Posted online: Mar 26th, 2009

By Andrew Jennings
sports editor

“WE’RE so proud of him and the entire team,” these were the words of Naas man Jamie Heaslip’s dad, Richard following the Irish team’s Grand Slam win on Saturday evening.
Breaking through after 61 years, the win of the Six Nations Championship was made even more special by the fact that they had two Kildare men on the team – Heaslip and Geordon Murphy, who also hails from Naas.
“Jamie was not only representing his country, he was representing his family, friends and the local community,” Richard enthused.
“What an occasion it was. The greatest moment of all was on the player’s lap of honour when they discovered the section where all the parents were seated. That was the moment when all the emotion poured out.”
Richard, who is a Colonel in the Irish Army and played rugby with Shannon, went on to add: “There was such a great sense of occasion, and to win in the manner in which they did, it really had us all on tenterhooks.”
He remarked: “We met Jamie when he came in off the pitch and there was such adrenalin charging through his body… that strength and emotion said everything to us.
“We’re very privileged to have direct involvement. He has chosen to be part of Leinster to play professionally, but he’s still very proud to be part of Naas and the community down here.
“He has a strong group of friends from Naas that he went to school with in Newbridge and they show up at all the games.”
Heaslip played a pivotal role in Ireland’s Grand Slam success, playing in every game and scoring tries against France and Scotland.
Fellow Naas native Geordon Murphy might not have got as much game time but still played an important role when introduced as substitute against France, Italy, Scotland and Wales. Both men started playing rugby in the underage ranks at Naas RFC and
went on to attend Newbridge College, before going on to sign professional contracts, Heaslip with Leinster and Murphy with Leicester Tigers in England.
Murphy also played All Ireland Minor football with Kildare during his youth.