A meeting with old friend and neighbour Mick Foley, a few days after he returned from four years of study in Edinburgh, led to Mike Lynch joining Young Munster. 

That was in 1974 “the year after the All Ireland League win and apart from a hugely enjoyable stint with Bruff  I have been with the club since”.

Mike Lynch: a great all-round sportsman, who excelled at provincial and national level before passing on his expertise to another generation of rugby stars at Young Munster.

Mike was born into one of Limerick’s best-known sporting families. His father, Jack, is a Kilkenny man “and did not rub it in too much after the All-Ireland hurling final” and a star golfer and top class administrator, and his Kerry-born mother, Noreen, is recently retired after being Head Of Sport at Mary Immaculate College Of Education for many years.

Mike began his education at St Patrick’s on the Dublin Road where, by coincidence his only sister Kate, now teaches.
His secondary education was at St Clements College where, he said, he played everything.

“I was in goal for the soccer team and we reached the Munster Schools final, and I played midfield or centre back at the hurling and football. We won a couple of county leagues, and I played with Dominic Harmon, Padraig Mangan, Stephen Bennett and Brendan Ryan, among others,” he said.

In those days, too, Mike had “great fun” playing with Ballinacurra Gaels, and he remained with the club from the Under-12 team until Minor grade. “We won a few B titles with the likes of the O’Mahoneys, the O’Driscolls, Kenneth Malone and Anthony Herlihy, who went on to become a fine rugby player,” he said.

On completion of his Leaving Certificate at St Clement’s, Mike moved to Edinburgh where he successfully completed a four year course for a BE in PE.

“I played rugby for Moray College and we reached the semi-final of the British Colleges Championship. One of our team was a lad called Rowan Sheppard, who went on to play for Scotland at fullback on many occasions,” he told me.

Mike was chosen for the Scottish Colleges team for the Tri-Angular Internationals. “We met a very good Irish Colleges side who went on to win the tournament, under the captaincy of Dara O’Sullivan who is now head coach with Garryowen.

“Then one morning I met Mick Foley and he suggested that I join Young Munster. I agreed and when I went home and told my dad he was absolutely delighted. It was only then that I learned that he was a keen supporter of the club. He, and I, were delighted with my decision,” he said.

“In 1993 Young Munster won the All Ireland League with a famous win over St Mary’s at Lansdowne Road. I came in to the side for my first game at the start of the 1994 campaign. It was the most daunting occasion of my life as we were at Clifford Park to play a Lansdowne team that included Eric Elwood, Conor O’Shea, Limerick man, David Costelloe and John Sexton was on the wing. They beat us and I must admit that the game passed me by, I was so amazed with the huge crowd who used to attend League games in those days. I was in the centre with Noel O’Meara and Aidan O’Halloran was outhalf,” he recalled.

Mike went on to become a key player for many years for the club. “I have the distinction of having lost seven cup finals, and our defeat in one of those by Sunday’s Well was a big disappointment, as we had beaten Cork Constitution in the semi final.”

An outstanding all-round player, and goal kicker, Mick was chosen to play for Munster “between 20 and 30 times” including European Cup ties.