Rugby tour suitcase earns place in history of sport

A battered suitcase belonging to a former Mullingar resident who made history as part of Ireland’s first-ever rugby union tour of South Africa in 1961 is to feature in a new book celebrating 100 objects which tell the story of Irish sport.

The suitcase belonged to the late Tom Cleary, a talented sportsman who captained Munster and represented Bohemians in Limerick before finally winning an Irish cap on the historic South African tour.

It has been kept by his niece, Mullingar author Ursula Kane-Cafferty, since his death in 1997 and will now feature in A History of Irish Sport in 100 Objects, written by cultural historian Siobhán Doyle and published by Irish Academic Press.

The book places sporting objects – both famous and seemingly ordinary – at the centre of Ireland’s sporting history. Cleary’s suitcase will appear alongside items including Ronnie Delany’s running shoes, a turnstile from Lansdowne Road and Rachael Blackmore’s saddle.

For Ursula, the inclusion of the suitcase is particularly poignant because it provides an opportunity to ensure her uncle’s sporting achievements are remembered.

“He’d have been totally forgotten and he’d have gone into the ether if we hadn’t realised the significance of this suitcase,” she said. “It’s a way of kind of keeping him alive and having him remembered for what he achieved in life.”

Cleary was originally from Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary, and came to live with Ursula’s family in Mullingar when she was aged around 14 or 15.

“He came for a fortnight holiday and never left,” Ursula recalled.

He subsequently spent about 30 years living in Mullingar, in Dominick Street, and became involved with Mullingar Rugby Club, where he coached young players.

“He was like a much older brother to us,” said Ursula, who grew up alongside her brother Gerard and sister Paula.

Cleary was an accomplished all-round sportsman, enjoying tennis, basketball and golf, but rugby was his great passion.

He developed his love of the game while attending Castleknock College in Dublin and later moved to Limerick to study accountancy, where he established himself as a leading rugby player.

He played for Bohemians in Limerick and won three senior medals with the club, while also captaining Munster.

He spent years on the fringes of the Irish international side and was a substitute on numerous occasions – Ursula estimates as many as 17 times. In the era before modern substitutes, being named as a replacement did not necessarily mean travelling with the team or taking part in a match.

His opportunity finally came on Ireland’s groundbreaking tour of South Africa in 1961.

The tour was the first by an Irish rugby union team to the country and included matches against provincial opposition as well as the international fixture. Cleary played in provincial matches, including one at Mossel Bay.

Ursula said the suitcase was one of the few physical reminders Cleary retained from his sporting career.

The suitcase came to the attention of author Siobhán Doyle after Ursula posted Cleary’s story on Europeana, a European-wide website which showcases stories and material from Europe’s cultural heritage.

“She approached me and asked if I would be interested, and I said I would,” said Ursula.

She subsequently checked with Cleary’s younger brother, the only surviving member of his generation of siblings, and received his blessing for the project.

The finished book is described as a photographic record of the 100 objects, accompanied by short accounts explaining their significance.

A History of Irish Sport in 100 Objects will be launched at the Red Door in Carrig on Bannow, County Wexford, on Friday September 18 at 7pm, and at the Mobhi Suite in Na Fianna GAA Club, Glasnevin, on Thursday October 1, at 7.30pm.

There is an added poignancy to the Dublin launch date: October 1 is the 29th anniversary of Tom Cleary’s death.