Yes it is Legends Time and this week it is Fullbacks! The prestigious number 15 shirt and there is a good selection here (1) Pat Rooney Pat is our current President and who better for this, his third year in office!. The Rooney Family have a long association with Our Club, and Pat back in his playing days was one of the most capped full-backs ever on the first fifteen. An automatic choice week in week out, Pats name was always one of the first on the team sheet at those famous Tuesday night selection meetings with 4 selectors and 4 captains which nearly always ended up way past midnight! Pat was an extremely fast player, and would join the attacking line with great gusto and speed to leave many a wandering defence bedazzled, His last line of defence was legendary and Pat put in some of the most bone crunching tackles ever seen at Milltown House. Like many players back in earlier days, Pat came from a GAA back ground where he had also represented the Dubs and brought those great handling and football skills to Ashbourne Rugby Club, and resulted in Pat also getting selected as a Leinster Junior player too. Pat shares with Paul Grimes the fantastic accolade of not only Presiding over our club for 3 years, but also being father of 2 other Legend Nominees! – Both Mark & James currently on the first team squad and both members of the Towns Cup winning team which he was President of our Club for. Pat is also another past Captain of the Club, who is now a Legend nominee.. Pat most noted for; As well as his ‘country road’ of a nose, Pat whose family’s farm our Club Grounds was built on will be remembered for many a great line breaks & Trojan tackles made, but even more so, for the dedication he has shown both on and off the pitch in our Clubs progression of playing at the highest level we can and have the best rugby facilities in Ireland. (2) Dermot Cooleavy Dermo, A member of the current 1st team and last seasons all conquering Towns cup & League wining squads, Dermo is the un-sung hero.. Dermo is the proverbial rock of the full back position now for many a years. He learned his trade at Castleknock playing on both the JCT and SCT teams before coming to Ashbourne where he is now a Legend Nominee. Dermo has an outstanding record of never missing 1 game through a 3 year consecutive period one year being that of last year’s success which is truly an amazing feat, given the intensity and toughness of so many high-profile and hard games. A solid Club man who will never let the team down. Has put in some of the most crucial last gasp tackles needed to be made to save many a would be try against us. Very secure under high ball and a great link man among the back line in attack, a perfect mix of all the attributes to be a top level Full Back. Dermo also has played in the centre field which again shows he has all the skills required. His fellow players will vouch that he is not a man of many words, however as seen / heard, is well able to sing a tune or two after a barrel of Budapest beer is on board!! Rarely seen without his right hand man Keelan, Dermo holds 2 league titles a Towns Cup medal and numerous player of the year awards, a great Player, Clubman and friend to all – ‘Dermo’ Dermot Most noted for; Not many words – Lets his Rugby do the Talking!! (3) Matt Wilson Matt ‘Willy’ Wilson, was a very attacking fullback whose incisions into the line were always fast and decisive an extremely clever player who would time his runs to perfection to open up the opposition defences. Willy, came to Ireland from New Zealand following his friend Paddy Magill’s footsteps and also from the same hometown of Scotty / Nathan / Kelly & Paul too.. it was nearly like half of Tauranga rugby was playing in Ashbourne at one stage!. Matt had a fabulous sidestep and was also a very skilled passer and fielder of high balls. His signature move of a dummy pass where the ball would actually leave his hands only to be re-caught by himself and then deftly move around his opponent won many a good try for the team. Matt, took to the Irish life like a duck to water and was part of the team who got to our first Towns Cup final in 1999. Famously Matt scored a crucial drop goal (Vs. Athy) in the Quarter final to help us advance to the Semi’s and path to the final. Like many of his fellow Kiwis, Willy captured the heart of an Irish Girl (Justine) with whom he is now married too and living with his 3 kids in Northwest Dublin. One of Willy’s most legendary moments came off the pitch whilst on tour in Scotland with the rest of the Ashbourne rugby team he stood up on the upper deck of a packed double decker bus in the heart of Edinburgh to lash out a Kiwi / Irish rendition of ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’ which was met with as much applause as there was laughter from what is usually a very shy Matt Willy Wilson! (4) Alec Smith Alec, brother of Roy, also had the benefit of having his rugby skills nurtured in Mountjoy (School, not prison!!). He has one of the unique achievements and records of playing in every position for the club, with the exception of hooker. No doubt if there were props tall enough, he would also have played there too. He is renowned for landing the match winning penalty from 40 yards (60, later that night) to win the O’ Connell Cup final, for Ashbourne, in 1979. Alec was a great fielder of the ball, with extremely good positional sense. The timing of his incursions into the line was exemplary and he set up many tries in so doing. Alec a man of “unconquerable will”, always believed that the game was there to be won, even when the chips were down. Alec like many of the other nominees has served as both first team captain and club president. He also matches that of the Grimes, Rooney & Mahon families in having a brother as a fellow Legend Nominee. Alec most membered for; As well as Alec’s renowned recognisable laughter, Alec surely will always go down as the player that won the O’Connell cup for Ashbourne with that mighty kick!
Posted on: Fri, 14 Nov 2014 11:19:09 +0000
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