Tag Archives: Anthony Foley

A NEW play on Munster Rugby centres its action around the death of the late Clare rugby star Anthony Foley. Red Army, which runs for eight nights in Lime Tree Theatre towards the end of the month,  is billed as a celebration of Munster Rugby, of women as pundits and fans, and a homage to Killaloe man Foley. The play co-written by Helena Close and Marie Boylan is about community, family and the team. It is the story of dockers and doctors, and their insatiable passion for the game. Four diehard Munster women are in Paris for their beloved team’s first rugby match of the season. Years following a team in decline show the cracks in their friendship. When team manager, Foley, dies hours before kick-off, it acts as a catalyst for honesty in their friendships as we shadow them from Paris back home to a grieving Limerick. Their own personal stories unfold across a pivotal week, charting their friendships, …

A bust of the late Shannon RFC, Munster and Ireland rugby legend, Anthony Foley, was unveiled on Friday evening at Shannon RFC clubhouse, which is located in Thomond Park. Kilbaha based sculptor Seamus Connolly was commissioned to create the bust of the Killaloe man, who died suddenly in Paris on October 16, 2016. The 42 year old former back row forward was Munster Head Coach at the time of his passing. “It was an honour to be asked to commemorate Anthony. I was approached by Shannon Rugby Club. They wanted to put up a bust and of course I was very excited to do it. Also, there was a lot of pressure because Anthony was a hero for Shannon, Munster and Ireland. I tried to capture the essence of him,” Seamus Connolly told The Clare Champion. “You pick your pose and go ahead with it. After that you hope that everyone is going to be happy. The commissioners have seen …

  The death of former Munster Head Coach, Anthony Foley brought his family to “their knees and many, many others also”. That’s according to his widow, Olive who penned a heart-rendering tribute to coincide with the anniversary of his unexpected death in a Paris hotel before Munster’s Pro 12 clash with Racing Metroin October 2016. The death of the 42 year-old father-of-two sparked a global outpouring of grief as tens of thousands of people wrote to the family to share their own personal memories and express their sympathy. A few weeks after his death, the #8Masses4No8 campaign, the “Axel Foley Memorial” appeal, set up by his son, Tony, secured worldwide support exceeding the capacity of his beloved Thomond Park in Limerick. Olive stated: “It goes without saying that the past year was one that no preparation could help with.  Losing Anthony in any circumstances, not least one with no forewarning brought us as a family to our knees and many, …

A MEMORIAL campaign for the late Munster head coach, Anthony ‘Axel’ Foley, has secured global support. The Axel Foley Memorial appeal, #8masses4no8, which was set up by his son, Tony, has already secured almost 30,000 Facebook likes, 3,500 more than the capacity of Thomond Park. The Foley family have been “overwhelmed” by messages of support from Killaloe, Limerick, all over the country, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, New Zealand and even missionaries in Africa and the Far East. Support has come from young and old, many of whom are not rugby fans. Tony has highlighted one message from sixth-year students at Beneavin College in Finglas, which captures everything this campaign is about – remembering his father and others who have gone. Last Saturday, Tony joined his eight-year-old brother, Dan and Munster players in the middle of Thomond Park at the end of the match for a charged rendition of the anthem Stand Up and Fight. More than 25,000 fans remained …

A new Facebook appeal in memory of Munster and Ireland rugby legend Anthony Foley has been launched by his 11 year-old son. Last Saturday, Tony joined his brother, Dan (8) with Munster players in the middle of the pitch at full-time for a poignantly charged rendition of the Munster anthem ‘Stand Up and Fight’ in Thomond Park. It proved to be a very emotional moment, as over 25,000 in the packed stadium united to remember Munster Head coach, Anthony “Axel” Foley, who died suddenly in Paris the previous Sunday. His untimely passing has prompted an unprecedented outpouring of grief as Munster and rugby fans throughout the world struggle to come to terms with the loss of the 2006 Heineken Cup winning captain at the age of 42. Now, Tony (11) has set up a new Facebook site – Axel Foley Memorial, which is gaining huge traction on line since it was launched shortly after midday on Monday. At the time …

Details of the last conversation former Munster legend, Anthony Foley had with his wife, Olive and son, Tony were revealed during his funeral mass in St Flannan’s Church, Killaloe on Friday. Olive recalled the last time she spoke to her husband was last Saturday week, just hours before he passed away from a heart attack at the Munster team hotel in Paris. “We chatted about the lads and how they were getting on in the athletics, and how Tony was faring in the javelin.” “Tony had a chat with too. It was a lovely conversation… I didn’t know it would be our last,” she said, breaking down. During a heart-rendering tribute, she praised her “soul mate” with whom she had spent “seventeen wonderful years” of marriage. She drew laughter from the packed church of 500 several times, describing life with Anthony, affectionately known as “Axel” and their two boys Tony and Dan. Foley, who wasn’t known as a talker, would …

Anthony Foley, the family man, was the central theme of the homily at his funeral mass in St Flannan’s Church, Killaloe today (Friday). The homily, which reflected on the gentle side of a man who was a formidable presence on the rugby field, was delivered by Clarecastle parish priest, Fr Pat Malone, a long time friend of the Foley family. Fr Pat said, “My first words and thoughts today go to you Olive, to [sons Tony and Dan, [parents] Shelia and Brendan, [sisters] Rosie and Orla; and they are simple words we use at funerals when we don’t know what to say. ‘I am sorry for your trouble’. These words say it all today. Sorry to see you in such shock and pain. Sorry to hear, as you expressed it yourselves in your very moving family statement earlier in the week, that “we have been plunged deep into an incomprehensible darkness and sense of loss”. Sorry to hear that Anthony has died. “Olive, …

Gardaí will have a strict traffic plan in place for the funeral in Killaloe tomorrow (Friday) of Munster and Ireland rugby star, Anthony Foley. The funeral mass will take place at St Flannan’s Church, Killaloe at 12 noon, with burial after in Relig Nua graveyard. A one way system will be in place around Killaloe along the R463 with the junction of Killaloe Bridge, to Abbey Street Covent Hill, right onto Crossroads, Thomas Street, Chapel Street, left onto New Street and back onto the main Scariff Road – R463. To enable the free flowing of the one way system the following junctions will be closed off to traffic: ·         New Street/ Main Street junction ·         Thomas/Chapel Street junction ·         St Flannan’s Road / Main Street junction ·         St Flannan’s Road/ Covent Hill junction ·         New Street / Ogonnelloe Road junction ·         The Green / main Killaloe square will be free of all traffic for the rest of Thursday and Friday. Funeral vehicular traffic coming from the Birdhill Road/M7 direction …