# Terenure College RFC

Terenure College RFC is an amateur rugby union club based in the Terenure suburb of Dublin, Ireland. The institution, founded on 5 November 1940, plays in Division 1A of the All-Ireland League.

## History

Terenure College RFC was founded on 5 November 1940. With a great love for the game and concerned that past pupils were not playing rugby union after leaving school, Rev. Fr Jackie Corbett, O.Carm., chaired a meeting of rugby playing past pupils of Terenure College in the Hotel Lenehan, Harcourt Street, Dublin. Those present included Johnny Corrigan, Hugh Clarke, Joe Clarke, Sean Ryan, P.P. Maguire, Colm O' Nolan, Niall Thunder, Hugh Milroy, Dick Dunlop, Des Giltrap, Jack Hearne and Dudley Fisher. Terenure Collegians Rugby Football Club was formed. Fr. Corbett was elected first President. J.P. Clarke was elected Hon. Secretary, Johnny Corrigan as Hon. Treasurer and Hugh Milroy as Club Captain.
Terenure played their first match shortly afterwards against the Terenure College SCT at the time. The club won 8 points to 3. It took until 8 January 1959 for Terenure to be promoted to a Senior club after fourteen applications to the Leinster Branch, that after winning five Junior 1 titles and many other trophies. Two years later Mick Hipwell was selected to play for Ireland, Terenure's first Irish international. Mick played against England at Twickenham.
The years 1965-7 were successful seasons for Terenure under the captaincy of Eddie Coleman (later to be IRFU president)and Eddie Thornton respectively, as they won the Leinster Senior league twice in a row. Terenure College RFC has had many players play for Ireland including Mick Hipwell, Brendan Sherry, Paul Haycock, Ciaran Clarke, Niall Hogan, David Corkery, Girvan Dempsey, and Eric Miller. Terenure has also supplied personnel to the Irish team at other levels including Paddy 'Rala' O'Reilly as Baggage Master to the Senior Team and British and Irish Lions for three Lions tours, Colin Phillips as Baggage Master to the Irish 'A', U21 and U19 Teams and the Japanese Senior Team, Liaison Officer to the Fijian Team on their Autumn Tour '09 and Samoan Team on their Autumn Tour '10, Argentina on their Autumn Tour 2012 Baggage Master/Assistant Manager Irish U20 2011/2012 for both Six Nations and Junior World Cup in Cape Town South Africa and Martin Searson as Baggage Master to U19's.

## Present days

Leinster have benefited greatly from Terenure's 'rugby factory' with former players such as Girvan Dempsey, David Blaney, Niall Hogan, Mark Egan, James Blaney, David McAllister and Brian Blaney playing for the province.
Terenure field the most adult teams in the province of Leinster, with six adult teams fielded each week. In addition, more than 600 boys and girls play mini-rugby every Sunday morning. They have been crowned the best senior club in Ireland in the Energia All-Ireland League Awards 2023.
Terenure College has provided two Presidents of the IRFU - M. H. Carroll (1984–85) and E. Coleman (2000–01) and two president of the Leinster Branch - D. Lamont (2009–2010)
Coached by Sean Skehan, who is ably assisted by former player Conor Gildea, Terenure play in the top division of the All Ireland League, having been promoted in 2014 from Division 1B on the back of promotion the previous season from Division 2A. They finished as runner up in 2021–22, losing to Clontarf in the final. In 2022–23 the club again met Clontarf in the final, winning the match to claim their maiden All Ireland League title.

## Honours

* Leinster Senior League (6): 1983-84, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2019-20, 2022-23
* Leinster Senior Cup (6): 1965-66, 1966–67, 1993–94, 1995–96, 2021-22, 2022-23
* Metropolitan Cup (10): 1949, 1950, 1960, 1979, 1988, 1997, 1999, 2015, 2018, 2022
* All Ireland League
** Division 1A (1): 2023
** Division 1B (1): 2014
** Division 2A (2): 2006, 2013

## Notable players
### Internationals

Ireland
* Mick Hipwell, Brendan Sherry, Paul Haycock, Ciaran Clarke, Niall Hogan, David Corkery, Girvan Dempsey, Isaac Boss, John Cooney
Barbarians
* Mick Hipwell, Girvan Dempsey, Eric Miller
British and Irish Lions
* Mick Hipwell, Eric Miller

### Other

* Mark Egan