Following the Munster Club win in Thurles spirits were Sky high as celebrations had started on the bus home - Following a bite to eat word spreadd that we had a an All Ireland 1/4 Final in London the following weekend against Fr. Murphys.
Celebrations were limited to 2 days for the Munster club and we were back training on Tuesday night. The club pulled off some miracles that week as they managed to charter a plane from Shannon airport with in excess of 200 Bridge fanatical supporters on board ...
We got the job done in London and had great craic in the club house in Ruislip as everyone with Bridge and Clare Connections in London seemed to be in there that evening.
We enjoyed that Christmas of 2000!

The following is a trip down memory lane all the way back to 2000, when the club reached the All Ireland club quarter final and a tie against London champions Fr. Murphy's at Ruislip. Remarkably 5 of this team were members of the Junior A winning panel in 2016, Robert and Martin Conlon, Adrian Chaplin, Stiofan Fitzpatrick and Brian Culbert. 

Adrian Chaplin remarked recently that he remembers the grass in the field being very long, 'it was obviously a football field!'.

John O' Meara remembers that it was a great day out;
'the club chartered a plane from Shannon, it was a Virgin aircraft and we flew to gatwick from, the team and supporters, the plane was subsidised by Croke park but supporters had to pay a contribution. Johnny Moroney and Jimmy Garvey were on that plane. There were buses waiting for everyone when we got there and the team had their own bus. The main tour guides were bridge lads who lived over them like Tony Casey, Finbar O' Sullivan and Mikey Murphy (brother of jimmys). A good few supporters would have went for weekend, we had won the Munster club the previous Sunday.

We had massive craic and session in the clubhouse in Ruislip after the game with everyone both teams a great sing song.

We arrived back in Shannon around 9 that night and I remember we went to the Burren bar, Bellsfort and on to the Knights!'

Match Report:

Sixmilebridge make light of Murphy's Law!

ALL-IRELAND CLUB SHC • 16 years ago

SIXMILEBRIDGE 2-11;
FR MURPHY'S 0-6

WITHOUT ever rising to the heights they are capable of, Sixmilebridge still had enough in reserve to see them through yesterday's All-Ireland Club SHC quarter-final clash with Fr Murphy's at Ruislip.

Conditions were far from perfect but the Munster champions had enough class to carve out the result they wanted without, it must be said, putting their full repertoire of class on display.

Indeed, the Clare men could afford to shoot 16 wides and still record an 11 point victory although against better opposition they will not be let off for such wastefulness as lightly.

The game was not remarkable for the quality of hurling produced, and was very much ended as a contest when Sixmilebridge rattled home two goals at vital stages - just before and after half-time.

Murphy's were two points in arrears (0-4 to 0-2) after 22 minutes, but seven minutes from the break the 'Bridge set themselves up for victory when big John Reddan forced home their opening goal after a scramble in the London square.

The score, when added to with two frees by Niall Gilligan, a brace from Brian Culbert, and a Martin Conlon effort, put them 1-5 to 0-3 in front at half-time - Murphy's points having come from Ian Rock (two frees) and a point from play by Enda Roche.

And just three minutes after the restart, the cutest forward on view Brian Culbert smashed home the winner's second goal after he latched onto the rebound following a great save by London 'keeper John Ryan.

There was no way back for Murphy's at this stage and as the contest progressed the Munster champions pulled away as Gilligan, Culbert, John O'Meara and Reddan began to find the target from frees and placed balls.

SCORERS - Sixmilebridge: B Culbert 1-3, N Gilligan 0-5 (4f), J Reddan 1-1, M Conlan, J O'Meara 0-1 each. Fr Murphy's: I Rocks 0-4 (4f), D Howlin, E Roche 0-1 each.

SIXMILEBRIDGE - D Fitzgerald; K McInerney, J O'Connell, W Kennedy; A Mulready, P Hayes, A Chaplin; S Fitzpatrick, C Chaplin; M Conlan, J Reddan, R Conlon; B Culbert, N Gilligan, J O'Meara. Subs: C Walsh for C Chaplin. D Chaplin for O'Meara. N Flannery for M Conlan.

FR MURPHY'S - J Ryan; B McCarthy, D O'Hanlon, P Greene; M Reilly, J Murphy, R Devlin; J Howlin, D Howlin; E Kinlon, B O'Leary, E Roche; I Rocks, J Murphy, M Harrell. Sub: E Phelan for James Murphy.

REF - J Gribbin (Down).

If you liked this you may also be interested in reading:
Reliving the Glory days of 2000 - Part 1: Building the team of 2000