In 1903 they shared first place with Scotland and England (all 3 finished the campaign with 2 wins and a defeat) and in 1913 enjoyed their first victory over England.
They won their first British Home Championship in 1914.
v Wales
|
19.01.14
|
Wales
1 Ireland 2
|
Racecourse, Wrexham
|
|||
|
GK
|
Fred McKee
|
Belfast Celtic
|
|
||
|
RB
|
Bill McConnell
|
Bohemians
|
|
||
|
LB
|
Sandy
Craig (c)
|
Greenock Morton
|
|
||
|
RH
|
Val Harris
|
Everton
|
Off injured at 45
|
||
|
CH
|
Pat O'Connell
|
Hull City
|
|
||
|
LH
|
Dave Rollo
|
Linfield |
|
||
|
OR
|
Ted Seymour
|
Bohemians
|
|
||
|
IR
|
Sam Young
|
Linfield |
|
||
|
CF
|
Billy Gillespie
|
Sheffield United
|
25, 65
|
||
|
IL
|
Billy Lacey
|
Liverpool
|
|
||
|
OL
|
Louis Bookman
|
Bradford City
|
|
||
|
Coach: R Bennett
|
|||||
|
14.02.14
|
England
0 Ireland 3
|
Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough
|
|
|
GK
|
Fred McKee
|
Belfast Celtic
|
|
|
RB
|
Bill McConnell
|
Bohemians
|
|
|
LB
|
Sandy Craig |
Greenock Morton
|
|
|
RH
|
Harry Hampton
|
Bradford City
|
|
|
CH
|
Pat O'Connell (c)
|
Hull City
|
|
|
LH
|
Mickey Hamill
|
Manchester United
|
|
|
OR
|
Dave Rollo
|
Linfield
|
|
|
IR
|
Sam Young
|
Linfield |
|
|
CF
|
Billy Gillespie
|
Sheffield United
|
36
|
|
IL
|
Billy Lacey
|
Liverpool
|
6, 80
|
|
OL
|
Frank Thompson
|
Clyde
|
|
|
Coach: Rab Torrans
|
|||
|
14.03.14
|
Ireland
1 Scotland 1
|
Windsor Park, Belfast
|
||
|
GK
|
Fred McKee
|
Belfast Celtic
|
|
|
|
RB
|
Bill McConnell
|
Bohemians
|
|
|
|
LB
|
Sandy Craig |
Greenock Morton
|
|
|
|
RH
|
Val Harris
|
Everton
|
|
|
|
CH
|
Pat O'Connell
|
Hull City
|
|
|
|
LH
|
Mickey Hamill (c)
|
Manchester United
|
|
|
|
OR
|
Johnny Houston
|
Everton
|
|
|
|
IR
|
Rab Nixon
|
Linfield
|
|
|
|
CF
|
Sam Young
|
Linfield |
89
|
|
|
IL
|
Billy Lacey
|
Liverpool
|
|
|
|
OL
|
Frank Thompson
|
Clyde
|
|
|
|
Coach: Hugh McAteer
|
||||
Ireland wore their St Patrick's Blue strip in all 3 matches:
The line ups , which include players based in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Dublin, show that the Ireland side in this era was representative of the whole of Ireland. Of the 16 players selected, 7 were from what is now Northern Ireland and 9 (including Bookman, who was born in Lithuania but grew up in Dublin) from what is now The Republic of Ireland.
v Scotland. The name of the cat being held by Mickey Hamill is unknown to me. He did his job though, Sam Young's late equalizer meant that Ireland were champions.
