Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Conall Cournane of Christian Brothers College, Cork (L) and Michael O'Sullivan of Blackrock College, Dublin. Freesmall yet mighty Pride for Kerry rugby club as local talents win Senior Schools medals with CBC and Blackrock Iveragh RFC’s Conall Cournane and Michael O’Sullivan starred in the Munster and Leinster schools competitions respectively. 8.31am, 22 Mar 2025 Share options Gavan Casey OF THE 12-MAN Ireland squad who claimed bronze at last July’s Rugby Europe U18 Sevens championship in Strasbourg, four came through the IQ Rugby system, six came from the rest of the country, and two were from Munster. Both Munster players were the products of Iveragh Eagles RFC, a South Kerry club born a couple of years after its latest heroes. The annual August weekend celebrations at the picturesque club grounds in Cahirciveen were kicked up a notch last summer when Conall Cournane and Michael O’Sullivan, teammates for most of their lives, landed in with their international medals. Aiden McNulty, the former Ireland women’s Sevens head coach and now an elite player development officer with Munster, made a presentation to the two former Coláiste na Sceilge classmates. “People just couldn’t believe we had Ireland players who had gone and played Sevens and brought home a bronze medal,” says Tony Cournane, father of Conall and one of the founding members of the Iveragh club in 2009. Conall Cournane and Michael O'Sullivan after Ireland's bronze at the Rugby Europe U18 Sevens Championship in France last July.Coláiste na Sceilge Coláiste na Sceilge Cournane Sr, who coached both his son and Michael O’Sullivan from minis rugby up as far as U18s, described the buzz around the club this week as “massive altogether” as the players won Senior Schools Cup medals in separate provinces. On Monday, O’Sullivan starred at openside as Blackrock College held off Terenure College at Tallaght Stadium to seal their 72nd Leinster title. It was O’Sullivan’s second medal, having also featured during ‘Rock’s 2024 campaign after transferring to the Dublin school as a boarder in Fifth Year. On Thursday, then, Conall Cournane was at fullback for Christian Brothers College as the Cork school came from 10-0 down to edge out cross-city rivals Presentation Brothers College at Virgin Media Park, drawing level once more with PBC in the all-time standings at 32 titles apiece. Like O’Sullivan the year before him, Cournane had left their local Coláiste na Sceilge to further his chances at a rugby career, staying in digs in Cork for his Leaving Cert year. Advertisement Both players were among the standout performers throughout their respective competitions, with O’Sullivan’s combination of brute force and ball skills turning heads in Dublin and Cournane’s sizzling, slaloming counter-attacks lighting up fields on Leeside and in Limerick. “There aren’t too many Senior Cup medals down here!” says Tony Cournane. “So, to get two in one week is a fair achievement. You can’t put it into words, really.” Michael O'Sullivan consoling Terenure's Geoff O'Sullivan after full-time in Monday's Leinster Schools Senior Cup final.James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO Conall Cournane fending off a Castletroy tackler during Christians' Round 1 victory.James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO Iveragh RFC describe themselves as ‘Small but Mighty’. Their catchment area is the Iveragh Peninsula, roughly from Caherdaniel up as far as Glenbeigh. Their teams merge with Mid Kerry outfit Killorglin from U14s onwards. Tony Cournane recalls his son’s age group as having 10 or 12 especially talented players, their team “winning most of their battles by a considerable amount”. Conall Cournane, Michael O’Sullivan and Jake Curran — who were also teammates for Derrynane GAA Club — were among the Killorglin-Iveragh rugby talents to catch the attention of Munster at U16 level. When Cournane progressed to the IRFU’s National Talent squad, Munster and Ireland underage coach Brendan O’Connor and physical performance coach Cathal Murtagh would travel hours to Caherdaniel to assist him with gym sessions. Back row O’Sullivan had already moved to Dublin to further his chances at a professional rugby career, and Munster felt that high-potential fullback Cournane had also outgrown the pen in South Kerry. “They said, ‘Look, you can’t keep playing with Killorglin-Iveragh,’” recalls Cournane’s father, Tony. “They just wanted him playing at a higher level where he’d be challenged.” Cournane and O'Sullivan in Munster U16 colours during the 2022/23 season. Cournane swapped Coláiste na Sceilge for Christians and put his name in the hat for further progression through his native province’s ranks with a series of exciting displays for the eventual Munster champions. O’Sullivan, too, has continued to line out for Munster at age-grade level while attending school in Dublin. But with few genuine contenders to challenge Josh van der Flier in Leinster’s senior ranks, the Blackrock seven might yet find himself spoiled for choice when it comes to academy offers. Tony Cournane insists that his son and O’Sullivan — “a great, great kid” — are not outliers in having the potential to make the breakthrough from their young club in Cahirciveen. Conall’s elder sister, Annkate Cournane, played senior interpro rugby with Munster last year, while middle sibling Ellie has also played age-grade for the province and won a Sevens interpro title in 2022. The Cournane family with Annakate after Munster's Round 2 victory over Leinster in last year's Interprovincial Championship.Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO The Cournanes’ dad laughs at the modesty of his own rugby career by comparison: Tony first started playing with the newly formed Iveragh as a 42-year-old. “I’d great craic for a couple of years”, he says, “and then the body said, ‘Hold on, now, this isn’t working.’ “But I reckoned you couldn’t coach kids unless you’d played. You had to understand how it was to hit somebody and to get hit. That was just my mindset on it, because it was always just about the young ones coming through.” The latest talents off the Iveragh production line are the likes of Keelin O’Shea and Eliza O’Sullivan, who pulled on their province’s Sevens jersey at U16s level in 2024. “And there are plenty more to come as well,” says the club’s co-founder. Gavan Casey View 7 comments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Pride for Kerry rugby club as local talents win Senior Schools medals with CBC and Blackrock”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Pride for Kerry rugby club as local talents win Senior Schools medals with CBC and Blackrock”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. 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