Celebrating 50 years of Gorey Rugby
Special guests will pay Gorey Rugby Club a visit soon as they begin their 50th anniversary celebrations for this coming season.
To mark this momentous achievement, the club will be holding a very special black tie dinner dance on Saturday, May 19, in the Ashdown Park Hotel, from 7 p.m., and in attendance will be President of the Irish Rugby Football Union Phillip Orr, Leinster President Niall Wren and Leinster Vice-President Robert Deacon.
The Gorey Rugby Club sub-committee have also spent the last four months putting together a history book of the club which will be launched on the night of the dinner dance, and will be available to buy for €20 from Gorey Rugby Club, French’s Bar and Sullivan Lettings.
Committee member Jim French said the 140-page book is filled with pictures, history and memorabilia. They have printed 300 copies.
The first Rugby Club meeting was held on May 1, 1968, in Redmond’s Hotel, now the Loch Garman Arms, which was organised by Eric Deacon. This was soon followed by their very first match on August 31, in 1968.
Today’s Club Chairman Brian Willoughby said their first opponents in 1968 were Suttions from North Dublin who were on tour in Wexford.
‘As part of our 50th anniversary, we are going to play them again on August 31,’ added Brian.
By the end of 1974, the club had their very own small club house and bar, and Gorey was one of the first to have a club house in Wexford.
A big year in the club was in 1985 when they won the Junior 2 town’s cup final.
‘The Junior 2 team have made it to the towns cup final this year which will take place this weekend on Sunday, May 6,’ said Brian. ‘They have not won it in 33-years.’
In 2012, Gorey Rugby Club got their first ever senior ladies team up and running with approximately 20 ladies taking part. Brian said the development and success of the women’s team is now seeing the rewards from the youth section, with a number of players feeding into the senior side.
Jim French said in 1989 Gorey Town Commissioners and Argyll and Bute District Council in Scotland started a twinning process with Oban, Scotland. The Gorey Club stayed in contact for more than 10 years with Oban Lorne Rugby Club.
‘In 2013 Oban Lorne Rugby Club celebrated their 50th anniversary and invited a few of us over,’ said Jim. ‘Now, the president of the club Sandy Rokittas is coming to our dinner dance.’
Tickets for the black tie event are €50 and are available to purchase from Trysh Sullivan on 0872485379 or Denise Walsh on 0861090640. The book will also be available to buy on the night.