MUNSTER: LEINSTER might be out to shed the "nearly men" tag today but it seems Munster are the ones with God on their side with a special Mass for the team due to be held at the Augustinian Church in O'Connell Street in Limerick this morning at 10.15.
Three years ago a mannequin of a Munster rugby player apparently deep in prayer could be found at the back of the Augustinian church in Limerick prior to the final of the Heineken Cup. However, for today’s semi-final confidence in the province is such that a few prayers will suffice.
Fr Liam Ryan, the Augustinian priest and self-confessed rugby fanatic who organised the Mass for the Munster team in 2006, is now based in Rome. He says he will miss the special atmosphere today in the spiritual home of rugby that is Limerick.
“I hope to be able to see the match on Italian telly. It will also be on in the Irish bars in Rome. I will miss Limerick. It would be great to be there. I know the spirit of Munster will be alive and active in Limerick today.”
For the Heineken Cup final in 2006 Fr Ryan penned a special prayer for the 40,000 or so Munster supporters travelling to Cardiff for the clash against Biarritz.
The so-called Prayer of Desperation to St Jude concluded: “If you answer my prayer, I promise to limit myself to one drink if they win. Thank you for the gifts I am about to receive. Amen.”
Fr Ryan said he was quietly confident that the Heineken Cup was coming Limerick’s way once again even without special prayers.
“I hope we are not too overconfident this time around. But they have been showing great form with the Magners League. So we are confident.”
Nowhere has Munster mania taken greater hold than in Limerick, where the streets are adorned with a sea of red flags and bunting.
Limerick Fianna Fáil TD Niall Collins, who is travelling to the match, said one of Munster’s biggest strengths was the team’s ability to harness the “parish mentality”.
“It is not just a Cork city phenomenon or a Limerick city phenomenon. It goes further than that and there is a sense of a parish and a community mentality with Munster. There is great excitement and people are looking forward to going to Croke Park which is like the Holy Grail.”
Rugby fans not fortunate enough to get tickets for today’s clash can view the action at City Hall as the big screen returns to Limerick as part of Riverfest.
The organisers of the Riverfest Festival 2009 have decided to enlarge the big screen to 18sq m and move it to Merchant’s Quay from George’s Quay where it was originally to be situated.