“In the beginning” A Celebration of One Hundred Years of Dolphin R.F.C. 2002 - 2003 Compiled, and written by Ger Hodkinson. Layout by Kieran Dwyer. “In the beginning” A Celebration of One Hundred Years of Dolphin R.F.C. 2002 - 2003 © 2002 Dolphin Rugby Football Club 1st Edition Printed in Cork, Ireland by Watermans Printers Acknowledgments With the Centenary season fast approaching I was approached by Paddy Clery, Club President 2001/2002, to work on the club history. “Sure you have a lot of it done already”, referring to a few paragraphs I had done for the Club Newsletter. What a “hospital pass” it turned out to be. Where do you start on such a project, the club records were destroyed in a fire many years ago. Jerry Healy started on the Club History a few years ago, with the aid of our oldest member Sidney Mahony. He put together the short history which was contained in club programmes and membership cards over the past few years. Sidney has been very helpful; he can remember the mid 1920’s as if it were only yesterday. In recognition of this, the title of this book is the same - “In the beginning”. A Club is only as strong, interesting and colourful as it’s members. During my research I found many fascinating stories about “The People of Dolphin”. What I hope is that I have been able to capture these stories and do the many characters justice. This book could not be written without the assistance of many people, but where does one start. Over the past 15 years an annual programme has been published. There was a lot of information in these programmes and I would like to express my thanks to all the contributors. Since I could not get a lot of historical match information though Dolphin, I wish to express my gratitude to the authors of the various club histories of Cork Constitution, Young Munster, Cobh and UCC. I would also like to thank Hugh Farrelly of the Irish Examiner for providing old match reports and photographs and Stan Fuller for his information on the referees. I must not forget Butch Coleman, Hugh Mullins, Rossa Williams, Dave McCormack, Michael O’Halloran, Pearse O’Leary, Ronnie Moore, George Carpenter, Milo Lynch, Maureen O’Mahony, J.V.O’Callaghan, John O’Flynn, Ann Giltinan, and Gerald Aherne for the photographs and newspaper clippings they provided. Also, Des Daly for information on the AIB League and Olan Allen & Frank Byford for information on Munster players and competitions. I would like to especially thank J.B.Murphy, Frank Dorgan, Ann Reidy and Fergus O’Donoghue for their articles. Sidney Mahony and Ger Hodkinson check the archives John Waterman of Waterman’s Printers and Kieran Dwyer have been very helpful with suggestions regarding lay out etc of the book and Sean McCarthy of the Evening Echo saved me some embarrassment when he gave it the once over, editing the project. I must also mention Val Murphy & Michael O’Riordan for their assistance. I wish to express my thanks to my wife Siobhan, for her understanding for all the time that was spent in compiling the book and to my young sons James and Eoin who used to wait patiently for me to stop to allow them a chance to play on the computer. Finally, I would like to pay tribute to the many fine people associated with the club over the past 100 years in particular those who gave their all on the pitch - those who went out to ‘die for Dolphin”. I would sincerely like to apologise to anyone whose achievements have been overlooked. Ger Hodkinson President’s Message It gives me great pleasure to congratulate Ger Hodkinson on writing and producing the 100-year history of Dolphin Rugby Club. The amount of time and hard work devoted to this onerous task gives some idea of his achievement. It is a case of “Cometh the hour, Cometh the man”. We are all extremely grateful to him and to his wife and children for their patience. To our “founding fathers”, the members of Dolphin Swimming Club, and all Past Presidents and Officers of the Rugby Club who worked tirelessly down through the years, we owe an enormous debt of gratitude. The Club can look back on the last 100 years with pride and satisfaction and hope that the younger members will continue and strengthen this tradition. Dolphin can be justifiably proud of the many players who represented the Club on Provincial and International teams and to those who administered the game at all levels. I would like to convey sincere thanks to our Centenary Committee who have done Trojan work in organising celebratory functions and fundraising events. Also our grateful thanks to our Ladies Committee who have catered for over 40 years and were the envy of many visiting clubs. I take this opportunity of expressing appreciation for the support and assistance given to the Club by the Munster Branch and Irish Rugby Football Union. I must also thank the generous sponsorship of the Thomas Crosbie Holdings Ltd./Examiner Newspaper Group who sponsored this publication. In this professional era it is important to remember that rugby is a sport. Through sport, lasting friendships are made. Hopefully this will also be so as we reflect on the words of W.B.Yates “Think where a man’s glory most begins and ends, and say we had such friends”. Finally I wish our Coaches, Players and especially the Youth Section, a very enjoyable and successful season. Gerald F Reidy A Monumental Milestone To a varying degree, anniversaries are always important events but significantly, in the lives of people, institutions and more specifically in the life of a rugby club, a one hundredth anniversary is a monumental milestone indeed. On such an occasion, we are reminded of all members past and present who have been responsible for the success and well- being of a club and whose concerted efforts and dedication have made it all possible. This is the case with Dolphin Rugby Football Club who will celebrate one hundred years as a club in this season of 2002 — 2003. In the course of the celebrations, I am sure that many references will justly be made on many occasions to that important trio made up of Louis Daly, Harry Golden and Fred Thomas who, in 1902 as members of the Dolphin Swimming Club, formed a Rugby Club the main objective of which was to keep the swimmers together and active during the winter months. Little could they have known then of the importance in rugby terms of what they had started nor of the impact that Dolphin Rugby Football Club would make over the ensuing one hundred years on Munster and Irish Rugby. As President of the Irish Rugby Football Union, I wish to pay tribute to your club for the contribution that your members have made to Irish Rugby down though the years; both on and off the field. You have produced players of immense stature; many of whom were legends in their own life- time as some of whom still are. Names of men such as Jim Mc Carthy, Mick Lane, Paddy Lawlor, Bertie O’Hanion, John O’Meara and Gerald Reidy trip lightly off men’s tongues and through those names, one is reminded of other glory days of Irish Rugby as though the names of Phil O’Callaghan, Michael Kiernan, Terry Kingston and Gus Aheme, we are reminded of further glory days in the more recent past. In mentioning some names of your members both former and current, I should mention my good friend Dick Roche whose contribution to the game was also considerable, especially in the West of Ireland. Dolphin Rugby Football Club has not only produced players of the calibre such as those whom I have already mentioned, but it has also produced administrators par excellence; three of whom went on to become presidents of the Irish Rugby Football Union: C.J. Hanrahan (1954 - 1955), I.F. Mahony (1973 — 1974), and Gerald Reidy (1983 — 1984). During Gerald’s term of office, the East Stand in Lansdowne Road was officially opened and brought into use. It is indicative of the loyalty and dedication of Dolphin REC members that Gerald Reidy, after his record as player and administrator, made himself available to become President of Dolphin RFC in this your Centenary Year. He is a most fitting person to fulfil that role in this auspicious year in your proud and illustrious history! I wish to extend my heartiest congratulations to Dolphin Rugby Football Club on reaching this major milestone and may your season be one of great celebration and success. With every best wish for the next one hundred years, Don Crowley, President Irish Rugby Football Union Contents Chapter 1 “In the beginning” Page 13 Chapter 2 The Twenties - First Senior Cup Victory Page 20 Chapter 3 The Thirties- Senior Cup,must be Garryowen again Page 30 Chapter 4 An Alicadoo looks back- Frank Dorgan Page 40 Chapter 5 The Forties- A Clean Sweep Page 44 Chapter 6 The Club I love so well- J.B.Murphy Page 60 Chapter 7 The Fifties - Four more Internationals Page 64 Chapter 8 The Sixties - Who is that Local Lad Page 75 Chapter 9 The Seventies - Jubilee Year 1976/77 Page 82 Chapter 10 The Eighties -Semi Final Woes Page 95 Chapter 11 The Nineties - Division One Page 109 Chapter 12 The Promised land Page 117 Chapter 13 The Minors Page 124 Chapter 14 The Youth Section Page 127 Chapter 15 The U/20’s- Feargus O’Donoghue Page 133 Chapter 16 The Men in the Middle Page 137 Chapter 17 Dolphin Ladies- Anne Reidy Page 139 Chapter 18 Tours & Touring Page 141 Appendix 1 Club Internationals Page 151 Appendix 2 Oversea’s Tourists Page 153 Appendix 3 Munster Representatives Page 156 Appendix 4 Branch Presidents & Irish Selectors Page 158 Appendix 5 Competition Victories Page 159 Appendix 6 Player’s of the Year Page 161 Appendix 7 Past Presidents & Captains Page 163 Appendix 8 AIL Results Page 166 Appendix 9 Dolphin Once Again Page 169 Dolphin Rugby Football Club - Centenary Book 13 CHAPTER 1 “In the beginning” It all began in 1902, when, at the close of the summer season, three young sporting members of the Dolphin Swimming Club, Messrs Louis F Daly, Harry Golden and Fred Thomas formed a Rugby Club as a means of keeping their swimmers together during the long winter months.