Former IRFU President new Captain at Lahinch Golf Club

FORMER IRFU President, Martin O'Sullivan is the new Captain of Lahinch Golf Club.

Martin O'Sullivan was elected Club Captain at the famed Co Clare links at the club's AGM on Good Friday.

O'Sullivan, of UL Bohemians RFC, served as the 127th President of the Irish Rugby Football Union for the 2015/2016 season.

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The keen golfer is a retired Bank of Ireland manager.

In 2019, Lahinch Golf Club hosted the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, which featured fifteen of the world’s top 50 players and concluded with a thrilling victory for Spain's Jon Rahm.

Last year, Lahinch hosted the prestigious Arnold Palmer Cup, showcasing elite university and college golfers from the USA and the Rest of the World.

The course will also stage the Women’s International Team Challenge. Next year, Lahinch host the Walker Cup, one of the most prestigious team events in the amateur game.

Sligo-born, the well known and popular O’Sullivan was first introduced to rugby through his father Tom’s involvement with Sligo RFC, although it was when the family moved to live in Limerick in 1966 that his rugby career took off.

The first milestone was as a member of the historic Munster Schools Junior Cup-winning St. Munchin’s College squad in 1970. This was followed in senior club rugby, as a back row forward, by distinguished playing and coaching careers at both Bohemians and also Dolphin, when his banking career saw him transferred to Cork.

He spent 11 seasons with Dolphin, highlighted by a season as first XV captain and a season as first team coach. He also coached the Munster Junior interprovincial team and Clanwilliam RFC and served as secretary/treasurer of the Munster Branch coaching committee for eight years.

On returning to Limerick in 1987 and rejoining Bohemians, O’Sullivan coached the first XV in 1989, 1990 and 1991 and contributed richly to the establishment of the club’s renowned Academy.

It has produced numerous Irish-capped players at various levels, including Tommy O’Donnell, Dave Kilcoyne, Dave Foley and Barry Murphy.

He was also instrumental in establishing the club’s first Women’s section. It has won 11 All-Ireland League titles and been linked with 25 internationals and five Irish captains.

Elected as the Bohemians club delegate to the Munster Branch in 2003/04, O’Sullivan served as Chairman of the Professional Team Management Committee for four seasons and on being elected to the IRFU Committee in 2005, he served on several high-powered committees.