In every club, there are a very select and rare type of people that personify the most honest virtues of their chosen sport. Always humble, dedicated and committed without reservation to the club and its history. Invariably and without question, their fondest memories and their finest hours will have been experienced wearing the colours and the crest of their beloved club. As such, John Maher’s contribution to Roscrea RFC has been nothing less than incredible. His family are the sporting equivalent of club royalty and faithful servants to the club for generations. Now starting into his 3rd year as Roscrea RFC senior team head coach, John coaches in exactly the same way as he played, with honesty, relentless dedication and an unbreakable commitment to the players around him. On Friday 11th after the senior teams scheduled training session in streamstown, John was awarded a lifetime achievement award by the outgoing Roscrea RFC President Brendan Hyland as his final official action in the position. This special tribute was in recognition of his extraordinary contribution to the club as a player and more recently as a coach. With the same dignity and modesty that has always characterised him he accepted the award while surrounded by this players, as such he wouldn’t have it any other way, once a leader, always a leader! Then as if to legitimise the very purpose of the award, after the formalities had ended he went back to planning for the upcoming midlands league fixture.
After the previous weeks impressive victory over neighbours Birr RFC in the midlands league, the Roscrea RFC senior team welcomed the Midland warriors to Streamstown for a 3pm kick off in their 2nd game of the season. While still waiting for a few of last years squad to return to training, John Maher took the opportunity to experiment with some new tactics while giving some of the younger players game time to test their resolve. He wasn’t to be disappointed with his youthful side, with young lock Ben Spencer and no 7 Eoghan kelly putting in an impressive shift for the second game in succession, Jake Lawlor carried on his form from last year with an imperious display scoring his second try for the club, while Mark Dunne had a super game at scrum half. After an absorbing game where the midland warriors fought to the end, Roscrea finished with 5 tries and a score of 33 – 0. Scores came from Out half Rody Ryan, Jake Lawlor, Sam Quelly, Malachy Maher and Mikey Treacy who was in his customary wrecking ball form. After the game Roscrea RFC Captain Ger Stone thanked their opponents on the day and wished them well for the season.
2 Kieran Stone
3 Mikey Treacy
4 Ben Spencer
5 John Carter
6 Ger Stone
7 Eoghan Kelly
8 Sheamus Treacy
9 Mark Dunne
10 Rody Ryan
11 Stephen Carter
12 Jake Lawlor
13 Sam Queely
14 Tom McCarthy
15 Brendan Toohey