Blue collar, blue chip Roscrea eye upset

THEIR name bears that of a town in Munster, and they are referred to as a Tipperary school; yet their premises is located over the border in Offaly and they play their rugby in Leinster.

But there’s no hint of an identity crisis at Cistercian College Roscrea.

“We pride ourselves on being a country school,” says Brendan McKeogh, the head gamesmaster who oversees a rich tapestry of sport in the school. “Generally, the lads here are from villages and small towns around the country.