SEAT Munster Schools Senior Cup Final 2014

Crescent College Comprehensive and Ardscoil Rís will be meeting for the first time this year in the final of the SEAT Munster Schools Senior Cup. It will be an historic occasion on Monday, 17th March at Thomond Park Stadium (ko 3pm), being the first all-Limerick decider in the history of the competition.

We take a look at the history of this prestigious competition in its 105th year as Ardscoil Rís bid for their first title and Crescent College Comprehensive set out to defend their title and claim their 11th trophy.

A to Z – Munster Schools Senior Cup

A – Ardscoil Rís will be bidding for their inaugural success in the competition, their previous final appearance in 1996 ended in defeat to PBC. Their squad included Eoin O’Gorman, Gerard Ryan, Alan Clarke, Donncha Houlihan, Donough Cassidy, Cormac O’Loughlin, Shane Costello, Trevor Bowles, Peter Hayes, Brian McNamara, Gareth Walpole, John Fitzgerald, Declan Lynch (captain), David Brosnan, Paul Neville, Mossie Lawler, John McCormack, James O’Rourke, Donal Minihane, John Paul Meaney, Gearoid Yelverton, Micheal Scanlon.

B – Back to back – Crescent College Comprehensive will be trying to win the trophy for a second successive year – a feat that they achieved in 1889/1990.

C – Coaches – today both teams are coached by former Munster players, Conan Doyle (Crescent College Comprehensive) and Mossie Lawler (Ard Scoil Rís).

D – Distinction –both CBC and Rockwell College have the honour of playing in both the inaugural finals of the Munster Schools senior cup (1909) and the Munster Colleges (Dr.Harty Cup) senior hurling (1918). CBC were successful in the rugby decider, while Rockwell College lifted the hurling trophy.

E – English – Mick who passed away recently and who wore the number ten shirt for Ireland, Munster, Bohemians and Lansdowne played in the out-half position for the 1950 Rockwell College cup winning team.

F – Former Munster players Jeremy Staunton and Jerry Flannery played on the unsuccessful St. Munchin’s College team that lost the 1997 decider to CBC.

G – Glenstal Abbey School who entered the competition in 1945 (as Glenstal Priory) made their only appearance in a final in 1970, losing out eventually to Rockwell College following a replay.

H – Harness, Johnny won back to back senior cup medals with CBC in 1943 and 1944, and late in the spring of 1944 was on the Dolphin Munster senior cup winning team.
I – Irish Internationals – boys who have captained their school to success in the schools senior cup and who subsequently went on to play for Ireland include – Paddy Berkery (Crescent College), Tom Nesdale, Jerry Walsh, Barry McGann, Moss Finn, Ken O’Connell and Ronan O’Gara (PBC), Larry Moloney (St.Munchin’s College) and Donal Lenihan (CBC).

J – Junior Vice President of the Munster Branch Bertie Smith has the distinction of having refereed four Munster Schools Senior cup finals in 1989, 1998, 1999 and 2000.

K – Kidney –Declan former coach to the National team played out-half on the successful PBC Munster Schools senior cup winning team of 1978

L – Limerick – this will be the first occasion in the 105 year history of the competition that the final will be contested by two Limerick city schools.

M – Mungret College whose only success came in 1941 played their last match in the competition in 1974 prior to the closure of the Jesuit College, for the record their lineout was – Dominic Creedon (Inchigeela, Cork), Peter Morgan (Dublin), John de Maye (New York), Niall Fenix (Tralee), Robert Morgan (Dublin), John Downes (Limerick), Edward Cogan captain (Cork), Billy Leen (New York), Eugene Carley (Cork), Joe Burke (Miltown-Malbay, Clare), Dan O’Keeffe (Dingle, Kerry), Lance O’Riordan (Glanworth, Cork), Enda Hiney (Crossmolina, Mayo), Joe O’Toole (Roundstone, Wicklow), Michael Mullins (Brussels).

N – North Monastery CBS, CBC, PBC and Rockwell College were the only schools to enter the 1910 Competition.

O – O’Connell –Ken had the distinction of captaining his school (PBC) to Munster Schools senior cup honours in 1987 and seven years later his club (Sunday’s Well) to victory in the Munster Senior cup.

P- Pat Murray captained St.Munchin’s College to their inaugural success in the competition. In 1982, he also has the distinction of leading Munster in their first ever Heineken Cup match against Swansea at Thomond Park in 1995.

Q – Quarter of a century – Crescent College Comprehensive won their seventh title 25 years ago, defeating CBC in the final at Musgrave Park. The winning team was Colm Tobin, Alan Reddan, Tomas O’Connell, Anthony O’Dwyer, Stephen Tuohy, Billy O’Shea (captain), Fergal Downes, Philip Madigan, Mick O’Mara, Paul Wallace, Shane Leahy, Brian O’Dwyer, Desmond O’ Malley, Gareth Dineen, Adrian Power. Replacement – B illy O’Connell for Colm Tobin.

R – Richard Harris played in the front row of the successful 1949 Crescent College winning side.

S – St.Munchin’s College inaugural success was in 1968, the team that brought the trophy back to the Corbally College was – James Enright, Michael Brennan, Michael Hehir, Larry Moloney, James Hennessy, Joe Bourke, Brian Cox, Patrick Holohan, Gerry Rolands, Paddy O’Shea, Nelius Noonan, Christy O’Connor, Michael Carroll, John Moloney (captain), Peter O’Dwyer.

T – Ten schools have won the competition since it was first competed for in 1909 – the title has come to Cork on 57 occasions, Tipperary have claimed the trophy 26 times, while 5 Limerick Schools have been victorious on 21 occasions.

U – Uniacke – Kevin was one of the leading performers of the Crescent College XV that won the 1963 title.

V – Victory for Ardscoil Rís would earn the school a double of a Senior Schools and Dr.Harty Cup success, Rockwell College achieved this unique achievement in 1930, while Christians Brothers Schools, Limerick were the first and to date the last Limerick school to bring off the ‘coveted double’ way back in 1926.

W – Walter Swinburn who represented Rockwell College at scrum half in 1977 tournament later went on to ride Shergar to victory in the Epsom Derby of 1981.

X – Xavier Coleman played a leading part in the CBC victories of 1976 and 1977.

Y – Years – 1926 Crescent College played in the competition for the first time – 1988 Ardscoil Rís made their debut while 1970 was the last year that a Cork school failed to qualify for the penultimate stage of the competition.

Z – Zero score, the last decider to finish scoreless was in 1948 when CBC and PBC failed to register a score at the Mardyke.