Pioneers lifted by historic journey

John O'Sullivan on how Gorey Community School will join the elite of the Leinster Senior Cup for the first time on Wednesday

Operating  on a shoestring in terms of personnel, in a school whose proud hurling and football traditions draw, moth-like, the young boys seeking to emulate teams of the past decade, is a pretty intimidating backdrop for any fledgling sport.

On Wednesday afternoon, though, the senior rugby cup team of Gorey Community School will make history when they take the field at Dr Hickey Park, Greystones, against St Paul's, Raheny, the first occasion the Wexford school have reached the bright lights of the Leinster Schools' Senior Cup.

Alterations to the competition this season meant the tournament was divided into three stages, Section A for the weakest schools, Section C for the middle tier combatants, and finally the elite institutions of Section B.

Gorey have been competing in Section A of the tournament for the past five years but this season, with the changes made to the format, the four semi-finalists in that grade joined the middle-tier schools in Section C.

Even making the semi-final, where they lost to Skerries, was a considerable achievement when one considers whom they beat in the previous round.

Back in the 1980s DLS Churchtown won two senior cups in three years, the last school outside of the province's elite six to do so: they were Gorey's victims over a two-game tussle.

Declan O'Toole, a native of Glenbeigh in Kerry who had never played rugby until he entered the University of Limerick, has guided Gorey's Senior Cup team alongside IRFU youth development officer Martin Fenlon and head gamesmaster Noel Murphy for the past three years.

It has been a steep learning experience.

Fenlon's technical expertise has been a God-send. When Gorey were drawn to face Churchtown, O'Toole sensed the unease amongst the players, the lack of belief. They weren't used to playing Dublin schools let alone beating them.

Gorey's pre-cup rugby is centred on a South East League.

"You could tell that they were daunted by the thought of playing Churchtown and in the drawn game there was evidence of that," O'Toole recalls.

"However in the replay they suddenly realised they could compete on a level footing and once they recognised this, they had the belief to go on and win the game. It was a great moment for the players and the school."

Unfortunately for the Wexford team, the game against Skerries in the semi-final a few days later was the fourth in eight days for most of the players as they had also played an important match for the local club, Gorey, in the interim.

That link between school and club is mutually beneficial. Gorey, while training in the confines of the school, play all their home matches at the rugby club.

The latter would celebrate the windfall of talent that arrives to the gates first at underage level before filtering through to the first team.

Gorey Community School is just 10 years old but the mixed educational establishment can already lay claim to being the biggest school in the country, with 1,400 pupils. Even in that short space of time the school has excelled on the Gaelic fields and on a yearly basis have provided four, five or six players for the Wexford minor hurlers.

Gaelic games and rugby are not the only sports provided for, as soccer, basketball and sundry others are also played.

There is a niche there for rugby as O'Toole explains: "We have about 50 first years now playing and the same number in second year."

The scope for selection at senior level is far less accommodating. "We have a panel of about 22 to 23 players (the minimum required for a competitive match is 22) so any injuries obviously present a huge problem."

Apart from a supply of balls and basic equipment the IRFU provide the school have to meet all other expenses, save for a small cheque from Coca Cola issued at the start of the competition.

O'Toole acknowledges the support of headmaster Nicholas Sweetman, the former Clongowes and Bective Rangers forward, who tries to get along to as many matches as possible. Unlike most of their Dublin brethern, Gorey Community School will not decamp to Dr Hickey Park en masse - probably just as well given their numbers - but instead take about 50 supporters outside the panel to the game.

O'Toole is hoping that parents and a few interested souls from the town might swell their numbers.

"It is a historic day for the school and definitely our cup final. We will treat the panel to a meal afterwards and try and make it a day to remember for the players."

There is no pressure yet but at the same time a huge desire to give a good account of themselves. Naturally the players will be nervous but the hope is they can settle and enjoy the occasion. St Paul's will field a young team peppered with some fine prospects, notably captain and centre Conor Keegan. who trained with Leinster this season.

They will produce a level of rugby, even by their modest standards, that Gorey won't have encountered. For 70 minutes though Gorey can dream the dream and for O'Toole, Fenlon and Murphy the occasion is an endorsement of what they are trying to achieve in this particular Wexford community.

For those who wear the Gorey colours on Wednesday, there is the knowledge they will have broken a mould and will be viewed as pioneers when the decades roll by and the school establishes itself in the Leinster rugby fraternity.

Those who want to experience a little bit of history could do worse than take a trip to Greystones in two days' time.