Connemara RFC
Encyclopedia
Connemara RFC is an Irish
rugby
team based in Clifden, Connacht
. They play in Division 2B of the All-Ireland League
. The club colour is black, based on the colours of the New Zealand national rugby team. They are also the only rugby club in Ireland to perform a 'Haka' at the start of each game.
area around the 1920s, with the men working at the Marconi Station taking on a Clifden team in friendly matches. Back in the 1940s, schools with students from the area included Blackrock
, Castleknock
and Clongowes
. The club came about as a result of the rugby players among them wanting to continue playing in the school holidays. Their first match, against Galway Corinthians
on St Stephen's Day in 1946, ended in a 6-6 draw.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team based in Clifden, Connacht
Connacht
Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...
. They play in Division 2B of the All-Ireland League
AIB League
The Ulster Bank All-Ireland League is the national league system for the 48 senior rugby union clubs in Ireland, covering both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is not, however, the highest level of rugby union in Ireland, as teams representing the four provinces of Ireland play...
. The club colour is black, based on the colours of the New Zealand national rugby team. They are also the only rugby club in Ireland to perform a 'Haka' at the start of each game.
History
Rugby was first played in the ConnemaraConnemara
Connemara is a district in the west of Ireland consisting of a broad peninsula between Killary Harbour and Kilkieran Bay in the west of County Galway.-Overview:...
area around the 1920s, with the men working at the Marconi Station taking on a Clifden team in friendly matches. Back in the 1940s, schools with students from the area included Blackrock
Blackrock College
Blackrock College is a Catholic voluntary secondary school for boys aged 14–18, located in Williamstown, Blackrock, County Dublin, Ireland. The College was founded by French missionaries in 1860, to act as a school and civil service training centre. Set in of grounds, it has an illustrious...
, Castleknock
Castleknock College
Castleknock College is a private , secondary school for boys aged between 13 and 18, which is situated in the residential suburb of Castleknock, 8 km west of the city centre in Dublin, Ireland.-History:...
and Clongowes
Clongowes Wood College
Clongowes Wood College is a voluntary secondary boarding school for boys, located near Clane in County Kildare, Ireland. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1814, it is one of Ireland's oldest Catholic schools, and featured prominently in James Joyce's semi-autobiographical novel A Portrait of the...
. The club came about as a result of the rugby players among them wanting to continue playing in the school holidays. Their first match, against Galway Corinthians
Galway Corinthians RFC
Galway Corinthians Rugby Football Club is a rugby club in Galway, Ireland. The club was founded in 1932 and plays in the Second division of the Irish domestic club competition the Allied Irish Banks All Ireland League . The Club's home ground is at Corinthian Park, Cloonacauneen, Co...
on St Stephen's Day in 1946, ended in a 6-6 draw.