The long road to the Finals
1878-1921

An outline history of Ireland in international football

Part 1 From the beginning to the Split

The Irish Football Association was born in the Queen's Hotel in Belfast on November 18th 1880. The association had seven founding clubs: Knock, Oldpark, Distillery, Moyla Park, Cliftonville, Avoniel and Alexander (Limavady).

The early years of the sport were dominated by Northern clubs, and it wasn't until 1884 that the first Dubliner appeared on the Ireland team. However the national team did not have much success in its early years, starting off with a 13-0 defeat to England in 1881. It wasn't until 1887, when Wales were beaten 4-1, that they recorded their first victory.

By the end of the nineteenth century, a regular quadrangular tournament, much like the rugby Triple Crown, had become a fixture in the soccer calendar. It was played regularly until the First World War, and continued after the IFA suffered the secssion of the southern clubs after the establishment of the Irish Free State.

By 1900 the Irish team had played its first game in Dublin as they hosted England. Ireland played at Lansdowne Road front of 10,000 in the navy shirts of Saint Patrick's Athletic. Despite this, only one southerner made the side, Dr. Sheehan of Bohemians.

They recorded their first ever victory over Scotland in 1903 (their first victory over England came in Belfast ten years later). A year later Ireland won its first ever International Championship. The Irish beat both England and Wales away before securing a draw with Scotland in Belfast.

That International Championship was to be the highlight of the history of a united Ireland team, because after the Easter Rising of 1916 major differences of opinion began to grow between football authorities in the North and South.

A new body was formed in June 1921 called the Football Association of Ireland (the IFA objected, and it was as the F.A. of the Irish Free State that is was then recognised by the International Board and FIFA). A number of incidents had caused the split such as the decision by the IFA not to allow the Irish Cup final replay be played in Dublin because of civil unrest, while Shelbourne refused to travel north for the second match.

Angry at the split, the IFA had the new association black-listed at first, but the FAIFS were given backing by the new world governing body, FIFA. From 1921 on there were irreconcilable differences between the football authorities in the North and South.

Ireland (IFA) at their first 'foreign' friendly, Norway 1922
photo courtesy irishfa.com

The IFA website has details of Ireland matches played under the auspices of the IFA after 1921

Other chapters of the history:
Free State to "Emergency"
Struggling to find a role
So near and yet so far
The Charlton years

Check Ireland's international record:
1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s

Back to:
[main Ireland History page] [main World Cup page] [Bray Wanderers]