Some recent attic clearance duty unearthed a match programme of Sligo’s first ever overseas game, which was played against Old Whitgiftians on the morning of an Ireland V England game on March 6th 1976 [ which Ireland won 13-12]. The programme notes welcomed ‘’Sligo RFC from Eire’’.
The notes also included an extract from The Croydon Advertiser as to how the fixture was arranged. According to the Advertiser, the then Sligo captain, P.J. McAllister, ‘’a former Irish trialist’’, met some ‘’Old Whitgiftian enthusiasts on the ski-ing slopes of Switzerland’’. P.J. invited two of his new acquaintances to visit him in Sligo, and following ‘’a convivial evening in the Sligo Clubhouse’’, the tour was arranged. From my recollections of that extended week-end, the trip to England was also ‘’convivial’’, but in the best traditions of rugby tours, ’’what happens on tour, stays on tour’’, even 32 years later…
Sligo won the game by a fairly big margin and were not overly affected by the fact that many had started celebrating even before departure from Dublin Airport, on the Friday evening prior to the game, despite the pleading of captain, Joe Coulter that he wanted a fit and well hydrated team to take the field on Saturday morning. According to the programme, Sligo fielded as follows: [Club captain P.J. was the tour ‘leader’, but was unable to play due to injury] Tom Morrow, Tommy Begley, Brendan O’Neill, Paddy McCarron, Ollie Harte, Alan McMeekin, George Draper, Angus Boal, Tom Gilligan, Steve Cassidy, Joe Coulter [c.], Brian Mullan, Robert Rowlette, Michael Walsh, Hugh O’Connor.
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