Bank of Ireland J1A League Final

Scroll to see more

Creggs RFC VS

Dunmore RFC

Dexcom Stadium

15.03.26 - 17:00

On behalf of Connacht Rugby, it is my great pleasure to welcome you all to this afternoon’s Bank of Ireland Connacht J1A, J1B and J1C League Finals.

Matches between all of these clubs are rarely just about the result; they are about pride, tradition, and the deep-rooted community ties that make Connacht Rugby so special.

I would like to extend our sincere gratitude to our title sponsors, Bank of Ireland, for their unwavering support of the game at every level in Connacht. Their commitment ensures that the pathways from minis right through to adult rugby remains strong.

A final like this doesn’t happen without the tireless work of volunteers. To the committees, coaches, and ground staff of both clubs, and to our own Connacht Rugby staff, thank you for your dedication to the sport.

Finally, to the players: enjoy every moment. Finals are rare and hard-earned. Play with the spirit and integrity that defines our game.

To all the families joining us today, and to every supporter in the stands, thank you for your continued passion. Let’s get behind the teams and enjoy a fantastic day of rugby.

Robert Lahiff

President, Connacht Rugby

Match Preview

This Sunday, 15th December sees the Bank of Ireland J1A, J1B and J1C League Finals in Dexcom Stadium. The Bank of Ireland J1C League Final will take place at 12:00 PM followed by the Bank of Ireland J1B League Final at 2:30 PM and finally the Bank of Ireland J1A League Final at 5:00 PM.

Some might say it's déjà vu, but Creggs RFC will once again be playing Dunmore RFC in an Adult Men's Final. Looking back on last year's Bank of Ireland Junior Cup Final in Ballina, the two sides put on a brilliant showing of rugby with Creggs eventually coming out victorious with their first Junior Cup win in years.

This year, the two sides once again faced off back in November in round 5 of the JlA League campaign where Dunmore came out with a 16-10 win after an incredibly close match. They will both be looking to capitalise on the opportunity to once again see each other on the pitch in the Final in Dexcom Stadium.

Both sides ended up in top 4 of the league table seeing them into Semi-Finals. In the league, Creggs' only losses were against Ballina RFC, Dunmore and a close loss against Buccaneers 2nds. They got to have another crack against Ballina in their away Semi-Final - no easy task. However, Creggs stunned the home side and showed brilliant resilience to seal their place in the Final with just a 1-point victory.

Dunmore, meanwhile, fell short in their two league losses with a 1-point loss to Tuam RFC and a loss in round 7 to top of the table, Ballina RFC. In their Semi-Final, Dunmore welcomed Ballinasloe RFC and put on an impressive display showing they deserved their place in the Final with a 31-19 win.

Sure to be an electric final not to be missed, the Bank of Ireland J1A Final is at 5:00 PM on Sun, 15th March in Dexcom Stadium.

A word from Head of Club and Community, Joe Gorham

Finals Days are the pinnacle of our Club and School players’ ambitions. It is a day of celebration for the whole of Connacht Rugby. It is truly a memorable occasion for all concerned which, undoubtedly, will be a source of conversation with your teammates in the many years ahead.

The sport of rugby allows for all our players to realise the limits of their ambitions, it allows us to create lifelong memories, however, most importantly, it is the maker of lifelong friendships.

There is no better feeling than to lift a Cup, Plate or Bowl alongside your teammates while representing your club or school. It is all about People and Place.

Sport also reflects life, in that, with every cup final there must be a winner and a loser. Regardless of winning or losing, the hope is that everyone involved on Finals Days will have a quality experience on their big day.

The advent of the new pitch at Dexcom Stadium has allowed Club and Community the opportunity to host additional Cup and League Finals (male and female/Club & School) this season. In fact, we are hugely excited to host over 40 Club & School finals over the course of the next few months.

On Finals Days, we must never forget the huge amount of work and personal sacrifice put in by all the Volunteers, Coaches and Managers to get you to this day. Volunteers are the life-blood of our sport and it would be remiss of me, on this day of celebration, not to say a huge thank you to each and every Club & School Volunteer for the magical work you put in day in and day out for the cause that is rugby in Connacht.

Finally, we at Club & Community rugby wish all our finalists and their loyal supporters the very best of luck on the day.

Connacht Abú.

Creggs RFC Management:

Head Coach
Kolo Kiripati

Backs Coach
Shane Laydon

Forwards Coach
Michael Diffley

Contact Coach
Sean Óg Higgins

S&C Coach
David Mannion

Physio
Kaitlyn Gilleran

Team Manager
Kevin O'Rourke

Team Manager
Sean Brandon

Logistics Manager
John Joe Kennedy

Dunmore RFC Management:

Head Coach
Gerry Kelly

Forwards Coach
Brendan burns

Attack Coach
Simon Gillespie

Backs Coach
Jimmy Coen

Backs Coach
Michael Corless

Assistant Coach
Cathal Evans

Team Manager
Donal Raftery

Physio
Tery Conway

Bank of Ireland J1A League Final

Referee:

Cathal Roddy

AR1:

Johnny Quinn

AR2:

Mark Fitzgerald

4th Official:

Tomas O Suilleabhain

Creggs RFC

15

-

Shane Dowd

14

-

Mark Purcell

13

-

Cathal Feely

12

-

Eoghan Coyle

Vice-Captain

11

-

Dean O'Reilly

10

-

Ronan Dowd

9

-

Mark Dowd

1

-

Tom Farrell

2

-

Nato Kiripati

3

-

Eoghan Cahill

4

-

Xav Tavai

5

-

Eoin Kelly

6

-

Ciaran Purcell

7

-

James Brandon

Captain

8

-

Brian Diffley

Vice-Captain

Dunmore RFC

15

-

Josh Rowland

14

-

Bradley Hughes

13

-

Conor Burns

Captain

12

-

Eoin Reddington

11

-

Gert Jacobus Coetzee

10

-

Johannes Duvenage

9

-

Jamie Coen

1

-

Christopher Donlon

2

-

Jamie Geraghty

3

-

Ronan Mullin

4

-

Max Immelman

5

-

Gary Duffy

6

-

Euan Groenewald

7

-

Andrew Doherty

8

-

Malachy Joe Gavin

Creggs RFC Substitutes

16

-

Tomas Tiernan

17

-

Tom O'Brien

18

-

Aodán Kelly

19

-

Lee Kilcoyne

20

-

Ronan Cahill

21

-

Cormac Dolan

22

-

Jack Fleming

23

-

Chris Duignan

Additional Players

-

Michael Feeley, Michael Dunne, Peter Logan, Ethan Glennon, Luke Divilly, David Gacquin and Aidan Leech

Dunmore RFC Substitutes

16

-

Cathal McDonagh

17

-

Stephen O'Toole

18

-

Michael Mannion

19

-

Andrew Glynn

20

-

Chris Fahy

21

-

Dylan Brady

22

-

Colin Lyons

23

-

Sean Burns

24

-

Conor Walsh

25

-

Jonathan Meehan

26

-

Cathal Evans

Creggs Message of Support

Creggs would like to wish our squad the best of luck in their fourth league final in a row. The effort and dedication of the men's team squad has been immense over the past four years and we hope to retain the trophy today against a very strong dunmore side. May it be a game played with the values of rugby to the core.

Dunmore Message of Support

The Officers and Committee of Dunmore RFC proudly send their heartfelt best wishes to our players and management as they step onto the field for the Connacht J1A Final this weekend. Go forward with courage, belief, and the knowledge that an entire community stands behind you.

This season, you have shown what true commitment looks like through relentless hard work, unwavering dedication, and a passion that has lifted the spirit of the whole club. You have represented Dunmore RFC with dignity, unity, and heart, both on and off the pitch. Reaching this final is no accident; it is the result of your grit, your teamwork, and your refusal to give anything less than your best.

Now, as you face this challenge, know that we believe in every one of you. Trust your preparation, trust each other, and play with the pride and determination that brought you here.

The entire club stands firmly behind you today, this weekend, and always.