“After that, I played a few senior games including Charity Cup against Bohemians, who had Pat Lawler, at scrum-half, marking me. Another year, we beat Thomond, who had a great side with Tony Grant, John Ryan, Junior Morrisson, John Meaney in the Charity Cup. I was scrum-half and Gerry Trehy was out-half, Joe Begg, Richie Daly and Jim Brislane were on our side and we lost to Shannon in the quarter final,” he said.

That was the end of his playing career. “I got involved as senior team secretary in 1972 when Tom McGarry was captain and continued doing that until about 1986. Fourteen years was enough and I enjoyed it very much and there was great banter.

Mossie Finn used to say that he had to kick the ball 60 yards for me to award a touch 20 yards,” he joked.

“The best character I ever came across was Terry Brogan who used very unusual line-out calls, and the best player I have seen in Ireland would be Mike Gibson. On the local front the best scrum-half I saw was Liam Hall, who should have been picked for Ireland. Mick Sheehan and Ger Earls were others who deserved greater recognition,” said Johnny, who he rates Tony Grant as an outstanding coach.

The biggest sporting disappointment for Johnny was the day Tony Ward kicked a penalty to give Garryowen a 3-0 win over Young Munster in the Senior Cup final. “The following year we won it for the first time in 42 years when we beat Bohemians in 1980.”

In 1982 Johnny was ‘bagman’ for the Munster under-20 team who had players such as Michael Bradley, and Bobby Casey as coach. “We won the Grand Slam with Bradley, Conor McDermott, Micko Benson, etc. After a break Dan Mooney and Pat Cross asked me to me bagman again for the Munster under-20s, who at that time included Anthony Foley, Alan Quinlan, and Brian Begley, and then I retired.”

Johnny has travelled the world in support of rugby. “I began collecting photographs and then I got so many items I built on an extra room to build a museum. Irish stars gave me their jerseys and I had to build on two more extra rooms. I added three rooms to a two-bedroom house,” he laughed.

“I have a Tyler Cup medal from 1896 and Eamon Ryan gave it to me though he did not win it,” he explained, adding that many internationals gave him their caps and blazers from Lions tours.

“In all, there are 1,000 items in my museum, including the ball used when Munster beat the All Blacks in 1978. Johnny Kiely was the chauffeur for De Beers and he drove the manager of that company and gave me the ball that was signed by both teams.

The only name missing was that of Donal Canniffe whose father died during the game, but he signed it subsequently and Graham Mourie also signed some time later,” he said.

Players from all over the world have called to Johnny’s house to view the museum. “I travelled to New Zealand for the Lions Tour and also to see the Lions in South Africa, Australia and again in New Zealand and hopefully South Africa again in 2009,” he said. He met all of the players and received the full set of gear from them.

Apart from Thomond Park, Johnny’s favourite ground is Eden Park in New Zealand.

So many people were calling to his home that Johnny decided to put his memorabilia on offer to Limerick City Council, but he now thinks that “Murrough O’Brien will make it possible to have a permanent museum” here in the city.

Concluded Johnny, who has worked as a service officer with the Revenue Commissioners for the past 17 years, “I have a great collection of rugby videos and it would be great for locals and visitors to be able to go to the one place and see everything.”

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