The chance to make Irish rugby history beckoned the following day, Sunday March 20th, at least in the schoolboy game, when De La Salle Churchtown faced Castleknock College in the 1983 Leinster Schools Senior Cup. Revolution was in the air – and it felt that way even going along as an 11-year-old, in fifth class of the primary school, some of us having never thrown a rugby ball before in our lives .
Castleknock were favourites and for good reason, coming through the rough side of the draw ; De La Salle, winning only four of their 20 pre-season matches, scraped past Roscrea in their semi-final, 3-0. At one point De La Salle might have feared their final was almost over: Castleknock went 6-3 up early in the second half, that second penalty kick from Karl Rowe quite clearly going under the posts , only for the match referee to whistle for the score.
Castleknock never surrendered, David Walsh writing in The Irish Press: “Castleknock tried to fight back, but without total conviction, and when Salle got their second try, five minutes from time, it was deserved.” We were in First Year then, the memories that bit more vivid, this one an incredibly hard contest. Scrumhalf David O’Connor dropped a goal with his left foot, wing Aidan Fitzgerald kicked a penalty, before Glennon scored the only try of the game.
Can't believe it was 40 years ago but then I realised I am 55. I was a Pres Bray boy and we came up against De La Salle in the SCT semi-final and we forced a replay which we lost. Went to the final in the old Lansdowne Road to watch them beat Blackrock.