Pike Rovers Football Club was founded in the Mulgrave Street/Blackboy Pike area of Limerick City in 1938. During the last 68 years our name has being synonymous with Association Football in Ireland, fielding teams in Senior, Junior, Youths, Schoolboys and Ladies grades. We enjoyed outstanding success on the football field producing some of the country's finest players many gaining International, Inter-league, Interprovincial and Inter-county honours. We were the first Limerick soccer club to win a National trophy, the FAI Minor Cup in 1949/'50 season and had the unique honour of being named one of Ireland's five soccer nurseries in the mid 1950's.

Celebrating 68 years in football this year the club is thriving with a long family tradition sprinkled with characters, amusing anecdotes and competed over the decades with an abundance of success. Familiar names in the early years were Tom Slattery, Seamus and Joe McKeown, Joe, Paddy, and Mike Dillon, Dick Penny, Jack Waters, Mick Russell, Paddy Hanrahan and his brother Gerry, Paddy and Sean Frawley, Mick McCarthy, Frank and Kevin O'Mara and Mick Griffin. At the end of World War II the reins were taken over by Joe McKeown, Mick Waters and Jimmy Madden who had played juvenile and minor football for the club were responsible for the entry to junior ranks. Michael Keyes, Government Minister, was the club's first President.

At the time of their formation they were presented with a football gear by Peter McAleer a Staunch Glasgow Celtic supporter, a repilca of the green and white hoops worn by this famous club. How well satisfied we were, if only in colour, to be associated with "The Bhoys", Belfast Celtic and indeed Shamrock Rovers.

Among the stars who passed through the ranks were Timmy Cunneen who gained international and inter-league honours. When Pike Rovers transferred him to Coleraine in the Irish League he also played inter-league football as well as playing in the I.F.A. Cup Final versus Linfield in 1952/'53. Johnny Gavin was also a regular on the full international side having played a few hundred games for Norwich City, he still holds the club scoring record. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace.

Tony McKeown played against the Irish League on two occasions and the English League and was honoured on the Munster XI that went down narrowly to F.A. Cup Winners Wolves on a 3-2 scoreline in the Mardyke. He also played in the Scottish 1st Division with Aberdeen. Mick Lipper, Joe Casey, John "Sonny" Price and Dessie McNamara were similarly recognised with inter-league "caps". Mick Kemmy "The Cannonball Kid" captained Ireland's youths team, the munster team that defeated West Germany along with the Limerick junior team that won the FAI Mirrelson Cup (forerunner of the Oscar Traynor) all before his eighteenth birthday. Five "hoops" players were involved in that success. Boy wonder Eddie O'Donovan won schoolboys and youths international caps and played for his province to add to his many trophies, among them a Munster Minor and Munster Junior Cup medals to add to his FAI Oscar Traynor cup medal when Limerick captured it for the first time.

In 1945 Pike Rovers won their first trophy the Minor League with the following panel of players: Jimmy Madden, Joe Casey, Tony McKeown, Jimmy Stockil, Mick Waters and Frank Liston. Gerry Hanrahan, Tim O'Sullivan, Roger O'Rahilly, Ger Keyes, Mick Cunneen, Mick Lipper, Ned Waters, Frank Cleary, Pat Levin. The following season the junior team won the coveted Cromer Cup and these future stars collected the medals to gain a place in club history.

Pike Rovers were renowned for their great minor teams in the 1940's and 50's and the following team created history when they won the F.A.I. Minor Cup by defeating Johnville of Dublin 3-2 in the final. Included in their side was Eamon Darcy, Ronnie Nolan, Gerry Mackey, Tommy Dunne and "Mousie" Monroe who formed the nucleus of the super Shamrock Rovers team a few years later. The Pike side lined out as follows: Eamon O'Connor, Mick King, Mick Kirby, Alphonsus Byrnes, Jack Stockil, Michael Collopy, Paddy Cronin, Pat Storan, Mick Penny, Donal O'Donovan, Joe O'Callaghan. Those who played their part in earlier rounds were - Tony Waters, Des O'Leary, Ollie Quinlivan, Michael Moloney and Mick Downes.

A few years later the following team created history by winning the Munster Minor Cup in the 1952/53 season. It was the first occasion the trophy left Cork since the foundation of the M.F.A. in 1923. That day they defeated St. Mary's (Cork) 5-0 in the final. Team was: Mick Tynan, Brian O'Brien, Mick Kemmy, Willie Neville, Seamus Nestor, Paddy Quinlivan, Danny Moloney (capt), Paddy "Son" O'Dwyer, Noel Carey, Sean McMahon, Jimmy Ryan. Subs: Johnny Hayes, Dan O'Donovan, Bob Clarke, Gerry Dean.

Some scribese ave stated that the greatest junior team ever to come out of Limerick was the Pike Rovers side that played St. Pauls (Dublin) in the FAI Junior Cup Final in Dalymount Park in 1947/48. It was indeed a class line-up: Arthur O'Connor, Tony McKeown, Freddie Hardaker, Jimmy Rochford, Joe McKeown, Ger Frawley, Stan McCarthy, Tim "Togsie" Cunneen, Joe Meaney, Ned Waters, Willie Downes. Mick Lipper and Tom O'Donnell also excelled in previous rounds.

From 1948 to 1958 was a golden decade for Pike Rovers when they dominated football in the city. Among their achievements was the winning of the Munster Senior League, FAI Minor Cup, Munster Minor Cup on two occasions, the Munster Senior League, the Burkley Senior Cup, Munster Junior Cup, FAI Intermediate Cup, Munster Minor Cup (twice), as well as being victorious in a host of domestic trophies.

Pike Rovers entered senior football in 1951 and their first match in the Munster Senior League ended with a comprehensive 9-3 victory over famous Cobh Ramblers. They created history when they won the league unbeaten and were runners-up in the FAI Intermediate Cup going down after a replay to A.O.H (Cork), they also qualified for the FAI Senior Cup through this.

After winning four local Minor cups in a row in the mid to late 1940's added to their FAI and MFA crowns the great youths tradition continued in 1954, '55, '56 winning the Munster Minor Cup again with two more final appearances, as well as reaching the semi-final and final of the FAI Minor Cup with these outstanding players - Tony O'Brien, Sean Flanagan, Mick Kemmy, Paddy O'Dwyer, Ray McMahon, Des McNamara, John O'Brien, Paddy Casey, Henry Byrnes, Ger Waters, Eddie O'Donovan, Eddie Tuite, Mick Killeen, Pat Sheehan, Mick O'Neill, Paddy O'Connor, Christy Hickey.

In 1952 Pike started inter-firm football in a regional form that followed an inter factory competition in the war years and it mushroomed to one of the biggest leagues in the country. It has enjoyed tremendous success providing endless enjoyment for thousands of footballers who may not have had the opportunity to play soccer in their lifetime.

When great feats are recalled and glorified in this city and county the Pike Rovers team who won the Munster Junior Cup in 1956/'57 are sometimes forgotten, and they should not be, as they were the team that broke the mould and bridged a gap of twenty and thirty years when the great, now defunct, Prospect and Trojans brought the MFA Cup to this sporting city of ours. Many talented teams tried to win a national or provincial junior cup in the previous two decades, but the team that unlocked the door for the rest to follow defeating Brideville (Cork) in the final by 2-1 was: Clem Bennett, Jack O'Brien (capt), Brian O'Brien, Paddy Casey, John Murphy, Paddy Quinlivan, John O'Brien, Liam Foley, Eddie McCormack, Ger Waters, Eddie O'Donovan, Dom Lipper. A truly great feat at the time.

The club won its second MFA junior cup in 1971 in the famed Mardyke with an extra time victory over Crosshaven (Cork) by 1-0. John O'Brien who scored the winning goal in the final 14 years earliers proved the match winner in this decider also. Team was: Gerry Hayden, Patrick Sheehan, Benny Fitzgerald, Tadhg Horan, Christy Finucane (capt), Des McNamara, John O'Brien, Gerry Cronin, Freddie McNamara, Martin Kearney, Dan Roche, Frank Timmons, John O'Dwyer.

In senior football the club has qualified for participation in the blue riband of Irish football, the FAI Senior Cup on three occasions, and few will need reminding of those pulsating memorable matches with Waterford, Cork Hibernians, Longford Town, Shelborne.

One of the greatest tributes ever paid to the club was on the editorial page of the England versus Ireland programme in a World Cup qualifier in 1957, as a recognition of their great contribution to soccer in this country. Pike Rovers, are pleased that locally they are the only club who have reached the finals of FAI national competitions in Senior, Junior, Youths and Schoolboy grades.

Their old patch known as "The Pike" has almost vanished from the ordnance map of the city with just a lunge bar, a take away and a green belt with a few trees remaining. The progress of the 1960's levelled the two club houses in the area as did the building of houses on their only playing venue. The locality may have died but not the spirit of the wonderful Pike people and the club that inherited their name. Like nomads in an oasis for a time the Pike were soon back on track and in the 1960's set their stall out in the Fairgreen and soon compromised with their near neighbours Fairview Rangers in a share deal. This was not the ideal situation for a club like Pike Rovers who harboured a burning ambition to possess their own property and be masters of their own domain. The following passage outlines the Rovers dream that came to fruition and is now a reality.

Perhaps the greatest domestic achievement in the Club's history occurred in the early 1970's when they purchased their own playing grounds on 6 a half acres of land in the area of Bawnmore, after the had vacated the Fairgreen, only a short distance from where the club originally had its roots. Prior to that, like many other clubs, they were domiciled in temporary grounds most notably a ten year period where the Lynwood Park estate now exists. Until the foresight and initiative of Dick Penny, Tim O'Brien, Tom Joyce, John Hanly, Paul Croke, Eddie Donovan and dedicated club members secured a permanent base, that hopefully, will be there for all time. Thirty years ago at the time the grounds were purchased Michael Noonan was vice-chairman and by no coincidence he is now chairman of Pike Rovers and the driving force behind the new initiative that has happened at Crossagalla at the present time. In 1973 the only access to the club's aspirations for a new home was across a railway line down a narrow boreen!

Sunday, 26th April, 1987 will always be a red letter day in the history of the Pike Rovers. When their Junior team and supporters were returning from a Munster Junior Cup match in Midleton, County Cork. The coach went out of control and crashed near Ballyneety at around 8.45 p.m. witha loss of three lives; Tony Hanley, Alphonsus Ryan and Paul Mullally, who was just four years old. There was many serious injuries amoung the other 51 passengers. The tragedy was front page news in the national media for some time, and the club will be forever grateful to the hospitals, public services and the kind people of Limerick for their help and compassion to the club at the time.

With help from the sporting public the club rose pheonix-like from the ashes and lined out two weeks later with a 2-0 win against Park Rangers in Shannon, an occasion of unparalleled hospiltality from the County Clare club. From that morning victory the clubs three junior teams gave their all for the cause, and with an unprecedented spirit finished the season with a sideboard full of trophies. A great future was predicted for that premier team, and to their credit the following season they won the FAI area final, thus retaining the Tom Simmington Cup.

The club's success at Schoolboys level in the 50's is well documented, and those players provided the platform in the years that followed for so many notable players and as many successes. The demise of the club's traditional area was detrimental to the progress of the underage set-up but dedicated Pikemen in every decade participated in the Leagues and cups at every given opportunity with a great deal of success in every grade. The inimitable Dan Howard, Sean Sheehan, Dick O'Brien, Tadhg Horan, Ger Frawley, Joe Sheehy, James O'Grady, Pat Mullally, Paddy Purcell, after a great inninds in domestic competitions they developed a brilliant under 14 side that bowed out of the FAI Goodison Cup in a semi-final replay to the eventual winners Tolka Rovers. They went one better when they reached the FAI Barry Cup final with an excellent under 16 team that went down to kingpins Cherry Orchard on a scoreline that didn't reflect the great effort they displayed in the competition

Pike Rovers or "The Hoops" as we are more popularly known have been forerunners in a host of original ventures, many for charity, over the decades and will without a doubt further the interests of the community in a very progressive way well into this new century.

Over a thirty year period we have always tried to be as responsive as possible to all organisations and clubs when their facilities were requested for lease or in an emergency. Bawnmore Special School have always been welcome for recreation and entertainment needs. Others to benefit from this teamwork are the FAI, MFA, LDMC and the Limerick Schoolboy' League. Schools, Colleges, local clubs and Inter-firm football have all benefitted at one time or another.

Munster Junior Final
18th May 2003
Pike Rovers 2-0 Peakville
Scorers: Ian Bennis (pen), Paddy Mitchell

Back Row: James O'Grady (Ass. Mgr), Wesley Fitzgerald, David Morris, Ronan Hanrahan, Ian Bennis, Pa McGarry, Paddy Mitchell, Colm Enright, Dermot Phelan, Paul Coleman, Uche Manjor, Pat Mullally (Mgr), Paul Coffey (Kit Man)
Front Row: Jan Malone (Physio/Kit Man), Frank Stewart, Ronan Malone (Mascot), Declan Considine, Shane Walsh (Mascot), Declan Casey, Dainis Bokans, John Walsh, Paul Ruttle, Gerry O'Connell (not in picture)

Pictured above, one of Pike's most successful sides in recent times. Apart from winning the Munster Junior Cup without conceding a goal throughout the competition, they also won the Lawson Cup beating Ballynanty Rovers 2-0 in the final and narrowly missed out on being crowned Premier League Champions to FAI Junior Cup winners Fairview Rangers. The season previous to this, 01/02, with a squad much the same which incidently was Pat Mullally's first season in charge, they won the Premier League, Lawson Cup and TSB Cup.

Lawson Cup Winning Squad '03, Management, Committee Members and Supporters

Munster Junior Final
17th May 2007
Pike Rovers 3-0 Ballynanty Rovers
Scorers: Keith Hartnett, Dermot Phelan (2)

Back Row: Philip Purcell, Alan Finucane, David McNamara, Paddy Mitchell, Pa McGarry, David Morris, Wayne O'Donovan, Dermot Phelan, Ian Bennis,
Front Row: Daryl Eade, David O'Grady, John Boyle, Colm Enright, Keith Hartnett, Declan Considine, Garry Long

List of Players that were capped while playing with the club

Paddy Casey – Junior Int. & Interprovinical
Tony Aherne – Schoolboys & Amateur Int.
Mick Lynch – Schoolboys Int.
Eddie O’Donovan – Junior Int.
Tony Morris – Junior Int.
Liam Patton – Universities Int & Schools Int.
Larry McNamara – Schoolboys Int.
Joe Brunton – Amateur Int.
Niall McNamara – Schoolboys Int.
Michael Costelloe - Schoolboys Int.
Joe Waters – Senior, Youths and Schoolboys Int.
Brian O’Callaghan Schoolboys Int. (won a European Championship U-16 medal with Brian Kerr)
Declan Considine – Junior Int.
Declan Casey – Junior Int.
Martin O’Neill – Junior Int.
Pat McGarry - Junior Int.
Keith Hartnett – Junior Int.
David Wall – Junior Int.