had a huge influence on the game in Limerick during the 1880s. He made sure Garryowen received Union recognition in 1884. If not for his tireless work promoting rugby, Garryowen might never have begun.
Another great family linked to Garryowen were the O'Connors who won 49 senior cup medals beginning in the 1890s. Born in Athlunkard Street, Limerick, the seven brothers - Mick, Charlie, Jack, Thade, Joe, Bryan and Jim - set an impressive record with 47 medals between them. Jack with 11 had the most. His son, Mick, won 2 making the total: 49.
The club has had two fixed homes. The Markets Field until 1958 then the club moved to Dooradoyle. After the club moved, Garryowen which had won the Senior cup in 1954 did not achieve success again for 15 years. This was the longest period in the clubs history without a cup win. It was not till 1969 that another led to a glorious period for the club with probably the finest collection of players since the great nine in row team. With 5 senior cups coming in the next 10 years. There was also great success on the international scene with 6 players getting capped for Ireland in this time.
After winning the Cup in 1979 the club did not achieve Cup success again until 1993, not the largest gap between wins but this was the 1st time that they had failed to win at least one cup in each decade. Back-to-back Munster Senior League successes in 1982 and 1983 were the highlights of the 80's. The foundations were laid for the great success that was achieved in the 90's. The advent of the All Ireland League would give the club game in Limerick the platform it had long sought.
Having won the league title in its second and fourth year (1992, 1994), Garryowen reached two finals and a number of semi-finals only to fall just short. However, 2007 proved a spectacular year for the Limerick side, seeing them finally re-take the AIL crown after their years of disappointment and also the Munster Senior and AIL cups in what is an unprecedented clean sweep of all domestic competitions in Irish club rugby.
In total Garryowen have won the Munster Senior Cup
Munster Senior Rugby Cup
The Munster Senior Cup is a rugby union competition for the senior clubs affiliated to the Munster branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union.-1880s:* 1886 Bandon beat Garryowen* 1887 Queens College beat Limerick County* 1888 Queens College beat Garryowen...
38 times, more times than any other club. Garryowen won the trophy nine times in a row between 1889 and 1898 and have the distinction of having played in the first final in 1886 and the 100th final in 1986. Garryowen are also the only club in Ireland to have played at the top level of competition since competitive rugby began in Ireland (i.e. (Provincial)/Munster Senior Cup, AIL Division 1, AIL Division 1A).
The garryowen kick
In playing terms a garryowen is a very high up and underBomb kick
An up and under is a type of kick in various codes of football. It is a high short punt onto or behind the defending team is a useful tactic both for attacking and defending...
kick (named after the rugby club) designed to put the opposing team under pressure, by allowing the kicking team time to arrive under and compete for the high ball. It is thought to have come part of the modern lexicon in the early 1920s as one of the great Garryowen teams that won three Senior cups from 1924 to 1926 used this tactic to the utmost.
Honours
- AIB LeagueAIB LeagueThe Ulster Bank All-Ireland League is the national league system for the 48 senior rugby union clubs in Ireland, covering both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is not, however, the highest level of rugby union in Ireland, as teams representing the four provinces of Ireland play...
- Winners: 1992, 1994, 2007: 3
- AIB CUP
- Winners: 2007
- Munster Senior CupMunster Senior Rugby CupThe Munster Senior Cup is a rugby union competition for the senior clubs affiliated to the Munster branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union.-1880s:* 1886 Bandon beat Garryowen* 1887 Queens College beat Limerick County* 1888 Queens College beat Garryowen...
- Winners: 1889-92, 1893–96, 1898–99, 1902–04, 1908–09, 1911, 1914, 1920, 1924–26, 1932, 1934, 1940, 1947, 1952, 1954, 1969, 1971, 1974–75, 1979, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2007, 2011: 38
- Munster Senior League
- Winners: 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1925, 1936, 1946, 1954, 1982, 1983, 2001: 17
- Munster Junior CupMunster Junior CupThe Munster Junior Cup is a rugby union competition played in the province of Munster, Ireland. The competition was established for the stronger junior clubs and the second teams of the Senior clubs in the province of Munster...
- Winners: 1910, 1955, 1970, 1976, 1978, 1993, 2007: 7
Ireland
The following Garryowen players have represented IrelandIreland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
at full international level, 56 players in total. The club is honoured to have had players represent Ireland at every position.
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British and Irish Lions
The following Garryowen players have also represented the British and Irish LionsBritish and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
.
Former presidents of the IRFU
- J.Macauley,
- J.M.O'Sullivan,
- D.G.O'Donovan,
- K.J.Quilligan,
- J.Quilligan
Other notables
- Richard HarrisRichard HarrisRichard St John Harris was an Irish actor, singer-songwriter, theatrical producer, film director and writer....
, actor, Munster Senior Cup medal 1954 - Eddie O'SullivanEddie O'SullivanEddie O'Sullivan is an Irish rugby union coach and a former footballer. He is a former head coach of the United States national rugby union team and of the Ireland national rugby union team....
, Coach of Ireland 2001-2008
2010/11 Squad
- Full-backs: Lorcan Bourke, Derry O'Connor
- Wings: Ian Hanly,Diarmuid McCarthy, Ronan O'Mahony
- Centres: Conan Doyle (captain), Kevin Hartigan, Corey Hircock, Cian O'Shea
- Out-halves: Declan Cusack
- Scrum-halves: Conor Murray, Aaron Healy
- Front-rows: Jason Harney, Declan Lavery, Barry McNamara, JP Cooney
- Hookers: Robert Meyer, James Rael, Mike Sherry, Damien VarleyDamien VarleyDamien Varley is a rugby union player for Munster. He plays as a Hooker. Varley was educated in St. Munchin's College in Limerick where he scored two tries as Munchin's won the Munster Schools Senior Cup final in 2002. He studied at the University of Limerick...
- Second-rows: Aaron McCloskey, Frank McKenna, Mark Melbourne
- Wing-forwards: Conor Hartigan, Anthony Kavanagh, Conor Fitzgerald, Paul Neville, Barry Sheehan,
- Number 8s: Darren Mulcair, David Sherry