Bank of Ireland Munster Senior Challenge Cup Final

Garryowen’s Niall Horan celebrates after
winning the Bateman Cup
having got the better of
the rugged challenge of
Galwegians the previous day
stood toe to toe with their
more vaunted opponents,
who boosted seven
internationals in their ranks
and gained a meritorious
and highly deserving victory
by two tries, courtesy of
Joe McNeice and Mick
O’Flaherty to a penalty goal.
The contest was rated as
one of the best to have been
played in the competition,
Mr. Godfrey Bateman the
donor of the cup, who was
himself a Munster man born
in Co. Kerry, in presenting
the trophy, warmly
congratulated both teams.
He continued by saying that
as this was the first occasion
that the cup had gone South,
and the fact that the winners
were now the undisputed
champions of Irish Rugby,
would do an immense
amount of good for the game
in the province.
The victory was celebrated
in Limerick the following
day. As the train drew into
the station fog signals
exploded and thousands of
people who congregated on
the streets outside and on
the platform gave vent to
their jubilation in frequent
rounds of cheering. The
team were congratulated by
the mayor (Mr.J.G.O’Brien)
on their achievement in
bringing the trophy South
for the first time since it was
presented for competition.
The team was subsequently
entertained to dinner at
the Glentworth Hotel. The
successful XV was – Murty
King, Mick O’Flaherty,
Martin Cosgrove, Paddy
Deegan, Joe McNeice, Joe
O’Dea, Michael ‘Danaher’
Sheehan, Charlie St.George,
Frank Garvey, Fonnie Neilan
(captain), Henry Raleigh,
Tom Hickey. John Joe
Connery, Jerry Killeen,
James ‘Ter’ Casey. The
referee was W. Harland
(Ulster Branch).
Eight years later University
College Cork produced an
outstanding team, a hattrick
of senior cups, senior
league champions, and
charity cup wins culminated
in a Bateman Cup success in
1936. Five of the team were
to represent Ireland, while
many others wore the red
of Munster. The defeat of
Clontarf in the semi-final was
something of a staggering
surprise. There may have
been an overwhelming
confidence in their ranks
that influenced them to rest
their star player scrum half
George Morgan, and, if so,
they paid a galling price in
their defeat at the hands of
University College Galway
by the narrowest of margins
following extra time.
The other semi-final proved
to be a hectic struggle
between the students
of Cork and Belfast, the
exchanges were fought
out with relentless vigour –
14 WWW.MUNSTERRUGBY.IE