St Mary’s College, winners in 2000 and 2012, are making a return to the Energia All-Ireland League Division 1A and are setting their sights high. For the past three seasons, the dominant four of Terenure, Cork Con, Clontarf and Lansdowne have been virtually unassailable.
However, the recruitment by St Mary’s, of Munster’s Dan Goggin in the centre and Ulster’s backrower Greg Jones, indicates a bold move ahead of their inaugural game against Clontarf at Templeville Road. The college, after a six-year absence from the premier division, triumphed in the Division 1B last season by winning 17 out of the 18 matches, securing a promotion with a few weeks in hand.
St Mary’s return to prominence is backed by their readiness to make a significant impact. Leading the division with a score of 161 was St Mary’s inside centre, Mick O’Gara, who credits the team’s success last season to the recruitment of new players and the momentum built after a preseason training camp in Valencia.
He said that ultimately everything fell into place after their return from the camp, especially in the first three matches, which, coupled with new recruits, didn’t differ much from the previous seasons. He shared that they aimed for three victories and 12 points in the initial three games, and the blessing in disguise was grabbing 15 points by defeating Buccaneers (41-25), Old Wesley (38-22), and UCC (31-25).
He admitted the joy of looking at the ranking and realising that even if they lost, they would still hold the top position as other leading teams had won two and lost one, leaving St Mary’s about six to seven points in the lead after just three games.
Under the coaching of Sean Cronin, the pattern continued throughout the entire season, even when Cronin vacated his position for Munster and was succeeded by Mark McHugh, his co-coach. McHugh formerly played for the club and was released by Lansdowne; being driven to demonstrate his abilities much like the team. O’Gara said it was a smooth transition as their bond remained strong and their discipline never waned even after Cronin’s departure.
On pondering over previous cases, even after advancing Shannon managed to stay for a season, yet got downgraded as the season concluded through playoffs, Armagh City made it too. It indicates that it’s within St Mary’s capacity to perform similarly, but their aspirations go much higher.
O’Gara says, “It’s likely that no one desires to accept that our only aim is to make it through, certainly not us. That’s not what we are after, especially when you enlist players of the calibre of Dan Goggin and Greg Jones. Merely surviving is not the aim. With a competent team already, this move implies the club’s intentions—we want to be competitive.”
The main pitch at Templeville Road, largely criticised earlier, has been redone and O’Gara highlights the recognition of the club by mentioning numerous former Irish and Lions players whose portraits adorn the club walls. Johnny Sexton, one of the former players, and a cousin to O’Gara, could likely be spotted at forthcoming home matches this season.
O’Gara, the 23-year-old says, “Sexton has been greatly influential.” Statements that one wouldn’t typically associate with comments made by an O’Gara or a Sexton about each other!
Though his busy regimen filled with travel and practice didn’t generally allow him to allocate time for private sessions all too often. However, during my mid-teens, the most critical time, Sexton guided me at the Bective Rangers clubhouse says, O’Gara. Those private sessions often turned into double sessions including Richie Murphy and Johnno. His advice was tremendously helpful, in terms of how I’d practice as well as gifting me heaps of rugby equipment over the years,” O’Gara added.
Interestingly, one odd ticket as well. O’Gara’s mother, Rachel, and Sexton’s mother, Clare, are siblings. O’Gara had the honor of sitting alongside Clare when Sexton led Ireland to victory in the remarkable St Patrick’s Day Grand Slam championship in March 2023, marking his final game for the national team at the Aviva Stadium.
For six consecutive seasons, being relegated to the second division of club rugby was a tough blow, made even worse by local adversaries Terenure’s meteoric rise in the AIL, managing to reach the finals three times, triumphing in one of them a couple of years back.
“It’s fortunate they scooped only one,” jests O’Gara, humorously emphasizing the existence of a friendly yet intense rivalry.
St Mary’s fans were in high spirits for the team’s victorious Leinster Senior Cup inaugural match against Terenure in the preseason. Rumours were swirling even before their rise to the first division was confirmed, that both pre-match meals before the duel with Terenure at Templeville Road and Lakelands Park were fully booked.
These games will likely attract a crowd from all over. Mary’s have made their much-anticipated return.