THE RED THREAD OF HISTORY

Abstract

The modern Munster rugby phenomenon emerged from cultural and structural changes that occurred in Irish rugby in the wake of the game's transition to professionalism and resultant commercialisation in the mid-1990s. The on-field success of the team, particularly in the European Rugby Cup, saw Munster quickly garner mass popular support and symbols such as flags, songs and the team's home ground in Limerick provided cultural cohesion and a shared sense of provincial identity. Much of the often hyperbolic media comment that has accompanied these developments has focused on celebrating the apparent distinctiveness of the game's social appeal in the province and particularly in its cultural hearth in Limerick. This article will assess the extent to which media comment and representation have mythologised Munster rugby and created a series of narratives that see the early-twenty-first-century success as being part of a historical continuum. Foundation myths such as the 1978 victory over the All Blacks and the apparent clash of cultures and classes that characterise the Munster/Leinster rivalry will be assessed in terms of their respective media treatments before and after the onset of professional rugby. Newspapers as well as various commemorative media such as documentaries, books and plays will comprise the material under analysis with their ability to create and propagate myth, being the central concern of the article.