Local stars feature in rugby book
SLIGO rugby players Cillian Gallagher, Stephen Kerins and Conan O’Donnell who are with Connacht’s Academy feature in a new book about the rise of the sport in the province.
Titled ‘ Connacht: The Team That Refused To Die’ it’s penned by John Fallon and looks at how the side has gone from strength to strength in recent years.
John said: “There has been a superb response to the book and the section on the academy strongly features the Sligo players who are in the academy.”
The publication looks at how Connacht came back from the brink of extinction not once but twice to capture the Pro12 crown in such glorious fashion last May.
The famous march by over 2,000 supporters to the IRFU headquarters helped save the club in 2003, but details of how the province’s professional team came even closer to extinction just seven years ago are outlined in the new book.
John, a journalist based in Galway, has been following the club through its ups and downs for the last 32 years.
INPHO Sports Photography provide 250 images from the club’s rise from the outset to winning their first trophy in their 131- year history when they defeated Leinster in the Pro12 final at Murrayfield in May.
John was uniquely placed when the IRFU proposed to disband Connacht in the winter of 2002- 03 as he had taken over as team manager the previous summer and served for a number of years.
He reveals the real reason why the IRFU backed off in 2003, while the extent of the threat which came six years later is also detailed for the first time, leading on to the unprecedented glory under the direction of Pat Lam.
Connacht, having never finished in the top half of the league, came with a glorious run which ended in silverware and a never - to- be- forgotten homecoming.
John added: “It’s a story which really needed to be told and with the superb work of the photographers from Inpho, we were in an unique and privileged position to chart it through the stories and images accumulated over the past three decades and more.
“It is a labour of love rather than a commercially driven project. The print run, accordingly, is limited so we are asking supporters to pre- order to ensure they will be able to get a copy.
“It is a fascinating story how this team has had to overcome so many obstacles to achieve glory and it has been great to witness it,” John said.
The book charts the history of Con- nacht in the professional era and there is also a monthly diary of the glory campaign last season.
This includes the historic trip to Siberia where Fallon and James Crombie of Inpho accompanied the team on their unplanned extended stay in Russia when their aircraft broke down in temperatures of minus 25 degrees Celsius. The book, which also includes the dates, venues and results of all Connacht’s games in the league and Europe in the professional era, has interviews and features with the players, coaches, officers, opponents, supporters and many others from the start of professionalism in 1995 right up to this month. It’s available at book. inpho. ie and in bookshops, priced at € 19.99