Hamilton Park, Strandhill, Sligo, Ireland – Founded 1890
Sligo 24 :: Castlebar 14
On a chilly but bright day Sligo arrived in numbers for their fixture at Castlebar. The hosts had recently beaten one of the leading teams in the league, and Sligo were geared up for action. The panel was a bit light on experienced Forwards but the conditions looked to favour the Backs, as the ground, though damp, was firm beneath the foot.
Keep lovely and snug while supporting Sligo this winter with this lovely top quality Fleece lined Hat and Scarf set. Both the hat and scarf feature the club crest (embroidered). One size fits all.
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Sligo 24 :: Connemara 0
Sligo u16 got their league aspirations back on track on Sunday last beating Connemara by 24 to nil with 4 tries from Sligo No 8 Aaron Spring. Sligo had a full panel to choose from with the exception of Sean Conlon (injured) and started the match strongly from the kick off. Sligo were soon camped in the Connemara 22 and from the first scrum Spring picked and broke down the blind side and brushed pass the covering tackles to score in the corner. Sligo missed the difficult conversion.
In this game, played in Hamilton Park on Saturday last, Sligo’s U14 rugby team was once again victorious in the North Connacht League. On this occasion the visitors to the club were the U14 boys from Ballinrobe RFC.
Sligo 43 :: Monivea 3
It was an impressive first league outing for Sligo u18s on Sunday last at Hamilton Park Strandhill. The scoreline of 45 points to 3 against Monivea was just reward for a Sligo team who played some very creative rugby throughout. There were seven trys scored in all, six scored by a back line which was supplied with near perfect ball from a dominating Sligo pack. Continue reading ‘U18’s are BACK!!!’
The Sligo 2nd’s game with Loughrea, fixed for Hamilton Park on Sunday last was called off, as the Loughrea intimated on Friday that they were not in a position to travel. Although Sligo are entitled to the league points, the team manageement have requested that the game should be re-fixed for early in the New Year.
All arrangement have been finalised for the club’s Christmas party which will be held in the Glasshouse Hotel on Thursday at 8 pm. Fancy dress is optional, and a great night’s celebration and revelry is guaranteed. Well done to the organising sub-committee of Billy Leahy [Chair.], Clare Storey, Niall Draper, Therese Cosgrove and senior Vice-President, Conor Frazer, for all their preparatory work.
The popularity of the club’s widely acclaimed website was further evidenced this week, when club President, Tom Gilligan received a letter from a former Sligo stalwart, who has been following Sligo RFC’s fortunes on the world wide web.
The writer was Jack Regan, who departed Sligo in 1952, and now resides in Ontario, Canada. The letter nostalgically recalls the challenges presented during his period of involvement with the club [1949-1952]. At that time, he reports, the club had no income or assets and relied on ‘benevolent farmers’ for a pitch for home games. To prove that sporting ecumenism was alive and well in Sligo, he said that they borrowed the goalposts from the ‘local GAA’, and in an era when the positions of Grounds Chairman and Sponsorship Chairman were figments of somone’s imagination, he said the players marked the field and paid all their own expenses.
Jack was the team’s hooker then, and also served as the club’s Hon. Secretary. Among the committee at that time were Cmdt. Bill Barrett, C. O. Irish Army, who was club President, the aforementioned Jack, a student accountant, was Hon. Secretary, John Sheridan, Albie Donnolly, and Tom Torsney.
The team included the the last named quartet, Con Sheehan, Higgins [a wing forward] and scrum-half, Harry Johnston, who happily still resides in Sligo. Jack has the distinction of designing the original club insignia, which features a Sligo hare rampant on a rugby ball, and his design was inspired by the Springboks jersey of that period. In 1949, the club, after some years of inactivity, was reconstituted by Jack and his friends, and the acorn sown then has become the mighty oak of to-day, where the game of rugby now enjoys unprecedented popularity in our region.
The annual Christmas Draw will take place at the club’s Christmas party in the Glasshouse Hotel on Thursday at 10 pm. The Event Organiser, Joe Burgess, assisted by his wife, Mary, has as usual done a fantastic job in organising the event, and in assembling such an impressive and valuable array of prizes. All sellers are requested to return all cards and remittances to Joe by Thursday at 7 pm. He may be contacted at 071-9177150. Sellers are urged to make every effort to have their allocation sold by this dead-line.
The 34th consecutive annual St. Stephen’s day fixture between the City XV and the County XV will take place in Hamilton Park on Wednesday next, December 26th. [kick-off 2.30 p.m.] This game traditionally attracts the biggest crowd of the season to Hamilton Park, and it provides the ideal opportunity for Sligo born players, who play elsewhere, to play again on home soil. It is also an occasion for visitors to Sligo for the festive season to renew old friendships and acquaintances. The City side will be led this year by Joe Sweeney, while Gavin Foley will captain the County side. The referee for the game is Damien Eames [Carrick-on-Shannon RFC].
The President, on behalf of all club members,extends best wishes for every success in the future to senior squad member, Ralph Lucey, who recently opened his property letting and management business.
The President, Tom Gilligan wishes all Committee and Sub-Committee members, Trustees, Players, Coaches, Club members, Sponsors, Advertisers, and all Friends of Sligo Rugby a very Happy Christmas, and health and happiness in the New Year. He also extends Christmas and New Year’s greetings to former Sligo players who no longer reside in Sligo, and he extends fraternal seasonal greetings to everyone involved in the playing and promotion of sport in Co. Sligo.
Club Sponsors, Raftery & Co., Chartered Accountants, have compiled a guide to the 2008 budget and been kind enough to make it available to club members free of charge. The Guide to the 2008 Budget can be downloaded from here.
Grand Slam winning Ireland u20 and Connacht Stars Andrew Browne and Aidan Wynne with Sligo RFC President Tom Gilligan at the Heineken Junior Cup draw at the Glasshouse Hotel recently.
There was a very large attendance at the draw for the 2008 Heineken Connacht Junior Cup which took place in the Glasshouse Hotel on Monday evening last. This is the first occasion that the draw was held in Sligo. Local interest featured on Sligo’s opponents in the competition. The host club escaped being drawn in the preliminary round, and were pitted against Tuam [away] in the first round on Sunday January 26th. If they are successful in this game they will could face current league leaders, Monivea, in Hamilton Park on February 9th. The winners of this tie will have a home semi-final, while the final will be held in the Galway Sportsgrounds in April. Continue reading ‘Large Attendance At Heineken Connacht Cup Draw’
