South Side Irish RFC
[edit] The True Begining
It was primarily the Kennelly brothers (Art, Joe and Kevin) and Gene Moriarty who started gathering the young Irishmen together during the summer of 1974 to play a game which resembled Rugby. During the summer of 1975, the skill improved and some even accused them of knowing the rules. The guys also had their first name that season. Since they didn't have jerseys, everyone was told to wear white to the game and consequently the first club name was the "MOTLEYS."
The Fall of "75" saw the club adopt the name South Side Irish Rugby Football Club and it was no wonder, with team members such as Kennelly, Moriarty, Geary, Dinneen, Murphy, McShane, McCormack, Cronin, Coffou and Bickett. There was no official schedule that season, however, they did manage to find a pitch almost every weekend, thanks to Art Kennelly and Gene Moriarty.
[edit] The Founding of Something Special
After that season of reasonable success, they were all convinced they could make a go of it. The founders set up an organizational meeting in the basement of Dick Geary's in January of 1976 to set a course of action and knock off a 1/2 barrel. Tank made the mistake of showing up with a note pad and a writing utensil. This automatically qualified him to run for President of the Club and since no one else was running, he was it. The position of match secretary was thrown in as a bonus. Earl Bickett took up a collection to pay for the 1/2 barrel of beer and consequently was elected treasurer. Gene Moriarty lead them in song that evening and therefore became the first captain.
[edit] The First Official Season
The first official seasons were pretty rough, but they did meet every commitment, even if it meant they had to bring their own beer. From the start the Irish demanded respect from their opponents, but not necessarily on the field. Their opponents know they were in for a rough afternoon, a long evening and even a rougher morning, after a match with the S.S.I.R.F.C.
The Club has progressed from these meager beginnings to a formidable powerhouse in the Chicago Area Rugby Football Union.
