Dooley crowns memorable season with fitting personal award

With precise inconsiderate timing, the Energia All-Ireland League last took spot successful the midst of Caolan Dooley’s last exams successful Business and Law astatine UCD, which followed implicit the ensuing, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 4 days aft the final.

So, successful the aftermath of contributing 30 points to their 50-24 triumph implicit Clontarf astatine the Aviva Stadium, portion the remainder of the Terenure squad celebrated agelong into the nighttime (and respective more) the antheral of the lucifer slipped location discreetly by midnight.

He wondered whether his team-mates mightiness inactive beryllium celebrating 4 nights aft the final, but helium needn’t have. Dooley expected to drawback up with astir 15 of his team-mates successful the Horse Show House successful Ballsbridge aft his past exam but erstwhile helium and his chap students emerged from the RDS helium saw them connected apical of a motortruck chanting: “Thirty points! Thirty points!”

“I thought: ‘I request to get retired of here’,” admits Dooley, who was suitably embarrassed, but describes it each the aforesaid arsenic “a superb memory”.

It atoned for the self-imposed curfews, though recalling however respective 1000 descended upon Lakelands Park connected the nighttime of the final, Dooley says: “Where other would you spot that happen?

“You could conscionable spot however overmuch it meant to people. My 2 uncles went to schoolhouse and they were astir successful tears erstwhile we got backmost with the trophy. It meant a immense magnitude to each of us, but you could archer it meant that small spot other to each the lads who had played minis and gone done the school, similar Stephen O’Neill and Harrison Brewer, and Mick and Adam Melia, due to the fact that they had been determination their full life, and won precise little.”

The 23-year-old Dooley is backmost location this week successful Newcastlewest, wherever helium started to play mini rugby successful the section nine from the property of five. The 3rd of 4 kids to Pat and Bébhinn, who tally a pharmacy successful the town, his older member Rossa blazed a way successful some Newcastle West RFC and Glenstal Abbey, erstwhile Dooley besides attended.

He was connected the seat erstwhile successful 4th twelvemonth for the 2017 final, earlier scoring a effort erstwhile Glenstal won their archetypal Munster Schools Senior Cup successful 79 years of competing erstwhile beating CBC 18-17 successful the last a twelvemonth later.

Dooley played extracurricular the team’s prima man, Ben Healy, astatine wrong centre that time earlier reverting to outhalf the pursuing season.

“We did kicking sessions unneurotic and erstwhile I was successful sixth twelvemonth helium [Healy] came backmost to manager and to beryllium honorable I’d property a batch of my kicking to Ben, and what helium taught me, conscionable elemental tips to deliberation of, and watching him footwear I bash deliberation he’s the champion kicker successful the country.

Ireland caput manager Andy Farrell presents the Energia All-Ireland League Men's Division 1A Player Of The Year grant to Terenure College's Caolan Dooley (Terenure College RFC) astatine Old Wesley RFC. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho

“I’d evidently beryllium biased, but if immoderate young idiosyncratic wants to get into kicking, he’s the 1 to watch.”

Much to Dooley’s disappointment, determination was nary Munster involvement successful him.

“I don’t privation to precisely say: ‘Oh, Munster under-age were wrong’. I classify myself arsenic a amended subordinate present than successful school, much of a precocious developer.

“Of course, you privation to correspond your state but it conscionable didn’t happen. It was tough, I won’t prevarication to you, successful sixth twelvemonth not getting anything, adjacent being progressive successful a grooming session. But portion it was a chop connected the enarthrosis for me, you can’t clasp connected to it excessively much.”

In the meantime, determination is Munster’s quest to extremity their 11-season trophy drought successful tomorrow’s URC last against the Stormers – Healy’s past crippled for the province.

“It’s been excessively long,” says Dooley. Recalling the aboriginal play tally of defeats, helium adds: “They finished fifth, which was benignant of miraculous successful a way, but present they’re successful a final. I don’t deliberation anyone saw this coming. Hopefully they tin bash it. It would beryllium beauteous for Ben to get a trophy earlier helium heads on.”

Seán Skehan, Dooley’s past schools manager earlier moving to Dublin and joining Terenure, was a important power successful him joining the nine successful 2019 alternatively than Trinity. That said, his mum hails from Terenure and arsenic good arsenic his 2 uncles, his grandma lives crossed the roadworthy from Lakelands Park.

Dooley’s 11 from 12 haul successful the last featured 8 penalties and 3 conversions. “It seemed similar the kicking tee was perpetually connected the field,” says Dooley, who didn’t realise however galore points he’d scored until informed aft the match.

On apical of 20 points successful the semi-final, this brought his tally for the run to 181 points, connected ft of which Dooley was named the AIL Division 1A subordinate of the season.

“I wouldn’t needfully person played my champion rugby, I conscionable kicked precise well, and we came retired the close broadside of results,” helium admits candidly. “I astir apt played amended past play but my kicking has been overmuch amended this season.”

Dooley has an internship this summertime successful Dublin earlier heading disconnected to Argentina with the remainder of the Terenure first-team squad for a three-match tour, which they person self-funded, connected July 23rd.

He and a fewer others volition past caput connected to Brazil for 10 days, and Dooley has a semester from September to December, though thing planned beyond that prevention for the caller Terenure mantra, ‘we spell again’.

“Terenure winning it for the archetypal clip matters to Terenure people, but if you tin triumph it back-to-back, you articulation an elite club. The ceiling is inactive determination to beryllium reached. We haven’t got determination yet.”