St. Martin's score four of the last five points to defeat St. Mary's (Rosslare)
ST. MARTIN'S edged out St. Mary's (Rosslare) in one of the most entertaining games in a so far mundane hurling season, leaping to the top of the Group B table in the Joyces Expert Intermediate 'A' hurling championship in the process.
Both sides came into the contest in Oylegate on Sunday boasting perfect records but only one remained, after the Piercestown-based club overcame a late numerical disadvantage to go top of the table on their own.
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Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
20 years ago a group of fans got together and saved Shamrock Rovers
For James Nolan, tonight is another 'pinch yourself' moment. Shamrock Rovers are 4-0 up from the first-leg in Gibraltar and are all but guaranteed another €375,000 payment from UEFA, on top of what they have earned so far by just qualifying for Europe. Last season they earned north of €7million after their historic campaign took them to the last-32 of the Europa Conference League. It's a far cry from 20 years ago this week, when the Hoops' survival depended on the say-so of Justice Frank Clarke, and the agreement of their creditors - and when Nolan, along with almost 400 other fanatical supporters, became an accidental owner of his beloved football club. 'When you take a step back, you actually have to pinch yourself,' says Nolan, still a Shamrock Rovers director and a familiar face around Tallaght Stadium. 20 years ago, with a considerable contribution from Australian-based supporter Ray Wilson, the '400 Club', a hastily assembled bunch of supporters from all walks of life, helped raise €450,000, enough to convince Justice Clarke to wipe debts of over €3.3million. The 400 Club, which actually numbered closer to 300 at the time, these days is known as the Shamrock Rovers Members Club, and is populated by around 870 Hoops fans, all part-owners of the Premier Division leaders. 20 years ago, between contributions, fundraisers and a pop-up loan service in a hotel conference room, the 400 Club just about scraped together €225,000 to match Wilson's contribution. Nolan, and some of the other key figures at that time, have this week recalled the events of two decades ago, when the shutters almost came down on Shamrock Rovers Football Club. 'When the club went into examinership, Neil Hughes (the court appointed examiner) asked myself and Dave Carpenter to go onto the board of the football club during examinership,' Nolan recalls. 'The 400 Club's role at that time was to help fund the club through examinership, because there was a large cashflow shortfall. 'The examiner was going to source a number of investors to come in, and the 400 Club was due to get our money back at the end of the process. That was the agreement. 'However, all the potential investors, at one point I think there were nine of them, one by one they fell, and we were the last man standing, if you will. 'So it came down to ourselves and Ray Wilson essentially to take over the club.' Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . Mark Lynch is still the club's head of communications. He recalls: 'We didn't set out to own the club out of examinership, it just happened. 'So, we put in a bid and the judge accepted the package, and the rest is history.' Jonathan Roche was appointed chairman of the club he had supported all his life when the fans took over. He remembers how there were doubts that they would make it. 'At the end of examinership, I just remember Neil Hughes thinking it wasn't going to work,' says Roche. 'But we persuaded him, we managed to raise the money that convinced him we could do it.' (Left to right) Mark Lynch, Noel Byrne and Jonathan Roche (Image: INPHO/Aleksandar Djorovic) The 2005 season was in full swing at the time, so not only did the regular outgoings of a Premier Division campaign had to be paid, but money had to be found to satisfy the court that future commitments could be met. Raising the funds was a huge challenge. But throughout the 400 Club membership, there was a wide range of skillsets. Lynch recalls: 'We gathered money from all areas. We got lump sums, direct debits, cash… money from all ages, Rovers fans of all descriptions. 'We hosted an event at Wynns Hotel on Abbey Street, we had a trustee who worked in Bank of Ireland, and they set up a loan facility. 'So we had a queue of people coming in and taking out loans with Bank of Ireland at our gathering in the conference room at Wynns Hotel.' According to Nolan: 'We were to open the doors at 12 o'clock, but when we got to Wynns Hotel at half-eleven, there was already a queue. 'We couldn't get over the fact that people were willing to come in and help us that way. That story encapsulates the spirit of togetherness that we had at the time, and the sacrifices that people were willing to make.' Roche adds: 'That was the standout one for me, Wynns Hotel, and the stream of people coming in to take out a loan. 'We were lucky it was the Celtic Tiger era and Bank of Ireland were still giving out loans within the hour to people who were coming in and signing up, just normal fans.' Rovers emerged from examinership with a deal that saw them pay preferential creditors 4.25 percent of what was owed, and unsecured creditors 2.12 percent. Revenue received around €40,000 out of almost €1.5million owed. But had Rovers gone out of existence, Roche argues, the money pumped into state coffers by their efforts and successes at home and in Europe would never have arrived. Nor would the memories created in the 20 years since. Shamrock Rovers fans before the Europa Conference League game against Molde in February (Image: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo) One fundraiser at the time was a 'Brick in the Wall' idea, which saw fans pay to have their name engraved on a brick that would be laid at Tallaght Stadium. At the time, the ground was just an ugly pile of concrete flanked by an overgrown field. Now, it's a stunning 10,000-seater arena. 'We actually just delivered on that recently,' says Nolan. 'The amount of people who have come to us since that Brick in the Wall display has gone in, especially in relation to people who have passed away… I've been to funerals where it has been mentioned in the church, how great it is that they still have that connection and how much that brick means to them. 'When you are in the thick of it, sometimes you don't appreciate these things. 'Being able to deliver something like that, it just means so much to so many people, and sometimes you don't realise it. 'People will always have a connection to people, friends and relatives, who have passed on through Shamrock Rovers.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Irish Independent
Taghmon-Camross pip Adamstown in tight local derby
TAGHMON-CAMROSS staved off a late surge from Adamstown to make it two wins from three in this Group B clash in the Joyces Expert Intermediate 'A' hurling championship in O'Kennedy Park on Saturday. Alan Cowman's side led by four as the game ticked into injury time, but frees from Seánie O'Neill and Thomas French plus an effort from play by substitute Harry Cosgrove left it at the minimum.
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Irish Independent
St. Martin's score four of the last five points to defeat St. Mary's (Rosslare)
St. Martin's 1-21 St Mary's (Rosslare) 1-18 ST. MARTIN'S edged out St. Mary's (Rosslare) in one of the most entertaining games in a so far mundane hurling season, leaping to the top of the Group B table in the Joyces Expert Intermediate 'A' hurling championship in the process. Both sides came into the contest in Oylegate on Sunday boasting perfect records but only one remained, after the Piercestown-based club overcame a late numerical disadvantage to go top of the table on their own.
