It indeed was a sad weekend for Newcastle West Rugby Club, Ireland suffered a loss at the hand of the French and Newcastle West RFC suffered their own loss with the sad passing of two loyal rugby supporters,

Paddy Bouchier-Hayes and Thomas Dooley.

Paddy Bouchier-Hayes who won a Munster junior cup medal with Abbeyfeale and in his latter years represented Newcastle West as an official referee as a staunch club man and a front row forward.  One of many stories recollected of Paddy’s referee career was that of Newcastle West scoring a dubious try against close rivals Charleville.  The Charleville team mentors were furious deeming that Newcastle West player had touched the ball down at the wrong whitewashed line and this was not thee try line.  With no touch judges TMO or expert analysis available as there is now, a burly Charleville Captain confronted Paddy with an aggressive tone questioning “how can that try be allowed”.  Paddy a hardened front row forward for years and not one perturbed turned around and explained, “It was a try as Matt McCoy is now taking the conversion behind us”.

Also the club mourned the loss of Thomas Dooley, Ballyfrawley whose family were always very loyal to the running of the club and his four sons John, Tom, David and Conor all lined out for the black and white for Newcastle West RFC.

Our sincere sympathy to both the Bouchier-Hayes and Dooley families, go bhfanfaidh siad I suaimnhneas.