OF THE 12-MAN Ireland squad who claimed bronze at last July’s Rugby Europe U18 Sevens championship in Strasbourg, four came through the IQ Rugby system, six came from the rest of the country, and two were from Munster.
Both Munster players were the products of Iveragh Eagles RFC, a South Kerry club born a couple of years after its latest heroes.
The annual August weekend celebrations at the picturesque club grounds in Cahirciveen were kicked up a notch last summer when Conall Cournane and Michael O’Sullivan, teammates for most of their lives, landed in with their international medals.
Aiden McNulty, the former Ireland women’s Sevens head coach and now an elite player development officer with Munster, made a presentation to the two former Coláiste na Sceilge classmates.
“People just couldn’t believe we had Ireland players who had gone and played Sevens and brought home a bronze medal,” says Tony Cournane, father of Conall and one of the founding members of the Iveragh club in 2009.
Cournane Sr, who coached both his son and Michael O’Sullivan from minis rugby up as far as U18s, described the buzz around the club this week as “massive altogether” as the players won Senior Schools Cup medals in separate provinces.
On Monday, O’Sullivan starred at openside as Blackrock College held off Terenure College at Tallaght Stadium to seal their 72nd Leinster title. It was O’Sullivan’s second medal, having also featured during ‘Rock’s 2024 campaign after transferring to the Dublin school as a boarder in Fifth Year.
On Thursday, then, Conall Cournane was at fullback for Christian Brothers College as the Cork school came from 10-0 down to edge out cross-city rivals Presentation Brothers College at Virgin Media Park, drawing level once more with PBC in the all-time standings at 32 titles apiece.
Like O’Sullivan the year before him, Cournane had left their local Coláiste na Sceilge to further his chances at a rugby career, staying in digs in Cork for his Leaving Cert year.
Both players were among the standout performers throughout their respective competitions, with O’Sullivan’s combination of brute force and ball skills turning heads in Dublin and Cournane’s sizzling, slaloming counter-attacks lighting up fields on Leeside and in Limerick.
“There aren’t too many Senior Cup medals down here!” says Tony Cournane. “So, to get two in one week is a fair achievement. You can’t put it into words, really.”
Iveragh RFC describe themselves as ‘Small but Mighty’. Their catchment area is the Iveragh Peninsula, roughly from Caherdaniel up as far as Glenbeigh. Their teams merge with Mid Kerry outfit Killorglin from U14s onwards.
Tony Cournane recalls his son’s age group as having 10 or 12 especially talented players, their team “winning most of their battles by a considerable amount”.
Conall Cournane, Michael O’Sullivan and Jake Curran — who were also teammates for Derrynane GAA Club — were among the Killorglin-Iveragh rugby talents to catch the attention of Munster at U16 level.
When Cournane progressed to the IRFU’s National Talent squad, Munster and Ireland underage coach Brendan O’Connor and physical performance coach Cathal Murtagh would travel hours to Caherdaniel to assist him with gym sessions.
Back row O’Sullivan had already moved to Dublin to further his chances at a professional rugby career, and Munster felt that high-potential fullback Cournane had also outgrown the pen in South Kerry.
“They said, ‘Look, you can’t keep playing with Killorglin-Iveragh,’” recalls Cournane’s father, Tony. “They just wanted him playing at a higher level where he’d be challenged.”
Cournane swapped Coláiste na Sceilge for Christians and put his name in the hat for further progression through his native province’s ranks with a series of exciting displays for the eventual Munster champions.
O’Sullivan, too, has continued to line out for Munster at age-grade level while attending school in Dublin. But with few genuine contenders to challenge Josh van der Flier in Leinster’s senior ranks, the Blackrock seven might yet find himself spoiled for choice when it comes to academy offers.
Tony Cournane insists that his son and O’Sullivan — “a great, great kid” — are not outliers in having the potential to make the breakthrough from their young club in Cahirciveen.
Conall’s elder sister, Annkate Cournane, played senior interpro rugby with Munster last year, while middle sibling Ellie has also played age-grade for the province and won a Sevens interpro title in 2022.
The Cournanes’ dad laughs at the modesty of his own rugby career by comparison: Tony first started playing with the newly formed Iveragh as a 42-year-old.
“I’d great craic for a couple of years”, he says, “and then the body said, ‘Hold on, now, this isn’t working.’
“But I reckoned you couldn’t coach kids unless you’d played. You had to understand how it was to hit somebody and to get hit. That was just my mindset on it, because it was always just about the young ones coming through.”
The latest talents off the Iveragh production line are the likes of Keelin O’Shea and Eliza O’Sullivan, who pulled on their province’s Sevens jersey at U16s level in 2024.
“And there are plenty more to come as well,” says the club’s co-founder.
Ain’t looking good for the Dubs. …
Christ that’s embarrassing
Hon galway!
Dont seem to play well outside the pale.
Galway have the ability to do this to anyone on any day
Lets hope its not a one off they dont get carried away.. Like previous campaigns. Here come Galway!
Canning is class
Joe only showed up when young mannion had won them the match easy be immense when the game is won
Galway are out of sight at this stage.
Galway scoring like Tipp and tackling like Killkenny. Need to do it on a regular basis though
Starting the best centre back in the game in the forwards is nonsense, and keaney is a great ball winner is started in the backs! Madness.
Galway hurlers are a dirty bunch.
Ref is soft.
Dub hurlers are soft.
No denying a fine performance by Galway.
Third week in a row it’s been a poor performance by the ref. No advantage rule in any of the games and some of the decisions very questionable.
Sounds like sour Dub grapes to me. Tastes lovely.
If Galway had scored 4 goals less it would have been a draw. Exciting stuff.
Awful day for dubs but reality is there was just 5 score in it…just unfortunate that 4 of them were goals… Long road thru qualifiers now
Hon Caltra
Fair play to Galway . Good hard win but if Kilkenny had won that today like Galway did there would be uproar and lads calling for Brian Galvins head. Seems he only supposed to let Kilkenny away with tough performances like that. It’s hurling after all not some soft sort of game for the Olympics
Dubs never don’t up but good luck to Galway
Don’t no what Brennan and Mulcahy were looking at, I thought there was a great crowd in Tullamore this evening!