A History of Rugby in Leinster

Leinster - one of the most successful and influential Irish sporting teams of all time. Established in 1879, they boast a dazzling roster of players, past and present, including Brian O’ Driscoll, Johnny Sexton, Jamie Heaslip, and current captain James Ryan. But there is so much more to rugby in Leinster, and, for the first time, this book compiles its rich history, from its foundation, through the amateur years, to the club’s many spectacular championships in the twenty-first century, when the national love for rugby kicked up a gear. Doolin ruminates on the sport’s relationships with politics and class, and of course celebrates all the breathless victories enjoyed by Leinster teams at every level. And success doesn’t stop with silverware; since the nineteenth century Leinster Rugby has been influencing the spheres of education, business and politics throughout the province and the country as a whole. Nothing reflects the complexities of politics and identity in Ireland more than rugby. A History of Rugby in Leinster is a vibrant celebration of sporting greatness and of Leinster’s enduring commitment to teamwork, integrity and community.

Dr David Doolin is currently lecturer above the bar in transdisciplinary learning at the University of Galway. David has a diverse and eclectic research and teaching record, in which he has explored the history of Irish America, Revolutionary Technologies, Sports History, Public History and Intercultural Encounters. His book, Transnational Revolutionaries: The Fenian Invasion of Canada, 1866, was published in 2016.