Freely and extravagantly subscribing to the AIB's "Supporting Clubs, Supporting Communities", Clonakilty have taken the keeping-it-in-the-family view to a uniquely select level. By necessity, it must be said. The club can now select between seven sets of brothers for their All-Ireland league Division Three matches, although even that's not the whole trut, writes Johnny Watterson.
"I think it is six sets of two brothers and one set of four brothers but I could talk here for an hour about the different relations in the club," says club PRO Roy Maguire.
Pictured are Colin and Ian Murphy, two scrumhalves in a family scrap for the same position, while Joe and Eddie Knowles are both props. Thankfully Eddie is loosehead and Joe tighthead. Eoin and Mike Murphy are also props but are generally back-up, with Eoin, who can play both sides, often on the bench.
Alfie Harte is something of an all-rounder. Two, six, seven, 10 and 13. No position is too complicated for Alfie, although, this would be his first season acting as a full-time hooker between the Knowles brothers. Brother Lenny will probably play openside flanker for this campaign.
Derek Dillon is the team captain and fullback and he can deputise at outhalf when positions need juggling, while his brother Paul is an out and out number 13.
"It is essential to us that there are strong family connections," says Maguire. "We're 30 miles from Cork City but it may as well be 300 miles. About 95 per cent of our players all came through the underage section. No one really would play for us from Cork unless they had an emotional connection, were brought up here or something like that."
The Dillons, Paul and Derek, are two of five brothers with Terry, Barry and Brian also part of the Clonakilty fabric. Father of the family and current president Kevin was the club's first captain back in 1978 while mother Maria is one of the club's driving forces and played in the first ladies team associated with the club. And did we mention the Coppinger brothers, Declan, Ray and Seán?
