St Mary's College RFC Yearbook 2020-21

RICHARD HALPIN
- 1st XV Captain - A ‘Snapshot’
Yes, the Covid restrictions are tough, just
getting a lot tougher still. It is a difficult time
for all of us. Hard it is to realise that it will
get back to near normality over the coming
months. However, meantime do what you
can to help others, hang in and believe, keep
busy and fit.
Do turn your mind to our club captain
Richard Halpin. Here is a young man who
had his dearest dream realised early this
year, when his peers and his club selected
him to be the club captain; the highest
honour a club player can ever receive. You
all realise what it means, and all the hard but
exciting jobs that follow. Things such as
recruiting new players, mustering his squad,
helping coaches, managers and players all
have to be done. He should now be into the
AIL, with all that means. He should be
making more friends with players at all
levels; having great evenings with his
teammates after games. His family who has
intense interest in his rugby career and who
we have seen at the matches all over the
country since we were fortunate enough to
have Richie join St. Mary’s College RFC. In
other words representing his club in every
manner possible. Instead, in this labile state,
he has just managed to get in four games
since his inauguration and knows not when
the next one will be. Is Richie bewailing his
bad luck, no he is full of enthusiasm. He has
spent his time supporting others and
training. So far we have seen enough to
appreciate his total immersion in his role and
his club. He is a superb player and leader
exemplar, ever working, he is at almost every
breakdown, effodient, or guarding the flanks
with tormenting tackles or ready to launch
attacks with avid alacrity. He loves working
with Steve, Jamie, Mark and Modser; also
Paudge and his team. It is always a joy to
meet with Richard, for he is the epitome of a
gentleman and a healthy, happy, young man;
the perfect choice for Club Captain.
dad are at every match, and have been since
Richie joined St. Mary’s in 2016. Richie like
his dad, has a wicked sense of humour and
his mum is a brilliant photographer, making
snap decisions and catching them unaware,
to their embarrassment on occasions. Well
she specialises in wildlife photography after
all! Sister Laura is the creative genius in the
family and works in advertising.
Richie was a Blackrock College boy, a star
pupil and a rugby player; one of Smythy’s
Rock-boys. Leaving school in 2010 he did
law at Trinity where he played on a high
quality team, with other Marys’ men, David
Fanagan, Nick McCarthy, Jack Dilger and
Paddy Lavelle. You can imagine the fun, you
could almost hear David’s laugh. Having
completed his law degree he went to
For those of you who do not know Richie or
his family, a little bit about him. His mum and
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Richie Halpin