The Irish World of Sport

08/02/2025

The Irish impact on Scottish soccer. Hibernian Football Club Hibernian Retro

Historian Samuel Kingston tells the story of Hibernian FC, who were formed 150 years ago, paving the way for a host of Irish football clubs in Scotland.

05/13/2025

The idea of players from New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa representing the British and Irish Lions is currently causing debate but it’s not a modern phenomenon. Back in 1904, two New Zealand born players played for the Lions, both of whom had Irish heritage. Arthur O'Brien and Pat McEvedy (pictured) were both born in New Zealand and educated at St. Patrick’s (Town) Wellington and moved to England to study medicine at Guy’s Hospital. Both became involved with the rugby team at the Hospital and would play for London Irish as well. O’Brien and McEvedy were drafted into the Lions team to act as doctors but also to play. O’Brien coached the team who were successful in their three tests against Australia but lost their one test against New Zealand. On the New Zealand team that day was Irish born Dave Gallaher. McEvedy also played on the 1908 Tour. McEvedy would later make a significant contribution to schools athletics back home in Wellington.

03/14/2025

In the lead up to St. Patrick's day, we are going to look at teams and clubs named after our patron saint. First up is St. Patrick's Athletic club from Hamilton, Canada.
The winner of the Boston Marathon in 1900 and in 1901 was Jack Caffrey. A son of Irish immigrants, he was born and raised in the Corktown area of Hamilton, Ontario. He was a member of the St. Patrick’s Athletic Club who were a prominent athletic organisation in Hamilton at the time. He finished 11th at the 1908 Olympics in London. By then his St. Patrick’s club mate Billy Sheering (pictured) had reached the Olympic pinnacle. Sherring of Irish and English heritage finished second to Caffrey at the 1900 Boston Marathon but at the 1906 Olympic Games (now called Intercalated Games) in Athens he claimed the gold medal at the Marathon. He returned home to a hero’s welcome. Sherring ran with a large shamrock on his vest, and some historians have a theory that this shamrock inspired the founders of Panathinaikos football club to adopt a shamrock badge in 1918.

03/12/2025

Saint Francis College was established in 1847 by six Franciscan teaching Brothers from Mountbellew, Ireland, who had been given land in Loretto by Michael O'Connor, the first Bishop of Pittsburgh, to establish a school.

ST. FRANCIS IS GOING DANCING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 34 YEARS‼️

Saint Francis Men's Basketball

03/07/2025

Aussie Rules returns this weekend. Brisbane Lions won the men's championship last year. Tyrone man Conor McKenna became just the second player to win an AFL Grand Final medal and a Sam Maguire medal. Kilkenny man Darragh Joyce is a member of the squad while Tipperary lady Orla O'Dwyer has enjoyed great success on the women's team. The Brisbane Lions have roots in a Melbourne club with many Irish connections. The Fitzroy club was founded in 1883. They were the arch rivals of inner city neighbours Collingwood. Many Irish surnames can be seen in their history. Irish born Jack Carroll played for Fitzroy between 1885 and 87 before moving to Carlton. In the first 30 years of the VFL, they won the most titles with seven. Brothers Pat and Con Hickey were two key figures. Con had played for the club but later became an important administrator not just with the club but with the VFL when that formed in 1897 and was first President of the Australasian Football Council in 1906 that looked to promote the sport nationally. Pat won a VFA premiership in 1895 and VFL premierships in 1898 and 99. The 1898 team is pictured. Pat was one of the great players of that era. The 1899 team featured many players with Irish heritage including Bill McSpeerin, Eddie Drohan, Bill Cleary, Geoff Moriarty whose son Jack would later play for Fitzroy, Bill Dalton, and the Grace brothers Jim and Mick. Jim was a leading goal kicker at the time while Mick would later become a leading goal kicker for Carlton. Gerald Brosnan became captain in 1903. The team lost the 1903 final with Brosnan missing a golden opportunity to win the game in the last moments. Redemption was had in 1904 and 1905. Brosnan was joined on the 1905 team by Percy Sheehan and Jack McDonough who was recruited from a club called Celtic. Geoff Moriarty became the teams first official coach in 1911 without much success. Dinny Ryan won a Brownlow Medal with Fitzroy in 1936. Due to financial difficulties the Brisbane Bears took over Fitzroy’s AFL licence in 1996 to become Brisbane Lions.

03/06/2025

03/01/2025

This weekend sees the return of NRL with its glitzy opening game in Las Vegas. Rugby League in Australia has come along way since the first game in 1907. One of the architects of Rugby League in Australia was James Joseph Giltinan who did much to promote Rugby League in the early days. His grandfather Kingsmill Giltinan had left Cork city for Sydney in 1837. Kingsmill, who was a cooper left of his own accord when most Irish arriving in New South Wales were convicts. His grandson JJ was one of the key organisers in bringing the All Golds professional rugby team from New Zealand in 1907 to play in New South Wales thus breaking the amateur ethos of union. The tour played three games in Sydney under union rules but it was a resounding success. Giltinan was elected the first secretary of the New South Wales Football League and was heavily involved in advancing the sport. He was a key figure in organising the first Kangaroos tour to Britain in 1908. That first tour featured players such as Arthur Hennessy who set up South Sydney Rabbitohs, Irish born Larry O'Malley from Eastern Suburbs, his team mate Dan Frawley, Pat Walsh, Jimmy Devereux, and Arthur Conlon. Assistant manager on the team was west Cork born John Fihelly. After his death in 1950, the New South Wales Rugby Football League introduced the JJ Giltinan Shield for the team that tops the league standings at the end of the season before the playoffs.

02/22/2025

Today sees Hibernian play Glasgow Celtic in the most high-profile Irish derby in Scotland. The Irish made a considerable impact on soccer in Scotland. While Hibernian were the original Irish team, Celtic are no doubt the most successful Irish team. Another top level Irish team is Dundee United who were originally Dundee Hibernian. Historical examples of Irish named clubs in Scotland include Aberdeen Harp, Bathgate Rovers/Erin Rovers, Blantyre Celtic, Cambuslang Hibernian, Carfin Emmet, Dumbarton Hibernian, Dumbarton Harp, Dundee Harp, Duntocher Hibernian, Hamilton Harp, Lochee Harp, Motherwell Shamrock, Paisley Celtic, and Vale of Leven Hibernians. Pictured is the Glasgow Celtic team in their first season in 1888.

02/12/2025

Tonight is the last Liverpool derby to be played at Everton's Goodison Park. The club has played there since 1892. Central to Everton's move to Goodison was a man with Irish parents: George Mahon.

Everton were the first professional club in Liverpool and initially played their games at Anfield. Everton moved out due to a rent dispute in 1892. One of the instigators in the move out was George Mahon who was born in Liverpool to parents from Dublin. In the late 1880s he became involved with Everton becoming a prominent member of the club. He would become chairman of Everton and was the key figure in finding their new home at what is now Goodison Park. He remained involved with the club until 1908 having two spells as Chairman. Such was Mahon’s impact on football in Liverpool that the local association knockout cup is named after him. With Everton having left Anfield a new football club was formed to use the pitch. That team was Liverpool FC, creating the local rivalry that continues to this day. Without Mahon and the move to Goodison the rivalry may never have happened. Mahon was the start of a long Irish association with the club that can still be seen through club captain Seamus Coleman and Jake O'Brien.

02/09/2025

It's Super Bowl Sunday, a massive day in the United States. The NFL is going from strength to strength and is spreading its wings globally including the upcoming game in Dublin but the League in its early days would never have survived without the input of one man: Joseph Carr. The son of Irish immigrants living in Columbus, Ohio, Carr is the pivotal figure in the development of professional football. While not a founder of the NFL, Carr in his role as President was instrumental in organising the League, implementing structures and rules that ensured its survival and then growth. Carr transformed the League bringing it from midwest towns to big cities such as New York and Pittsburgh. Thanks to Carr the NFL prospered and has grown to become the top sports league in the United States today.
Many players and coaches of Irish heritage have been involved in the League down through the years. Early players include John "Paddy" Driscoll of the Chicago Cardinals, Ed Healey of the Chicago Bears, and John "Blood" McNally of the Green Bay Packers. Two notably coaches include John Madden whose video game brought the NFL into the computer age and Bill Walsh whose tactics changed the game with his San Francisco 49ers team becoming the team of the 1980s.

In more recent times Pittsburgh born Mike McCarthy led the Green Bay Packers to Super Bowl glory against his hometown Steelers in 2011 and up until this season coached the Dallas Cowboys. Others include Pete Carroll, head coach of the Super Bowl winning Seattle Seahawks in 2013. Carroll will coach the Las Vegas Raiders next season. The Harbaugh brothers John and Jim have both coached in the NFL and have Irish ancestry on their father’s side. Notably both reached the 2012 Super Bowl becoming the first brothers to face off against each other. John’s Baltimore Ravens would defeat Jim’s San Francisco 49ers. Jim would later move on to lead his alma mater Michigan Wolverines to college football glory before returning to the NFL with the LA Chargers. Chip Kelly became a 49ers head coach after Harbaugh having previously coached the Philadelphia Eagles. Bill O’Brien was head coach at Houston Texans from 2014 to 2020 and has held coaching positions with the New England Patriots and a number of University teams. Mike McCoy was head coach of the San Diego Chargers from 2013 to 2016 and has held many coaching positions with other NFL teams.

02/07/2025

Exciting news! The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming to Dublin. The Rooney family who own the Steelers have Irish heritage, originating in Newry, Co. Down. The Green Bay Packers have been mentioned as opponents. Both teams are connected by John "Blood" McNally. With the Packers he was a leading member of their 3 in a row success from 1929 to 1931. He played a season with the Steelers (then known as the Pirates), returned to the Packers to win an championship, and then returned as coach of the Pittsburgh Pirates, albeit he was not successful. He is a member of the NFL's 1930s Team of the decade. McNally's grandparents were from Belmullet, Co.Mayo. If it is the Steelers v the Packers then perhaps a trophy in McNally's honour could be awarded to the winner of the game.