DLSP Open Kirwan Park
De La Salle Palmerston FC officialy unveiled the newly-named Kirwan Park last weekend. IRFU Junior Vice President John Hussey was on hand to perform the opening ceremony.
This is in recognition of the contribution to the club by the late Jack Kirwan (who passed away in February of this year) and also the contribuiton of the Kirwan family to Palmerston, De La Salle Palmerston FC, Leinster Rugby, The IRFU and the International Rugby Board.
With the merged club entering its 25th anniversary season in Kilternan, it is very fitting that the grounds are being renamed after a family who had such an impact in shaping the clubs history over the last nine decades.
Jack Kirwan was one of the key people involved in negotiating the merger of De La Salle RFC and Palmerston FC. A feat he was very proud of, in what at the time was a ground breaking achievement in Irish rugby.
In particular he cherished the new friends he made through the merger of both clubs. He was a trustee of the new club and also became president in the 1986/87 season.
For 19 seasons he held the position of club representative to the Leinster Branch and in the 1989/90 season he was President of the Leinster branch.
His contibution to the branch was duly noted, when he later became a recipient of both the Leinster Branch and De La Salle Palmerston FC Hall of Fame Awards.
For over nine decades there has been a Kirwan involved in the club, with his two uncles being club captain, Sam in 1922/23 and Cecil in 1931/32, along with his father Eddie in 1924/25 season – all three later becoming club presidents.
Jack’s father Eddie went onto serve the IRFU Committe for a 25-year period from 1948 to 1973, including being President in the 1952/53 season.
He also had the distinction of being Secretary of the International Rugby Board during this period from 1956 to 1973.
With the proud history of the Kirwan family, DLSP feel the renaming of our club grounds to Kirwan Park is a fitting ‘thank you’ for their contributions.