Tullamore civic honour proposed for local rugby heroes

A civic reception is being proposed to honour the achievements of three rugby stars with links to the Tullamore area.

At this Thursday's meeting of the Tullamore Municipal District, Cllr Tony McCormack will seek approval for the hosting of a civic reception to honour the recent achievements of Jordan Conroy, Megan Burns and Ronan Foxe.

Conroy, a Tullamore native, started his rugby journey at the local club in the town before going on to play for Buccaneers in Athlone.

He had a starring role as the Ireland rugby sevens squad won a gold medal at the recent European Games in Krakow and, in doing so, secured their qualification for next summer's Olympics in Paris.

"I think it's time we honoured this young man who is part of the fabric of Tullamore and has played sport here all his life," said Cllr McCormack.

He said he was also seeking the reception to honour Geashill's Megan Burns, a daughter of John Burns who has long been involved in coaching at the local club.

Megan was part of the Irish team which competed at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in South Africa last year and which also qualified this year for the Paris Olympics.

The third proposed recipient of the civic honour is Ronan Foxe, a member of the Ireland team which is through to the World Rugby U20 Championship final against France on Friday.

A native of Rahugh, close to Kilbeggan, Ronan has strong connections to Rosemount in Westmeath, and honed his rugby skills with Tullamore RFC. He now plays for Old Belvedere and Leinster.

Cllr McCormack said the trio were role models for other young sportspeople in the area, and that awarding them a civic reception would also serve to acknowledge the contribution and development of the rugby club in Tullamore over the years.