30 September 2003: Naas Rugby Football Club’s annual Business Luncheon took place on Friday in Killashee House Hotel with many famous faces from rugby and business attending. Pictured above on the day were John Mullan, Naas RFC; Neville Matthews, Managing Director of Subaru, sponsors of the Annual Business Luncheon; and the President of Naas Rugby Club, Pat Brophy.
Master of Ceremonies was Michael Duignan and guest speakers were Senator Fergal Quinn and ‘Mr Memory’ himself sports commentator Jimmy Magee who has been broadcasting on sport for 47 years!
Pat Brophy welcomed the guests which also included Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy TD; the Mayor of Naas Town Council, Cllr Pat O’Reilly, and Eadestown Parish Priest Fr Sean Breen.
On behalf of the club he congratulated Senator Quinn on Superquinn’s successful 25 years in Naas. He also thanked the Senator for providing the club with one of its most prominent members, Brendan Lynch, who with Bobby Sheehan, worked for Superquinn in its early days. Both played successfully for Naas on the first team to win a Leinster trophy, the Dunne Cup in 1979.
Brendan subsequently took up refereeing and is now President of the Leinster Association of Referees, a great honour for himself and for the club.
Mr Brophy paid tribute to Naas Town Council who he said ‘are appreciative of what we are about as a community-based club and continue to support financially the development of our facilities’.
He welcomed Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy TD (pictured above right with his wife Noeleen, and (left) Mayor of Naas Cllr Pat O'Reilly and Jim Cox). He also singled out Noel Merrick, principal of Naas CBS Secondary School saying one of the most significant events to happen to rugby in Naas in recent years was the introduction of rugby to the CBS school. Last year, the school entered a team in the Leinster School’s Junior cup for their very first venture on the rugby pitch, winning Section A, reaching the final of Section B and the 2nd round of Section C, an achievement unprecedented in schools rugby.
Pat Brophy also congratulated all the coaches under Pat O’Brien, the Youth Development Officer Conor McGuinness, the parents and the school teachers.
He described MC Michael Duignan (above left) as ‘a man of many talents, an exceptional hurler, a good rugby player, a golfing bandit, and TV pundit’.
“He is probably the only person that has won an All-Ireland medal, a Leinster medal for hurling and a Town’s Cup medal and a Leinster Division 1 medal for rugby ... all within 12 months!” Mr Brophy said.
He thanked Michael (better known as Digger to his friends) for his contribution to Naas Rugby Club during his years in Naas.
He also welcomed club coach Kevin West and club captain Damien Ward and wished them every success during the coming season.
Also present were Irish rugby internationals Ray McLoughlin and Naas’ Geordan Murphy - the latter capped 20 times for Ireland. Mr Brophy said Geordan’s injury, picked up in Ireland’s match against Scotland at Murrayfield, ‘is not only a personal disaster for himself but greatly diminishes Ireland’s prospects in the World Cup’. Geordan is pictured above (second from right) with his parents retired Colonel George Murphy and his wife Cecily and brother Ross, a past captain of Naas RFC).
He wished Geordan a speedy and uncomplicated recovery and hoped that his ‘sparkling career may continue for many seasons to come’.
Other great rugby past captains present on the day included Dr Karl Mullen, J. Kelly, Jim Glennon, Moss Keane and Jack Kyle.
Pat Brophy welcomed the support of the luncheon sponsors, Subaru, and its MD Neville Matthews. Other sponsors included RFL Steel, Goffs, Naas Millennium Park, Kilbelin Construction, McCoy Motors, and Brady Hams.
He encouraged rugby supporters to visit Forenaughts on match days to support all Naas RFC’s teams, both adult and underage.
Finally, he thanked the organising committee of John Mullan, Colm Molloy, Bill Igoe, Gerry McGrath, Art McCoy, Kevin Green under the chairmanship of Frank O’Connor.
