Coláiste Iognaid Rís heroes of 1975 honoured at special event in City Hall

The heroic exploits of a school team 50 years ago and its recent return to sports successes were recalled at a special event in City Hall recently.

Coláiste Iognaid Rís won a remarkable Munster Colleges Dr Harty Cup and Corn Uí Mhuirí double in 1975 and celebrated the jubilee with Lord Mayor Fergal Dennehy, himself a past pupil of the school.

St Francis College Rochestown have come close on a couple of occasions to completing the double in the same season most recently a decade ago, but they lost both finals in 2015.

Players and teachers from Coláiste Iognaid Rís joined modern-day teachers and students of the renamed Coláiste Éamann Rís at a reception to mark the event as well as the launch of a new golf classic that will be held annually.

“The exploits of these players and managers inspired the following generation of students in Deerpark and now Éamann Rís and the fact that the school has reached a Munster senior football semi-final this year is fitting,” Lord Mayor Dennehy said at the event.

“But for the input of the teachers, I would not be Cork’s first citizen and it’s a huge privilege to celebrate with our heroes.” 

The team captains in 1975, Terry Howard and Theo Cullinane, presented the Lord Mayor with a tie-pin replica of the Munster Colleges medal, which all members of the team and backroom group also received.

Organiser Mick Finn, a past pupil and former Lord Mayor, felt it was great for the city to recall and honour an achievement that has not been done since by a Cork school. 

“It was great to see everyone in such good form 50 years on and in particular the great Billy Morgan, the greatest football manager Cork has ever seen.” Finn stated. 

An inaugural Coláiste Éamann Rís fundraising golf classic was also launched by the Lord Mayor, taking place in Blarney Golf Club on Friday, May 8th next year.