From The Archives: De La Salle Palmerston Celebrate 25th
Twenty five years ago this week, the now familiar colours of De La Salle Palmerston FC were worn for the first time against a star studded Wolfhounds team that featured the likes of Des Fitzgerald and Brendan Mullin in their ranks.
Twenty five years ago this week two clubs came together. The merger of Palmerston FC, founded in 1899, and De La Salle RFC, founded in 1965, was a first for rugby clubs in Ireland.
The first match played in the new club colours was an invitational game against the Wolfhounds. As the picture above shows there were some famous faces in the Wolfhounds line up that day.
Ireland prop Des Fitzgerald, father of current Leinster and Ireland star Luke Fitzgerald, was joined in the front row by Tom Clancy and Harry Harbison, while current ERC Chief Executive Derek McGrath was in the back row with Noel Mannion.
Ireland out-half Paul Dean was joined in the half backs by England’s Steve Smith, while Brendan Mullin also featured for the illustrious Wolfhounds.
A fitting way to mark their first game in the new club colours.
De La Salle Palmerston RFC
15 K Tobin; 14 P Vaughan; 13 M Mann; 12 A O’Connor; 11 B Noble; 10 C Dunn; 9 B O Connor;
1 P Mc Cabe (Capt); 2 A N other; 3 B Kennelly; 4 T Leggett; 5 F Keane; 6 P Nugent; 7 R Kevany (RIP); 8 M Kennedy
Subs:
F Ennis; N Kelly; C Crolwey; E Masterson; D Nolan; D Bergin; P Townsend
Wolfhounds
J. Barry (Cork Constitution); J. Carlton (Orrell/England); J. Sexton (Dublin University/Ireland); B. Mullin (Dublin University/Ireland); P. Kurarangi (NIFC); P. Dean (St. Mary’s College/Ireland), S. Smith (Sale/England), T. Clancy (Lansdowne/Ireland), H. Harbison (Bective/Ireland), D. Fitzgerald (Lansdowne/Ireland), N. Redman (Bath/England), N. Ridgeway (Wanderers), D. McGrath (Old Belvedere/Ireland), P. Kenny (Wanderers/Ireland), N. Mannion (Corinthians/Ireland)
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