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Limerick rugby shocked by the passing of Tom Tierney

By Aidan Corr
(Pictured, Tom Tierney and Mick Galwey celebrate Munster’s famous win over Toulouse in Bordeaux in 2000)
WHEN news broke early this morning that former Ireland rugby player and women’s international coach Tom Tierney had died, aged 46, it was greeted in his native Limerick with unbelief. Tom started his rugby career with Richmond RFC, went on to play with Garryowen, Galwegians, Connacht, English League club Leicester and played a significant role as part of the Munster squad that reached the final of the Heineken Cup in 2000. He was also capped eight times for Ireland, his high point being selected for four games in the 1999 World Cup.
He had coaching spells with Garryowen and Cork Constitution before taking charge of the Ireland Club International squad in 2013 and the following year he took over the Ireland women’s team as head coach, leading them to their second Six Nations success.
Since then Tom coached the Irish men’s Under-20 and U-19 teams and more recently he was Irish talent coach at Munster Rugby’s headquarters in UL.
IRFU chief executive Kevin Potts in a statement said: “Everyone in Irish Rugby is deeply shocked to hear of the sudden loss of Tom Tierney. Our immediate thoughts are with his wife Mary and daughters Isabel and Julia, as well as his many friends, colleagues and former team-mates.
“Tom was an outstanding scrum-half and his time in the Ireland jersey will always be an immense source of pride for his family and the clubs that supported him on his journey.
“He also amassed an impressive CV as a coach and we were honoured to have him as a colleague in the IRFU from 2014 to present.
“He will be sorely missed.”

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