Limerick’s Mulcair tug of war club flows with pride at representing Ireland

THE MULCAIR men are the talk of the tug of war world after their performance in the British and Irish Championships in Coleraine.

The small east Limerick club won the right to represent Ireland and beat the two teams from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Con Hayes, John O’Malley, John Carey, Eugene Taaffe, all Cappamore; Robert O’Brien, Dundrurm; Brian Ivors, Thurles; Daniel Gleeson, Kilteely and Dave Collins, Cork did their country proud. They narrowly missed out on bronze after being beaten by the eventual winners England in the semi-final.

Eddie O’Malley, coach, was almost bursting with pride.

“Our little Mulcair team from east Limerick with four fellows from the one parish of Cappamore to represent Ireland – it was unbelievable. Everybody was talking about this team that came from nowhere to take on the big boys,” said Eddie.

He said the English team who beat them haven’t lost an end of tug of war in five years.

“They are almost professional. All weekend they never went forward by an inch but we took them 12 and half feet  – you have to take them 15 feet to win,” said Eddie. 

There was even more good news in the U-23 competition. The Irish team, which included Jason Ryan, Rathkeale; Shane Kett, Cappamore and Brendan Gleeson, Kilteely, won gold.

“They did fantastically well, in particular Brendan Gleeson, he is an absolute world class anchor man. He is going to go places in the tug of war world. His brother, Danny Gleeson, who is on our senior team, is also U-23. Those four young lads from Limerick are going to be competing in the World Championships for Ireland in the first week of September

“They will join four lads from Dublin. It’s a very talented team and ones to watch in the future,” said Eddie.

Eddie thanked all the Mulcair Club’s sponsors, including St Ailbes Credit Union, Shannonside Galvanizing and Shreelawn Oil, so that they could compete in Northern Ireland. Mulcair club Abú!

Interestingly, five men from the one townland of Dromsally, Cappamore, have now represented their country. John Hayes in rugby and the late Michael (Curley) Cunningham in athletics have been joined the three tug of war competitors –  Con Hayes, Shane Kett, and John Carey. 

There could be six as Tom Hayes was unlucky not to pull on the green jersey like his brother. While Con’s father, the recently departed Johnnie, won an All-Ireland minor medal with Limerick and also played senior.