Leinster Senior Cup Final - Lansdowne FC 34 St Mary's College 19 Energia Park, Donnybrook - Saturday 12 September 2026

Lansdowne opened the 2026/27 season in the best possible fashion on Saturday evening, beating reigning AIL champions St Mary's College at Energia Park to claim the club's 30th Leinster Senior Cup and banish the memory of last year's semi final defeat to Terenure.

It was a victory built on a commanding first-half display, a brace from left wing Mark McGlynn and, in the closing stages, a defensive effort of real character as the side saw out the final minutes with only 13 men on the pitch.

Led out by new club captain Bobby Sheehan, who takes over the armband from Andy Marks after topping the club's try-scoring charts last season, Lansdowne set about the champions from the first whistle. Stephen Madigan got proceedings under way and within minutes Lansdowne were camped in the St Mary's 22, Hardus van Eeden and Sheehan carrying hard as the back row probed for gaps.

The pressure told inside the opening five minutes. After McGlynn had won a turnover, Lansdowne swept the ball wide through the hands, Cathal Eddy fixed the last defender and put McGlynn away in the corner for the opening try. Michael Moloney tacked on the conversion and, shortly afterwards, added a penalty from 25 metres after St Mary's failed to release at the breakdown. Ten points up, and the holders of the AIL title had barely touched the ball.

St Mary's are champions for a reason, and they hit back straight from the restart, working the short side for Myles Carey to score in the corner. The conversion made it 10-7 and for a spell the game became a scrappy, high-intensity affair under aggressive line speed from both sides. Juan Buekes, the towering South African lock, was immense throughout, dominating the lineout and repeatedly slapping back restarts and box kicks to give Lansdowne a platform.

The second try arrived midway through the half. Tom Roche latched on to a loose ball and looked certain to go the distance before Leandro Ramirez produced a superb last-ditch tackle. Roche had the presence of mind to offload, and inside centre Harry O'Riordan was on hand to finish. Moloney's touchline conversion drifted wide, but Lansdowne led 15-7.

Louis McGauran, a St Mary's College schools product, was hugely influential, while Wilhelm de Klerk and O'Riordan combined sharply in midfield. Just before the interval that fluency produced a third try: Madigan floated a pass over the top and, with numbers outside, the ball came back inside instead to full back Eddy, ever alert, who crossed for the score. Moloney converted to send his side in 22-7 ahead at the break, deserved leaders by every measure. 

St Mary's came out for the second half with real urgency and struck within five minutes, replacement Richie Bergin driving over from close range after a series of forward carries. The conversion was missed and Lansdowne, briefly rattled, quickly reasserted themselves. A period of sustained pressure inside the St Mary's 22 saw Sheehan and the pack hammer at the line before Moloney threw a looping pass to put McGlynn over for his second in the corner, restoring the 17-point cushion.

Play was halted for an injury and when play resumed, Conor Dean's chip over the top found Carey for his second try, bringing St Mary's back to within ten points with 20 minutes to play. Then came the real test. With Lansdowne slowing the ball down in the St Mary's 22, the referee's whistle went twice in quick succession: McGlynn was binned for a deliberate knock-down and Dave Walsh followed him. Lansdowne would have to see out the final ten minutes, plus a long stretch of added time, with 13 men against the AIL champions.

What followed was the performance of the day. Rather than simply hang on, Lansdowne kept playing. Buekes stole a crucial lineout, the pack won a breakdown penalty through sheer aggression, and the bench, with Dylan O'Keefe, Oisín Devitt and Evann Shelley among those introduced, brought fresh legs to the defensive line. Devitt then produced the decisive moment, a cleverly weighted box kick that Sean Galvin chased down. Nobody in a St Mary's jersey claimed the bouncing ball, and Lansdowne pounced for the try that killed the contest.

The final whistle brought the trophy back to Lansdowne Road. Buekes was a standout candidate for player of the match, with McGlynn, Roche, O'Riordan, de Klerk and McGauran all catching the eye behind a pack that never took a backward step.

There is little time to dwell on the Leinster Senior Cup win. After a break week the AIL season begins in a fortnight, and the opening fixture pits Lansdowne against these same opponents. St Mary's will want revenge; on Saturday's evidence, they will have to earn it.

Lansdowne: 15 Cathal Eddy; 14 Tom Roche, 13 Wilhelm de Klerk, 12 Harry O'Riordan, 11 Mark McGlynn; 10 Stephen Madigan, 9 Michael Moloney; 1 Sean Dunne, 2 Bobby Sheehan (capt), 3 Greg McGrath, 4 Matt Healy, 5 Juan Buekes, 6 Louis McGauran, 7 Dave Walsh, 8 Hardus van Eeden. Replacements: 16 Marcus McCarthy, 17 George Morris, 18 Evann Shelley, 19 John Forde, 20 Ross Anthony O'Neill, 21 Oisín Devitt, 22 Dylan O'Keefe, 23 Sean Galvin.

Scorers — Lansdowne: Tries: M McGlynn (2), H O'Riordan, C Eddy, 1 Seam Galvin 1. Cons: M Moloney (3). Pen: M Moloney. St Mary's: Tries: M Carey (2), R Bergin. Cons: 2.

Match Report & Photos by Michael O'Brien. You can view the match photos HERE