Athenry man is paying his way for famed Cork Constitution

Talking Sport with Stephen Glennon

IT has not only been a great season of rugby for Connacht but also for one of its former Academy players who recently picked up the AIL Division 1A Player of the Year accolade.

Athenry native Conor Kindregan, who now plies his trade with Cork Constitution, was voted the All-Ireland Ulster Bank Player of the Year for Division 1A rugby and received his accolade from Irish head coach Joe Schmidt at an awards ceremony a fortnight ago.

“I was delighted. It was unbelievable to be honest with you. I wasn’t expecting anything,” says the 24-year-old, who began his rugby with Monivea and has also played with UL Bohemians and Buccaneers in his relatively short career.

“To be honest, it was kind of the way Cork Con played, and the way I got to play with Cork Con this year, it complemented me as a player. We had a good pack and everything was set-piece orientated and that was where I excelled. I enjoyed my rugby more as well.”

In addition to Cork Con being a good fit, the imposing lock forward says it was the first year where he really felt he had matured as a senior player. “This is my fifth year playing AIL but every other year I was kind of the young lad. In my first few years with UL Bohemians, I was the young guy on the team. So, it was kind of hard. There wasn’t that much responsibility on me; I just went out and played.

“However, that experience stood to me and that is the one thing about the AIL, having that experience of playing is vital because you have fellows playing for 10 years and they know how to play the league.”

No doubt, Kindregan thrived in the environment, playing an integral part in Cork Con’s run to the AIL Division 1A final – where they narrowly lost to Clontarf – and in their victorious runs to Bateman Cup and Munster Senior Cup honours.

“To win the two cups was massive. For Cork Con, winning the Bateman Cup and the Munster Senior Cup completed a four-in-a-row in each so it mightn’t seem like a big deal but I remember how big it was when I played with UL Bohs and we got to a Munster Senior Cup final in my second year, losing to Con.

“That was the first time Bohs had been to a final in 33 years and they hadn’t won one in 51 years. So, that was a massive deal to the club and it was very nice to be involved. So, for me, to win the Bateman Cup and the Munster Senior Cup was massive. It was great.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.