Three Days of West Cork Rugby, Adventure and Hospitality
In early May, 52 players, coaches, parents and siblings from Oxford Harlequins RFC swapped Horspath for the Wild Atlantic Way for a three-day U13 rugby tour to Cork. Two fixtures against proud West Cork clubs, an evening at Hannie Murphy’s, a swim at Abbey Pier, the West Cork Secret Adventure Centre and a day of adventure golf back at base in Clonakilty, short, sharp, packed, and absolutely the right way to introduce a youth squad to touring rugby.
The tour was designed and delivered by Irish Rugby Tours working with the Oxford Quins tour party led by Iain Dickson, with fixtures against Bantry Bay RFC on the Saturday and Muskerry RFC on the Sunday, with both clubs going out of their way to make the visiting Quins feel at home.
About Oxford Quins
A word on the touring club. Oxford Harlequins, known to most as Oxford Quins, was formed in 1996 from the merger of Oxford Marathons and Oxford Old Boys. Today it’s one of the largest youth rugby sections in Oxfordshire, with more than 420 registered junior players across boys’ age groups from U6 to U18 and girls’ from U12 to U16. The U13s are a typical Oxford Quins group: enthusiastic, well-coached, and clearly loving the game.
Day 1 — Saturday: Birmingham to Bantry Bay 🛫
The tour officially began at 05:45 in Birmingham as the touring party gathered for the Ryanair morning flight to Cork International. A short flight later, and a smooth airport transfer with Patrick Murphy, their Irish Rugby Tours guide for the trip, and Kavanagh’s Coaches, the group rolled into the Clonakilty Park Hotel mid-morning to drop bags, before the first big test of the tour: their opening fixture against Bantry Bay RFC.
Bantry Bay RFC is the focal point of rugby across the Sheep’s Head and Beara peninsulas, a club founded in 1926, with a membership of nearly 200 and teams at every age group from U6 to adult. Recent years have been a golden patch: their U16s won the Munster Club Cup and the seniors lifted their first J1 trophy in 15 years. The kind of club where a visiting U13 squad gets exactly the welcome you’d hope for.
After the match came the part the players will remember longest. A jump into the cold Atlantic at Abbey Pier (a Bantry Bay rugby ritual for visiting teams), then up to Hannie Murphy’s at the West Lodge for the post-match presentation. Pins, plaques and ties exchanged. Drinks and refreshments for everyone. Hospitality in West Cork is something else, and Bantry Bay RFC delivered.
Back to the Clonakilty Park Hotel for dinner, a debrief, and an early night – Sunday’s fixture wasn’t far away.
Day 2 — Sunday: Muskerry, then Adventure 🏉🌊
Sunday morning, breakfast, and on the bus for the second fixture of the tour against Muskerry RFC at Ellis Park in Inniscarra, twenty minutes west of Cork city. Muskerry is a Munster Junior League Division 1 club with a strong underage section running from U7 right up to U18.5, and a smart set of facilities that recently added floodlights. A textbook Munster club rugby morning.
Post-match food was served by the host club – another reason touring in Ireland is so different from playing fixtures at home. By the time the group got back to Clonakilty after lunch, the afternoon agenda had already shifted gear.
The afternoon was spent at the West Cork Secret Adventure Centre, high ropes, obstacle courses, the kind of activity that wrecks 30+ U13s in the best possible way. The hotel’s evening cinema took care of what was left of everyone’s energy. Lights out came easier than usual.
Day 3 — Monday: Adventure Golf and Home ✈️
The final morning kicked off with a swim session in the hotel pool followed by a cooked breakfast, before the squad walked across to the Clonakilty Park Adventure Centre and Adventure Golf, five minutes from the hotel and the perfect way to round off a tour with one more dose of competition.
By midday, bags were back on the bus and the group was on the way to Cork International for the afternoon flight to Stansted. Tour over.
Why West Cork Works for a U13 Tour
West Cork is one of our favourite parts of Ireland to send a youth tour. Three reasons, really.
First, the rugby. Munster Junior League clubs like Bantry Bay and Muskerry are the heartbeat of community rugby in Ireland – proper underage structures, properly competitive fixtures, and a welcome for visiting teams that turns first-time tourists into return customers.
Second, the geography. Clonakilty puts you within an hour of Bantry, Skibbereen, Inchydoney and the wider Wild Atlantic Way. You can fit two fixtures, an adventure activity, a beach and a cliff walk into three days without anyone feeling rushed.
Third, the hospitality. There’s a reason Hannie Murphy’s gets a paragraph in every tour write-up we do from this part of the country. The post-match piece – food, drinks, ties, pins, presentations, families chatting in the clubhouse, is what makes an Irish rugby tour different. West Cork does that piece better than almost anywhere.
About Irish Rugby Tours
Irish Rugby Tours has been arranging school, youth, club, college, senior and supporters’ rugby tours for more than 20 years. We are fully ITAA-licensed, Irish Aviation Authority licensed (TA0760), and members of the Sustainable Tourism Network.
Every tour is built around the touring squad, fixtures pitched at the right level, accommodation that fits the group (whether you’re 12 players or 152), age-appropriate activities alongside the rugby, and on-the-ground support from arrival to departure. For mini and U13 groups in particular, we know how much the parents’ programme matters and we design tours that travel well for the whole family.
Plan Your Club’s Cork Tour
| Thinking about a U13 tour to Ireland? West Cork is one of our most popular destinations for mini and youth rugby tours from the UK. Short flights from Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester and Stansted to Cork, family-friendly accommodation in Clonakilty, fixtures arranged against the right Munster Junior clubs, and a full activity programme for the whole touring party. Talk to us: Contact Irish Rugby Tours · info@irishrugbytours.com · +353 1 685 6277 Learn more: Rugby Tours to Cork · Mini Rugby Tours · School & Youth Rugby Tours |
Frequently Asked Questions
How long was the Oxford Quins tour?
Three days – Saturday to Monday – including two match days, an adventure afternoon, an adventure-golf morning and a swim session at the hotel.
Who did the squad play?
Bantry Bay RFC on the Saturday in West Cork, then Muskerry RFC on the Sunday at Ellis Park in Inniscarra. Both are Munster Junior League clubs with strong underage sections.
Where did the squad stay?
Clonakilty Park Hotel – a family-friendly resort with a swimming pool and adventure centre on site, in the heart of West Cork. See our Cork tour destination page for more options.
Can our club book a similar tour?
Of course, West Cork is one of our most popular regions for mini and U13/U14 tours from the UK. Get in touch and we’ll build a programme around your club, dates and budget.
How does travel from the UK work?
Most UK youth tours to Cork fly Ryanair direct from Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester or Stansted, door-to-door in under three hours, with the team coach waiting on arrival.
Arrive 15 minutes before time this will give you time to change into wet suit and buoyancy aid for the trip. You will then set off under the leadership of an experienced guide.
Meet your local guide in the infamous An Pucan Whiskey Bar. An Pucan is a very friendly, traditional Irish venue and the perfect setting for an intro to the history of Irish whiskey.
