GOOD news travels fast. Even though Jack Phelan wasn’t a teacher at Sacred Heart Secondary School for the 2023/24 year, he still heard about the Clonakilty school's incredible rugby exploits.
It’s almost 12 months since Sacred Heart completed a remarkable double of Munster Schools’ senior and junior cup titles on a wonderful Wednesday in March 2024.
This was a dream double that grabbed the headlines as it was only the second year of rugby in the Clonakilty school and they triumphed in the province’s top schools’ competitions.
Now they are about to begin their title defences, with the Sacred Heart senior team taking on Coláiste Muire Ennis in a Pinergy Girls Schools U19 Munster Senior Cup semi-final next Tuesday, 25th, at Virgin Media Park – this is a rematch of last year’s final that the West Cork school won 20-10 at the same venue.
For Clonmel man Jack Phelan, a self-confessed rugby fan, landing a job in Sacred Heart was the perfect match.
‘I am loving it here,’ he says.
‘I would have heard about Sacred Heart’s success last year, how quickly they made an impact in the competition given this will just be the school’s third year. It’s incredible how fast rugby has grown in the school, and huge credit has to go to Clonakilty Rugby Club.
‘The club has been fantastic to us, from supplying kits, facilities and even coaching. They have been phenomenal, and in reality it’s the club that has done all the work here because they’ve had these players since they were kids and now the school is feeling the benefits of all that.’
It helps that Phelan plays rugby too, starting off back home in Clonmel, then with UCC’s second and third squads and he has now linked up with Clonakilty’s J2s so he can appreciate that strong link between the club and Sacred Heart. It was evident again when Clonakilty RFC won the Munster Clubs Girls League U18.5 final against Ballincollig earlier this month, as well as winning the U14 league final – the club and school teams overlap considerably. ‘That was a good confidence-booster, and it translates into the school teams as well,’ says Phelan who has been impressed by Sacred Heart’s work ethic and approach.
‘There are no airs and graces about this team,’ he says.
‘They are very humble. Just because the school won last year they know it doesn’t mean they will win again this year. They know it will take a lot of hard work but this group has the work ethic and have the talent to make an impact
‘There is a confidence there off the back of what was achieved last year, but they also know that you have to work hard, and they will.’
Sacred Heart's Kate Nolan lifts the trophy after the school's 2024 Munster Schools Girls Senior Cup final win.
Captain Kate Burton, a fifth-year student, was involved in the Sacred Heart side that won the senior cup in 2024, and that experience will help when the Clon school meets Coláiste Muire.
‘It’s a rematch of last year’s final and we know that they are a very strong team with an impressive set-up. For us it’s about focusing on ourselves. The girls have been training and playing matches with the club week-in and week-out,’ Phelan explains.
‘We have a lot of the players who were involved last season so they know what it takes and what’s great to see too is the fantastic friendships there, they all play for each other.’
Sacred Heart put girls’ schools’ rugby on the map in 2024 and they want to do likewise this year. Exciting times again in the corridors of the Clonakilty school.
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Sacred Heart’s junior team will play St Mary’s Secondary School, Mallow in the Pinergy Girls Schools U16 Munster Junior Cup on Tuesday, 25th, in Ballincollig.
