A Rugby Story or Two …
We learnt recently (thank you, Chris Forde) about the rugby playing exploits of the grandson, and grand-nephew of one of our most distinguished players, and one of our most distinguished administrators. Sam Wisniewski is a member of the Ireland Under-20 rugby squad. Sam plays his rugby with Old Belvedere. Sam is the grandson of Davy Nolan one of Mullingar Shamrocks greatest players in the late 1950s and 1960s. Davy was a key member of all the Mullingar Shamrocks title winning teams playing at wingback winning Junior championship medals in 1962 and senior medals in 1964 and 1966. He was also an outstanding hurler and was a key member of the Pearse’s senior title winning team of 1962. Davy was also a dual inter-county player who represented Westmeath at all levels on numerous occasions.
Davy’s brother Seán devoted his administrative talents to the club serving in several positions including Chairman (1975-77), Secretary (1978) and PRO. Seán was also a lover of the Irish language and never passed on an opportunity to promote the language or use it in conversation. Seán was Station Master at Mullingar Railway Station where a very visible notice informed customers that if they wished to converse in Irish or conduct their business through the medium, then Seán Nolan was available to facilitate them.
Sam Wisniewski has played in all Ireland’s Six Nations Under-20 Internationals this season and is on the panel for tonight’s Under-20 international v Italy (RTE 2 at 7.45).
And then, there is the other Sam, as in Prendergast and his brother Cian if you haven’t been paying attention over the past twelve months or so. Their dad Mark lined out for Mullingar Shamrocks at under-age level and ispictured second from left in the front row of the attached picture between Kieran Hynes and Ritchie McKenna.
The GAA connection is even stronger on the maternal side of the Prendergast family as their mom Elaine is a sister of Garvan Ware who played Gaelic football for Carlow for several years before ending his career with Kildare and who represented Ireland in the Compromise Rules internationals against Australia in the 1970s. Garvan Ware was a member of the Eire Óg club, one of the greatest club sides not to have won an All-Ireland club title who included Mullingar Shamrocks in their list of defeated clubs in the Leinster championship. The Ware family is one of the most distinguished of Waterford’s GAA families – Garvan’s uncle captained Waterford to their first All-Ireland title in 1948 – the oldest MacCarthy Cup winning captain and Charlie Ware, another member of the family, won an All-Ireland medal with Waterford in 1959.
