Senior status for first time since 1931

ENNISCORTHY’S WIN in Connemara on Saturday ensured that they would be joining the Senior ranks next season, and they will ply their trade in the AIL Division 2C.

Next season their opponents will be the likes of Skerries, City of Derry, Omagh, Tullamore, Malahide, Midleton and Bruff. The downside to promotion is that there will be no local derbies with Gorey, Kilkenny and Wicklow.

It is not, however, the first time that the club played in the Senior ranks. At an E.G.M. on January 17, 1927 the club applied to the Leinster Branch of the I.R.F.U. for admittance to Senior, and entry for the Senior Cup, and the motion was carried by 17 votes to eight.

After a succession of meetings, the club did play in the Senior Cup. Dr. Harte, C.J. Lett, Rev. A.K Kyle, Dr. P.D. Murphy, R.S. Ringwood and P.A. Bolger were the driving forces at the time.

They club performed admirably for the next four years but in October, 1931, they were in trouble and at the A.G.M. the President, P.A. Bolger, doubted if the club could continue against a background of retirements, emigration and other factors.

As a result they had insufficient numbers to continue and it was agreed that a club delegation would meet Wexford Wanderers with a proposal to form a County Wexford club. After a succession of meetings, the amalgamation didn’t take place and Enniscorthy’s Senior status was gone, leading to a return to the Junior ranks.

They quickly recovered to win the Provincial Towns Cup in 1934 and then there was a gap of 29 years before the next cup was won.

The club will be hoping that the second coming of Senior status will be more successful.

‘This is the finest team that the club has ever produced and of course it is satisfying that they are all local and came through the under-age ranks,’ club Chairman Paul McCrea said.

‘There is a link to the last time the club was Senior when Killian Lett’s grand-uncle was involved. I am particularly delighted for Declan O’Brien for his excellent work for the past number of years since we first played in Division 1 in 2006.

‘Declan is a Shamrocks man and a proud Enniscorthy native, and his decision to bring in Kieran Hurrell was a masterstroke because we now have one of the best back lines in the country.

‘We are a community club and it will be a challenge for all involved, but the players have done the hard work on the field and it is now up to the rest of the club to rise to the challenge and I know we will,’ he added.

‘The club is built on volunteerism and will continue to be as we have a lot of unsung heroes, particularly our director of rugby John ‘Spud’ Murphy. All of those people are the heartbeat of the club.

‘I have to give a special mention to this year’s captain, Tom Ryan. Tom has played all his life with the club and it is a fantastic honour for a young man who grew up a stone’s throw from the club.’