The Cork Constitution was a well read daily newspaper in the last decade of the 1800’s. It did not publish on Sundays, thus allowing the staff to be free on Saturday afternoons. Members of staff formed a cricket club, but cricket is a summer pursuit and obviously prompted by the enjoyment derived from their summer… Continue reading The Founding Fathers
The new century dawned and Constitution travelled to Dublin for the first time on January 23rd 1900 to play Old Wesley where Constitution won by 8 points to 6. The final of the Cork Junior Cup brought Constitution into opposition once more against Queen’s College on March 10th. This was the fifth successive year Constitution… Continue reading Horizons Expand
By now most of the men who had fashioned such glory for the club in the first decade of the century had retired. Apart from the Cup win in 1910 they did not have any further Cup success, as University College Cork and Garryowen dominated. However, Charity Cup and Munster Senior League successes continued. The… Continue reading War Calls A Halt
By now there were many changes to the social and sporting order after the trauma of the wars in Europe and at home. The new independent government of Ireland was in place and the old establishment structures were being dismantled. On the club scene a number of notable clubs did not survive; Cork County and… Continue reading The Twenties
The Thirties was a fairly barren period for the club with just a single success in each of the main competitions. The team reached the Munster Senior Cup final in 1932 under the captaincy of P.J.Delaney, but lost to Garryowen 0-9 at the Market’s Field. Peculiarly, Constitution were again nominated to play in the Bateman… Continue reading The Thirties – Changing Times
Unlike the 1914-18 period, rugby continued to be played throughout the war years 1939-45. There was however a curtailment of activity due to fuel shortages, etc. The club’s Golden Jubilee was celebrated in 1941-42 when J.Watson was President. Many of the men who had founded the club were on hand to celebrate the occasion on… Continue reading Munster Junior Cup Success At Last
When the club was put on notice by University College Cork that their long-time lease on the Mardyke would not be renewed, the members went about seeking a new home for the club. The site at Temple Hill was chosen and the land purchased. Two pitches were laid out and a small clubhouse built. The… Continue reading A New Home At Temple Hill
Constitution had by now settled very well into the Temple Hill grounds. The club had added an extended hall and bar to the existing dressing rooms and two playing pitches. The facility had become a popular venue with social events adding much needed revenue to the club coffers, and George O’Connell and Ned Fitzgerald became… Continue reading The Greatest Decade
Munster Senior League success continued in the Seventies, although competition from Garryowen, Dolphin, UCC and latterly Shannon, brought an end to the unbeaten run of nine consecutive titles. Jerry Murray captained the 1972 team to another ‘grand slam’ of Cup, League and Charity Cup culminating in a record 30-6 Cup final victory over Garryowen at… Continue reading All Blacks Defeated
A new dressing room complex was added in the1980-82 period at Temple Hill, while the roadway was re-aligned and a new boundary wall and entrance ramp built. The Munster Junior Cup was won in emphatic style in 1982. Finian O’Driscoll captained the team that beat Shannon 43-7 at Thomond Park after a gruelling replayed semi… Continue reading Triple Crowns & Munster Cups
