Shannon Notes Weekending October 4th 2008

In their last outing prior to the commencement of the AIB League this Saturday, the seniors received a timely boast when they collected their first, and hopefully not last trophy when they beat Garryowen in the Charity Cup final. It was a fairly convincing scoreline of 27 points to 9, but no one will get carried away with the margin of victory. Garryowen were missing a few of their front liners, and will be a different prospect in three weeks , but you can only play the XV lined out on the day and that's certainly what the lads did.

They had control in most aspects of the game, but there are still some outstanding issues to be rectified and despite reports that we may need massive improvement to contest for the league title , there are only a few areas that need improvement.

Never before has it been as important to get off to a good start in the AIB league with the new format coming into effect next season and there's a consciousness of that fact as we travel to Blackrock for a difficult opener. Defeated at our hands twice last season, we will be aware that there may well be a sting in the tail. We wish Geoff and the lads all the very best for the campaign.

A Supporters bus is leaving Thomond Park at 9.30 and John Leahy can be contacted for booking. It’s a huge morale boost for the senior players to see and hear the support and I would urge all our supporters to make the effort to come to as many games as they possibly can throughout the season , it means a lot to the lads.

Saturday also saw the U/20's and the thirds begin their competitive season and two excellent performances saw both record victories.

The thirds had a very difficult task against last season's Webb Cup winners , Richmond and a tight affair was settled rightly at the very end when Mike Kinsella dropped a goal with the last kick of the game. It's a great start for the lads who have a highly organised set up once again this year. This Saturday they are away in the league to St Senans with a 3pm start.

The U/20's got their North Munster league campaign off to a winning start with an away win over local rivals Young Munster. It was a reasonable start for the lads and the 19-3 scoreline reflected their dominance . Prop Kevin McArdle scored a great try under the posts while Paddy O'Sullivan added 2 penalties and a drop goal. Another great drop goal by centre Dave O'Leary completed the scoring in a satisfactory outing, however there is penalty of room for improvement before the AIL starts .

They play Richmond in the Canal bank on Saturday at 3pm

The ladies are under way this weekend when they travel to Play Nenagh,

On Sunday the 2nds played Garryowen in a friendly and were comprehensive winners. This Sunday they play another challenge game against Thomond in Coonagh at 3pm.

The U/18's made it 3 wins from 3 games when they beat Old Crescent by 18 points to 6.

Conor Cunanne continued his excellent try scoring ability when he crossed the line. He was joined by Shane Mc Namara and Hugh Kelleher while Peter Coltey added a penalty to rack up the 18 points. On Sunday they entertain Galwegians in friendly at 12.15.

Other underage results saw the U/15's beat Kilfeakle by 25-20 while the U/13 Blacks were beaten narrowly be Garryowen.

Fixtures at underage this Sunday see the U/13 Blacks at home to Old Crescent and the Blues away to Young Munster. The U/15s are also at home to Old Crescent at 11am.

Saturday sees the historic Thomond Park reopening to full capacity and it should be a fantastic occasion , unfortunately it clashes with the start of the AIB league, but we've become accustomed to such occurrences over the year. We take this opportunity to congratulate the sub Committee of the Munster branch whose efforts have brought the project to such a spectacular conclusion and wish the entire stadium organisation all the very best for the future. As tenants of the famous Stadium for over 70 years we are delighted to be linked with the new arena. Our plans to redevelop our own clubhouse are still in progress with work expected to commence at the end of the current season and for the time being we can benefit from the razzmatazz associated with the Munster phenomenon. Saturday will see the clubhouse reopen 2 hours prior to the game. It's great to get back in after our hiatus due to the building works. Our secretary informs me that there are a limited number of tickets available for the opening Heineken Cup game Friday week to members, and a swift application is advised.

Finally we end on a sad note. Last week we heard about the death of Jim Coree in his home in West Sussex. It may not be a name familiar to many , but Jim was a member of our famous double Munster junior cup winning side of 38/39/40 and his death now sees only one surviving member of that great side, Stephen Fitzgerald. Jim was only 18 when he lined out in the 1939/40 side which in itself was a remarkable achievement , but along with his colleagues he went onto win three titles that season. May he rest in peace.