CLUB HISTORY

As @munsterrugby gear up for the derby of the year in Thomond Park on the 2nd of November, here’s a bit of Club History for Munster V All Blacks.

Since 1905 Munster have played New Zealand just 8 times. Over those 8 games 2 Clonmel RFC men lined out in Red in Thomond Park.

On the 11th Dec, 1963 Mick Carey, a former Clonmel Captain, played tighthead when Munster were beaten by NZ 3-6. Mick, a former pupil of @cbs.highschool.clonmel played on with Munster till 1965 when he went to the USA. In 1978, after the first glorious victory, he shouldered his son to drop a programme into a small top window of the Munster Dressing Room in Thomond. Only someone who’d togged out on the other side would have known it was there. 5 minutes later the programme was returned through the window fully signed. Perhaps the programme will hang on the walls of Clonmel RFC in time! Mick went on to coach the Firsts in Clonmel in the 70s for 6 years and famously retired when ‘Clonmel started bringing on oranges at half-time.’ He continues to attend the matches in the Club where his grandsons Harry & Jack Lane are now part of the senior squad. He supported Clonmel in Sydney Parade against Monkstown last week. Until 1978 his mantra, in the words of teammate Tommy Kiernan, was that ‘The All Blacks are Beatable.’ One of only 5 players who remain of that ‘63 team, he is delighted at the age of 84, to be heading off to Thomond for the game next week. 

In 2008, Lock Mark Melbourne came off the bench for Munster when they lost 16-18 to NZ in Thomond Park. Munster were leading 16-10 at half-time and such was the physical intensity of Munster they almost repeated history with a victory. Mark, a former pupil of @rockwellcollege joined @garryowen_fc and was a Munster Academy Player 2003-2009. Son of our Club House Manager Trevor and brother of Neville who was a massive part of the skill set that so famously got us to Senior in 2019, Mark is a physio with Munster Rugby in Limerick. He has been hugely helpful to so many Clonmel Players who have had a crack at the Munster Player Pathway in recent years. 

All the best next week Munster, from all at Clonmel RFC.