Ennis RFC, Ennis Rugby Football Club in an amateur rugby union

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 based on the Drumbiggle Road in Ennis

Ennis

Ennis is the county town of Clare in Ireland. Situated on the River Fergus, it lies north of Limerick and south of Galway. Its name is a shortening of the original ....

, Co. Clare adjacent to the Ennis Showgrounds. The club often use the Clare County Council

Clare County Council

Clare County Council is the local authority which is responsible for County Clare in Ireland. The Council is responsible for Housing and Community, Roads and Transportation, Urban planning and Development, Amenity and Culture, and Environment....

 community facility at Lee's Road for training. The club currently plays in the Munster Junior League division 2.

History

The club was formed in 1923. The founding members were primarily drawn from among the business community in the town. This is evidenced by the number of members who worked in one of the banks in the town. Many were also Presidents of the Past Pupils Union of St. Flannan's College

St. Flannan's College

Saint Flannan's College is an Irish secondary school located in Ennis, County Clare. Formerly an all-boys boarding school, the first girls class was entered in 2002 and in 2005 the boarding school was closed. In 2003 an extension which added over 20 new rooms to the college was completed...

. At the beginning of World War II the club temporarily disbanded and did not reform until 1952. The GAA

Gaelic Athletic Association

The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...

 ban on their members playing any 'garrison games' discouraged people playing rugby if they also played hurling

Hurling

Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...

 or gaelic football

Gaelic football

Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...

. This affected the player base available to the club. An underage section was formed in 1973.

In 1979 the club finally built a clubhouse after purchasing land from the Showgrounds. The clubhouse is still in place today, having had a gym added recently.

First President: Dr. J.B. McClancy

First Vice President: Ned Butler

First Club Secretary: Frank Cassidy

Other founding members: Martin Culligan, Vincent Honan, Serry Honan, Luke Moroney, Anthony Moroney, Owen Linnane, Des Maurer, Bernie Maurer, Eddie Monahan, Victor Monahan, Gerry McMahon, Peter Cosgrove, Jack Carroll, John Coleman, Frank Dowling, Jack Considine and Paddy Kelly.

Achievements

1928 Daresbury Cup

1932 Garryowen Cup

1976/77 The Kenny Shield

1977/78 Banner Shield

1978/79 Limerick City Cup

2006 Liam Fitzgerald Cup

Current Structure

Senior,
Senior 2nds,
U-19's,
U-17's,
U-15's,
U-14's,
U-13's,
U-12's,
U-11's,
U-10's,
U-9's,
U-8's,

The club has had great success in recent years with underage players selected for Munster and Ireland at many age levels.

External links

• Ennis RFC
• Munster Rugby, ERFC contact details