Top tier campaign has been an eye-opener for Nenagh Ormond

By Thomas Conway

2025/26 has been a very different kind of season for Nenagh Ormond. They always knew Division 1A of the All-Ireland League was going to be arduous and attritional, but few anticipated that the experience would be just so physically and psychologically brutal.

And yet, in spite of all the losses and the hardship, there were signs last Saturday that, after fifteen rounds, Ormond are finally getting to grips with the play and adjusting to the pace. They might have suffered another defeat, but they gave third-placed Terenure a run for their money, a genuine scare.

Nenagh also picked up another bonus-point, their third of the campaign but the defeat mathematically confirm them for a bottom placed finish in the league, and with it automatic relegation.

However, there was a sense that pride had been restored around New Ormond Park. The crowd was buzzing, the players looked motivated and the coaching team got their tactics spot on.

Speaking in the aftermath, coach Dan Fogarty paid tribute to his players, suggesting that Nenagh had executed their game plan and successfully subdued their Dublin opponents for long periods.

“We were up against a very powerful and experienced team, but we tried to put a plan together to nullify them, and I think there was some really good rugby from our side” he said.

“That’s a testament to this squad. The lads never gave up, and they kept going to the final whistle.”

On the broader experience of playing in the top-tier of Irish club rugby, Fogarty acknowledged that the division is essentially home to elite-calibre players, and it is almost impossible to match that.

“You’re coming up against professional players every week,” he added.

“That’s not something we would have been used to over the last couple of years, but it has been a good eye-opener for us.”

However, Fogarty also noted that Nenagh have lots of high-calibre players emerging through their own underage system - many of whom were involved in the Dónal Walsh Cup final on Sunday.

The architecture of the club is now designed to promote the development of younger players, which feed into the senior system and bolster the first-team. With three games left to play, including the final home clash against UCD, Nenagh are still searching for a win. Based on last weekend’s performance, they might well find it.