'He's reinvigorated the whole team': Fresh buzz around Young Munster heading into new season

This season will be Alan Kennedy's 12th with Young Munster. What keeps him coming back? "I'm certainly hooked on it," he said, "and I think a lot of people in the club as well are driven to win that AIL."

Wed, 24 Sep, 2025 - 06:29

PJ Browne

There is a renewed zeal around Young Munster heading into the new AIL season. Mark Connolly, the club’s new chairman of rugby, has been “really hands-on” in bringing a freshness to the senior side.

“He's reinvigorated the whole team,” explained club captain Alan Kennedy.

There are new faces in the backroom team with Steve Carey coming in as backs coach. Munster duo Mike Haley and John Ryan are dipping their toes into the coaching world. Haley will have an eye on both sides of the ball while Ryan will lend his experience to the scrum. Young Munster open their Division 1A campaign away to Ballinahinch on Saturday.

“We kind of went from making top four to going to sixth, and now we've finished seventh (last season), so we've kind of been a bit of a trend,” said Kennedy.

“In any season that you have 18 games in the Energia AIL, and that doesn't include some cup competitions, you need a big squad, but also you need a bit of luck as well.

“We were slightly lucky with injuries in certain games. We lost by maybe a point or two. We looked at that. We went back to the drawing board and just kind of tried to figure out how to fix it. We scratched our head about it many times of why we lost some games.

“The buzz around the place has increased. And it's only little things around the team and around the squad, including the clubhouse. It's really positive. Even at my age, it's kind of great to see. It's brought on the new lads, but also reinvigorated the older lads as well. It's really positive.

“There's a new kind of look to the coaching staff as well. The players can see that. We're just looking to improve on what happened last year and see how it goes."

Garryowen’s relegation last season means Young Munster are the only Limerick team in the top tier. Kennedy is uncertain if that makes the recruitment of players any easier.

“I think there's a great pride in Limerick clubs,” he said.

“There's a family feel to it at a lot of clubs in Limerick. You could say that maybe players that are coming from Dublin for college or up from Cork for college are slightly easier (to recruit) because they all want to strive and push themselves in 1A. And that is an advantage.

“Overall, I think Munster keep it tight leash on it and make sure everyone gets a fair share of players. We just focus on ourselves and try to get a few bodies in. But also try to develop the players we already have, and try to get the old lads to drive it on too.”

This will be Kennedy’s eighth season as club captain, and his 12th in all.

“When you look at the league and look at how competitive it is and you see the buzz every Saturday, it's very contagious,” Kennedy explained about what keeps him coming back.

“I think if anyone was to come down and have never seen a game before, I think they'd be hooked on it. I'm certainly hooked on it and I think a lot of people in the club as well are driven to win that AIL.

“There's a new crop of young lads coming through and they're really hungry and they really want to win. I see that and I feed off that as well. There's a few older lads like myself in and around the club as well and they're top class players.

“We've all had a chat and seen all these new lads coming in and we just said to ourselves it'd be a bad season to step away now with all the lads we've coming through and the squad and the development we have, and the buzz around the place made by the club.

“Now look, I'm not underestimating the massive challenge ahead of us. But I think every year, once the body's feeling okay, I'm going to tip away and once I can add to the team I'll try my best to do that.

“It definitely does push us on and we're definitely looking forward to a big season.”