THE CLUBHOUSE AT Temple Hill will be rammed this evening and not just because Cork Con’s senior team will have just finished their opening game of the All-Ireland League season against City of Armagh.
That’s an important match but events from Paris will be dominating the conversation. Peter O’Mahony, the club’s most famous son, will earn his 100th Ireland cap in the World Cup clash with Scotland at Stade de France.
The timing is perfect. Cork Con’s game is being live-streamed on Irish Rugby TV, meaning a later-than-usual kick-off time of 4.45pm at Temple Hill. So the players and supporters will be nicely set up by the time O’Mahony leads Ireland out.
The clubhouse is always raucous when he’s playing for Ireland but it promises to be even bigger tonight when he makes a big lineout steal or breakdown turnover.
“It’s absolutely massive for us,” says Cork Consitution president Pat Twomey.
“Andy Farrell is a legend, Johnny Sexton is a legend, and the respect they have for Pete says it all. That’s not earned lightly.”
It all started for O’Mahony with Cork Con, where his father, John, is also a club legend.
John played for Cork Con into his 40s and that meant Peter grew up with Temple Hill as a central part of his life.
“It’s in the blood for him,” says Twomey. “Peter has been hanging around Cork Con dressing rooms since he was about three.
“John is unreal. He’s a real gent who always looks on the bright side of life.”
O’Mahony’s mother, Caroline, was a very strong rower and Twomey is in no doubt that Peter’s competitiveness comes as much from that side of the family.
It was obvious from early on that O’Mahony’s determination and skill meant he had potential and he went on to excel in schools rugby with Presentation Brothers College, Cork, helping them to win the 2007 Munster Schools Senior Cup.
It’s of great pride to Cork Con that O’Mahony then returned to the club, even as he began to rise through the Munster ranks.
He was part of a brilliant Cork Con team that won the All-Ireland League and All-Ireland Cup double in 2009/10, playing alongside the likes of Simon Zebo, Stephen Archer, and Billy Holland.
“I think the AIL helped to make Peter,” says Twomey. “He was only 19 and the AIL is a tough learning school. He didn’t give an inch, he never stepped back. It really helped him to grow.”
O’Mahony’s professional career took off from there and he was playing for Ireland within two years, as well as taking over as Munster captain full-time in 2013.
But all along, O’Mahony has stayed thoroughly connected with Cork Con.
Twomey explains how the Ireland international happily shows up at prize-giving ceremonies for the club’s young players at the end of the season.
“You see the way the minis look up to Peter, he’s their superhero. Pete has absolutely no airs and graces. He’ll sit down and give them all the time in the world, it’s just fantastic.”
It’s not just the kids of Con he helps out with. Twomey recounts how he was once giving a prospective new coach a tour of the club on a cold, dark Thursday evening when they spotted O’Mahony out on the pitch with the men’s junior team.
It turned out the Munster skipper was helping them with their lineouts before a cup final, despite being so busy himself with his professional career.
And the next generation of the O’Mahony family is now playing with Con.
John takes Peter’s son, Theo, to play with the minis on Saturday mornings. Also part of that group are Zebo and Archer’s kids. Watch this space.
Earlier this year, Con threw a celebratory lunch for the 2009/10 double-winning team before an AIL game against Shannon game.
They knew O’Mahony was on for it because he’d been part of the WhatsApp group looking forward to the event, but they were blown away by his willingness to get stuck in once again.
“He rocked up to Con with the Grand Slam trophy and the Triple Crown trophy,” says Twomey. “He stayed taking pictures with a smile on his face for two hours. Nothing was too much for him.”
So they’ll celebrate O’Mahony heartily tonight.
“Everyone is living their dreams through Pete. He’s one of our own.”
