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February 18, 2006
RUGBY 100 YEARS OLD IN KILDARE TOWN?
During the week Dermot O'Mahony asked me about a match played between the newly formed Rugby Clubs in Kildare and Naas in 1906. After a little research I found a few articles of interest re. the match and the Kildare Town Rugby Football Club.
Leinster Leader 27/1/1906 p. 5.
District Doings.
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A team representing the newly-formed Kildare Rugby Football Club met a Carlow team at Killeshin, Carlow, on Monday. Carlow won by 2 goals (one dropped) and one try to nil.
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Buxton, the well-known Curragh jockey, played for Kildare, and played well. During the progress of the match, Fitzgibbon, one of the Carlow players, had the misfortune to break his left forearm. He was attended soon afterwards by Dr. W. O’Meara.
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Kildare Observer 27/1/1906
Rugby Football.
Kildare v. Carlow.
This match was played on Monday at Carlow, and resulted in a win for the home team. Bailey and Skinner played well for Carlow, as did Quinlain, Cosgrove and Lesmond for Kildare. Score:-Carlow 1 goal, 1 dropped goal and 1 try (12 points); Kildare, nil.
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Leinster Leader 17/2/1906 p. 5.
District Doings.
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In Kildare.
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The Phoenix Rugby Club will travel to Kildare on Sunday to play the local team. Play will commence at 2.30 at Hawk Field, Kildare.
[There is a townland named Hawkfield near Newbridge, Co. Kildare but this is probably a reference to an actual field near Hawk Hill on the Monasterevin Road, Kildare. This was the property which was loaned for GAA matches by Mr. D. Flood. This is borne out in the next report.
A report of one such football match is carried on this site from the Leinster Leader 17 August 1895 p. 8, KILDARE (SONS OF ST. BRIGID) v ATHGARVAN – Mario Corrigan]
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Leinster Leader 17/2/1906 p. 5.
District Doings.
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In Kildare.
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A very large number attended at Kildare on Sunday last to witness the Rugby match between the local team and the Phoenix (Dublin) [team? – sic]. Something in the neighbourhood of 1,000 spectators were on the field, and following a very interesting and close game, the result meant a victory for the home team by a try to nil. Mr. Hazlett was fortunate in the last few moments to secure the try. The Dublin team were very hospitably entertained at the Railway Hotel after the match, and from what we can learn their outing was all round an enjoyable one.
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The one following the other in Kildare on Sunday-G.A.A. after Rugby, and in the same field. The Rugby match being over, the Monasterevan Fizzers lined up to meet the Kildare Shamrocks, and after a hard and fast tussle, which would remind one of the old prowess of the Fizzers and Blunts, the score was 3 points each, which will mean a replay.
[Blunts were named after a local landlord – Wilfred Scawen Blunt – and if memory serves were one of the forerunners of Ellsitown GFC – original spelling and grammar maintained, indicated by [sic] - Mario Corrigan]
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Kildare Observer 24/2/1906
Rugby Football Fixture.
On Thursday next, March 1st, a team representing Naas will play Kildare on the grounds of the Naas Hockey Club at 3.30 sharp.
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Kildare Observer 3/3/1906
Rugby Football.
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Naas v. Kildare.
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Rugby football matches are few and far between nowadays in Naas, where, some fifteen years agothere was aflourishing club. We are safe in sayingthat since the time mentioned there has been, but one match, and that was about six years ago against St. Andrew’s College. Let us hope that the game will not be allowed to lie dormant for another six years—there is plenty of young material, and judging by their display they would be able to hold their own with most ordinary clubs. The game was revived on Thursday, when a team representing Naas played Kildare. Unfortunately the evening was most unsuitable, heavydrizzling rain falling throughout. There was a large number of spectators, who were not lax in encouraging any points of merit during the game. Kildare won the toss and played with a slight breeze in their favour for the first half, in which it is only fair to say that the home side had much the best, and it was very hard luck that prevented Carter from scoring. At half time the score sheet was still unmarked, and although both sides tried hard it remained so to the finish, the game ending in a scoreless draw. Kildare played two men short. The forwards on both sides played a good game, and to their lot fell the greater portion of the game on account of the soft state of the ground. Telford and Lesmonde were the best forwardsfor Kildare, while in the back division Murphy wan excellent, and H Buxton displayed as much tact with hands and head as if handling one of the Kilcumney “good things” [. – sic] In the Naasteam forward division Gibson displayed all his old prowess. Tully and Kennedy were also good. Of the backs Carter played a fine game,and none the less brilliant were Wallace, Smith, and King.
The followingwere the teams:-
Kildare—E B Gray, full; J Murphy, J Hazlett, F Bourke, and W Watson, three-quarter; H Buxton and T Bourke, halves; M. J. Egan, Lesmond, Kenny, Telford, J Cosgrove andCochrane, forwards.
Naas—B A King, full; P Cahill, B Francis, R J Smith, andJ Tracy, three—quarters;Robert Carter and TWallace, halves; T R Gibson, J J Tully, M Linnane, —Despard, E Kennedy, — Davenport, S Morrison, and J Robinson, forwards.
Dr Morrissey, Naas, refereed.
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Leinster Leader 3/3/1906
Rugby Football.
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Naas v. Kildare.
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The Kildare Rugby Football Team travelled to Naas on Thursday and played a friendly match with the newly formed Naas team. The day was a most unsuitable one for football, a thick drizzling mist falling throughout the day, with the result that the hockey grounds, where the game was played, was very much on the soft side. When the teams lined out at 4 o’clock there was a fairly good attendance of spectators present. Kildare won the toss, and in the first half played with a slight breeze in their favour. The game throughout was of a rough and tumble character, and the proceedings were only enlivened on a couple of occasions, when the spectators were treated to a good display of rushing tactics on the part of the home team. The Kildare team were a more evenly balanced lot, but they played the greater part of the game with two men short. When the whistle went at full time no score had been registered for either side.
The followingwere the teams:-
Kildare—Full, Gray; Murphy, Hazlett, F. Burke, and Watson, three-quarters; Buxton and T. Bourke, halves; Egan, Desmond, Kenny, Telford, Cosgrave andCochrane, forwards.
Naas—King, full; Cahill, McQuaid, Smith, and Tracey, three-quarters;Carter and Wallace, halves; Gibson, Tully, Linnane, Despard, Kennedy, Davenport, Morrison, and Robinson, forwards.
Dr. Morrissey, Naas, refereed.
[Kildare Observer has for the Kildare team - Lesmond or Lesmonde for Desmond and Cosgrove for Cosgrave; for Naas team, B. Francis for McQuaid and Tracy for Tracey
During the week Dermot O'Mahony asked me about a match played between the newly formed Rugby Clubs in Kildare and Naas in 1906. After a little research I found a few articles of interest re. the match and the Kildare Town Rugby Football Club.
Posted by mariocorrigan at February 18, 2006 11:36 PM