Condolences to the Family of Pat Bobbett on his passing!
It is with the greatest of sadness that I must recount the death of Pat Bobbett.
Jack Conlan writes:
Pat was an Ashbourne Rugby Club man from year dot.
He was Club President, Club Trustee, Ashbourne team selector, Leinster Juniors team selector, joint founder of the Ashbourne junior section with Tim O'Connor, referee and most famously - touch judge.
Pat invented the "sin bin" in Ashbourne for junior players long before the professional game. He also operated as the "referee's assistant", on occasion. A referee was so concerned about his exertions in this role on one occasion, that he suggested he should take an "early shower".
Pat was a passionate man, maybe deriving from the Huguenot genes and he was passionate about Ashbourne Rugby Club.
If there was a title of "Mr. Ashbourne Rugby Club", surely it belongs to Pat. He had a profound influence on the strategic decisions of the club. He epitomised the ethos of rugby and the concept of being a member of a club. Within the club, he was colorful, charismatic, convivial and democratic.
He flew the ARFC flag throughout Leinster rugby. His welcome and generosity with visitors to the club was well recognised by all.
Pat was a recruiter of players and he always kept an eye out for possible new talent at Mass, on Sunday. Rory Gleeson was such a find.
He played for Bective Rangers FC in his time and was very proud of winning a County football medal with Curragha
He also also a leader in the IFA , some years back.
In the days of one pitch in Ashbourne - generously provided by St Andrews Athletic Club, the pitch invariably became water logged and unusable.
Pat a man of land and of the land, stepped in and provided 2 pitches on his farm. I witnessed one of the greatest centres/outhalf for Ireland and the Lions- Paul Dean, play in Pat's field (The Priest's acre). The match was between Eamonn Walshe's famous thirds team and St Mary's.
One of my own fell in a drain and came out drenched from head to toe, on another occasion.
Pat's family are now an institution in Ashbourne rugby. His sons, grandsons and grand-daughter are playing or have played for Ashbourne. His grand-daughter Judy, has played for Ashbourne and Ireland and is currently a coach in the club.
We have lost a legend.
Our condolences go to Alice, John, David, Pat, Charles, Stuart, Grant and all the family.
Former Club Captain Tim O'Connor writes:
Desperately sad news. Another giant oak of the Ashbourne RFC forest down. Your tribute is superb, thank you for it.
You capture so many elements of a legendary figure and wonderful human being. As you say, Pat and I started the Schoolboy Section in 1975, just a year into the life of the Club.
To be clear, Pat was the senior man in our duo in every sense! He was a natural leader and his generosity of spirit shone through every conversation. He knew that the young lads were the future of the Club and he was as passionate on the side-lines of a school-boy match as he was with the seniors. Of course it helped also that he had a big car for the necessary ferrying to matches!
He was also very good as you say at recruiting others to the cause and his addition of wonderful colleagues like Fran Bebbington, Tom Gannon, John May and others to the Schoolboy Section was a critical part of building the foundations of the Club.
You describe his characteristics brilliantly and all I can say is that it was an absolute privilege to have spent those years alongside him, learning from him and being inspired by him. What a legacy he leaves.
Of course the biggest loss of all is to Alice and the wonderful family they reared together – the Waltons were only trotting after them. Our deepest sympathies to them all and to all the Club.
Leaba i measc na naomh go raibh ag Pat.
Funeral Mass at Ashbourne Church at 11:00, on Saturday morning.
Club members asked to meet outside the AIB to form a guard of honour for Pat!
Full details on RIP.ie
May he Rest in Peace.
Update on Upcoming Business Lunch
Speakers announced the East Meath and Fingal Networking Lunch
Great mixture of business innovation and rugby Last few tables left
International Womens Day
To all our Women’s players and many Volunteers, Committee Members, Mothers, Wives, Grandmothers, Girlfriends, Sisters & Supporters wishing you all a Special day from all Ashbourne Rugby Club
#WomenOfLeinsterRugby
Welsh Visitors!
A combined u15's Ashbourne Rugby Club and Boyne Rugby Football Club team played against Crymych RFC from Wales.
The Ashbourne and Boyne team combined well but the boys from Crymych played excellent and ran out comfortable winners.
Many Thanks for Crymych for travelling to Ashbourne and to our North east Neighbours Boyne who joined us for the game.
Need your Support on Saturday Next!
Big one this Saturday and we need all the support we can get, this weekend for both our senior teams.
The 2nds kick off the day at 1.30pm against Monkstown and Ashbourne Rugby Club are still within a chance on winning the league, assuming other results go their way. So their job is to win their game so please support them.
At 3.00pm the 1st XV also take on Monkstown, who are challenging for second place in the league, coming off a good season.
We need to win to keep our survival hopes alive and our team is giving 100% week on week. So they deserve and need your support and we need the 16th man from sidelines giving them encouragement.
That is YOU! So see you there!
This is the last HOME game with the last game away to Boyne next weekend!
Provincial Towns Cup Time of the Year
That time of year - Provincial Towns Cup
Support will be welcome in Kilkenny. Always a good game!
Ashbourne Away to Gorey on Saturday the 18th of February
Big challenge, visiting Gorey Rugby Football Club so all support is welcome.
Important game for both sides, 1st and 2nd XV's.
Table Topping Battle Between Ashbourne and Tallaght Womens Teams!
Big game for our Womens Team on Sunday and we want as much support as we can get.
So come down and support Ashbourne Womens team against table toppers @tallaght_rugby
Passing of Paul Grimes
It is with great sadness that we report the death of Paul Grimes.
Paul was a player, past President and trustee of Ashbourne Rugby Club.
He served on the first club committee in 1974 as "Recording Secretary" and was active in the wonderful progression of the club; from the very first season to his sad passing. Paul was a strategist and was critical to all the big decisions made by the club.
On the field of play he was a true competitor and a very skillful line-out jumper (no lifting in those days), with a tremendous pair of hands.
Jack Conlon remembers a cup semi-final against St Mary's in the 1977/78 season, when we were "under the cosh". The heads were down in the third quarter. It was Paul's call to arms of "c'mon boys lets win the last 20", that gave us a lift and we did indeed win the final quarter, with Paul in the van. The following season he combined being club president with being a member of the team, that won the O'Connell Cup.
Paul was a very accomplished golfer and played for Leinster Youths in his time. He was playing Junior 5 rugby for Ashbourne first team, in the early days. I enquired, one day, as to why he choose rugby at a low level rather than play golf at the top? He replied: "Because I enjoy it" .His answer was a life lesson.
Jack talks about remembering Paul working for Redpath Properties, in Mount Street , in the early days. He subsequently set up his own auctioneering business very successfully, in Ashbourne. How proud he must have felt later, to see the fruits of his labours and his legacy, being taken on and developed by his own family. The rugby legacy was also passed on.
We offer Sheila, Robert, PG, Dermot, Serena, Siobhan and all the family our sincere condolences. May Paul rest in peace.
Reposing at Michael Ryan Funeral Home, Ashbourne, on Tuesday 7th February, from 3pm to 7pm.
Funeral Mass, Ashbourne church 12 noon on Wednesday 8th, with burial at Donaghmore church graveyard.
Huber Ireland Announced as a New Ashbourne RFC Sponsor
Ashbourne Rugby Club are delighted to announce the very kind and welcomed sponsorship of the kit for all our Senior Men's squads from Huber Ireland Temperature Control are a worldwide specialist in high precision temperature control solutions with their Irish base in Ashbourne, Co. Meath.
Our senior squads benefitted from an array of high-quality rugby gear from McKeever Sports for both on and off the rugby field with our proud new sponsors company logos prominently featured.
We would like a special thank you to Jane McLoughlin, Technical Director at Huber who is a prominent member of our club for making this collaboration come through.
Photographed ; from L to R Aidan Gleeson (Club President), Jane McLoughlin (Director @ Huber), Sean Kent (Club Captain) & Donal Crotty (Club Senior Coach).
Photographer: David Duff
Both Ashbourne RFC and Huber working within our community
