24000 packed in and Ger Earl’s tearing down the pitch
The last time I took any remote interest in an AIL game was the 2001 final when Dungannon beat Cork Con
It was Humphreys v O’Gara and Humphreys won
Don’t think an Ulster team had won it before that - Ulster teams were expected to dominate when the competition was set up because Ulster were dominating the inter-pros, but it didn’t happen
Even in 2001 the top players played very sparingly for their club teams and I think were only brought back for the business end of the competition, so Humphreys and O’Gara I’d say would have had little enough to do with their teams actually reaching the final
The Celtic League completely put the kibosh on the AIL
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O’gara wasn’t playing. The lions pulled him.
wasnt Popey sent off for throwing a punch as well?
i think the game was shown deferred 30 minutes late on Sports Stadium ?
the echo on monday night i remember had pictures of the boys from the yellow brick road as they were called sitting in shopping trolleys and dressed up outside Lansdowne road.
i actauly recall a game in tempehill in feb 1993 when Young Munster beat Con after Con had been battering their line for the last 30 minutes en route to the final
is mike ruddock still over Lansdowne @Heyyoubehindthebushes? and do they still play at the “back pitch behind Landowne road”? - something like Cardiff and the old arms park
He had his nose broke anyway. It was a final straight league but was the last league match of the season.
AFAIK ruddock is still there. Was upto last season. Lansdowne had the 4g relayed last year to current top of the range. Those things should be banned outright
I was at a few of those games as a young fella. I remember the crowds being huge. The auld lad lifted me over the wall and I sat down pitch side.
Didnt you win a county final with him & Roisin Upton?
So he wasn’t, the oul’ memory can play tricks
Some great names involved in that game though
John Kelly, Brian O’Meara, Mick O’Driscoll, Frankie Sheahan and Donncha O’Callaghan for Cork Con
Humphreys, Bryn Cunningham, Jonathan Bell, Paddy Johns, Tony McWhirter, Justin Fitzpatrick, Tyrone Howe, Ryan Constable, Sniffer Clarke for Dungannon
Serious class there especially for Dungannon, that’s nearly an Ulster team there in itself
Still the only Ulster team to lift the cup.
Scorthy top of 2c
Great start by the Ross Rd outfit
Great posting here. The AIL is a shadow of the competition it could be. The club’s did plenty to make a bollox of it themselves and continue to resist necessary change…particularly the regionalising of league below top few tiers.
Few years back they brought in a (well meaning but misguided) rule that limited the number of contracted players who could be involved in a game. Thats been rolled back now. Top tier would be a super competition if any players not involved in provincial squads played every weekend.
At no point was there ever any effort to play a game as a double header with a Pro14 game, or for e.g. allow access to any club game with a Pro 14 ticket for same day…always at least one game on in Limerick of a saturday
AIL only around since 1990. A Johnny come lately competition. I was at that Young Munster v St Marys match in 1993 and a Young Munster old timer in his 80’s was saying to me that it wasn’t a patch on winning the Bateman Cup in 1928.
The Leinster Towns Cup (played for since circa 1888) is still the greatest competition in senior Irish Rugby.
The Towns cup is rugby
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Pah, the Bateman Cup was a Johnny Come Lately competition itself
The provincial senior cups in the 1890s were where it was at
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I’m only relaying what an octogenarian Young Munster fan said to me in 1993. Of course you’re right and I was of a similar view myself. I didn’t have the heart to pull him up on it.
That was very magnanimous of you
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Nothing quite like going to the likes of Arklow, Gorey, Mullingar, Tullow or Longford in the depths of January where you’re always guaranteed there’ll be a homer of a ref and you’ll get the shit kicked out of you.
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No way Munster will share any cash. Surprised they dont already go after clubs gate receipts the hungry basterds
Club gaa going to be the new club rugby. Slowly dying.
The colours match between Trinity and UCD is a great tradition
As rowing has its Goonan Cup, so the rugby has the colours match
Myself and a few others tipped along to Donnybrook one night in late 2004 for that year’s edition which if I remember rightly doubled as an AIL Division 2 match and it was splendid fare