The Irish Football Association was formed in 1880 and, though focused on Belfast, was responsible for the administration of the game throughout the island.
Although there were cultural and sectarian divisions, Ireland was a single country up until the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921. The area now known as Northern ireland opted out of the self-proclaimed Irish Republic (founded in 1919). The south was known as the Irish Free State between 1922 and 1937, when it became the Republic of Ireland.
The situation regarding football now became complex. There was growing discontent in the south regarding what was percieved as northern bias on the part of the Irish Football Association. The IFA defended their position; the north, they argued, was the heartland of football in Ireland.
In September 1921 the Football Association of the Irish Free State (later known as the Football Association of Ireland) was formed by southern clubs and Leinster FA, which had seceded from The Irish Football Association.
Initially both the IFA and the FAI claimed to represent the whole of Ireland. Therefore during the period with which we are concerned, there existed a situation in which there were 2 bodies selecting 'all Ireland' sides. The Football Association of Ireland side was not not considered to represent only the Irish Free State.
In 1923 the Football Association of the Irish Free State joined FIFA and in 1924 the Olympic Council of Ireland selected a team to represent The Irish Free State at the Olympics.
In 1936 the FAI adopted a policy of selecting Northern players, a practice that persisted until 1946. Therefore, between the foundation of the the Football Association of the Irish Free State and the end of the era this blog covers (summer 1937), a number of players were selected to represent both The Irish Football Association and the the Football Association of the Irish Free State (Football Association of Ireland).
For their campaign at the 1924 Olympic Games the Olympic Council of Ireland selected just 1 player who had previously been capped by the Irish Football Association :
Irish Football Association
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Olympic
Council of Ireland
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Dates
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Games
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Dates
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Games
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Dinny Hannon
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1908-13
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6
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1924
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2
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Inside right. Bohemians, Athlone Town.
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The following players were selected by the Football Association of the Irish Free State/ Football Association of Ireland having previously represented the Irish Football Association:
Irish Football Association
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Football Association of Ireland
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Dates
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Games
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Dates
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Games
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Billy Lacey
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1909- 24
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23
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1927-30
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3
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During his career he played in all 11
positions! Shelbourne, Everton, Liverpool, New Brighton, Cork Bohemians.
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Jimmy Dunne
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1928-32
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7
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1930-39
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15
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Forward. Shamrock Rovers,
New Brighton, Sheffield
United, Arsenal, Southampton.
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Jimmy Kelly
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1931-36
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11
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1932-36
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4
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Outside right. Coleraine, Liverpool,
Derry City, Shamrock Rovers, Dundalk, Ballymena United, Ballymoney United.
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Tommy Breen
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1935-39
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9
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1937-45
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5
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Goalkeeper. Newry Town,
Belfast Celtic, Manchester United, Linfield, Shamrock Rovers, Glentoran.
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Mick O'Brien
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1921-27
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10
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1927-32
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4
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Centre half/ forward. Blyth Spartans,
Celtic, Brentford, Norwich City, South Shields, Queens Park
Rangers, Leicester City, Hull City, Brooklyn Wanderers, Derby County,
Walsall, Watford.
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Jackie Brown
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1935-39
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10
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1937
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2
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Outside right. Belfast Celtic,
Wolverhampton Wanderers, Coventry City, Birmingham City, Barry Town, Ipswich Town.
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Patsy Gallagher
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1919-27
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11
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1931
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1
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Inside-forward. Celtic, Falkirk.
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Tom Farquharson
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1923-25
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7
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1929-31
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4
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Goalkeeper. Cardiff City.
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Harry Chatton
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1924-25
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3
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1931-34
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3
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Half back. Dumbarton,
Partick Thistle, Indiana Flooring, Heart of Midlothian, New York Nationals,
Shelbourne, Cork.
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Peter Kavanagh
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1929
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1
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1931
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1
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Outside left. Bohemians, Celtic,
Northampton Town, Hibernian, Stranraer, Babcock & Wilcox, Waterford United.
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Frank Collins
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1922
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1
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1927
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1
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Goalkeeper. Jacobs, Celtic.
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Christy Martin
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1925
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1
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1927
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1
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Outside right. Bo'ness, Falkirk, Brooklyn
Wanderers.
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Ed Brooks
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1920
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1
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1924
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1
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Forward. Shelbourne,
Bohemians, Stockport County and Athlone Town.
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Billy Lacey
Peter Kavanagh
Alex Stevenson
These players first represented the Football Association of Ireland before being selected by the Irish Football Association:
Football
Association of Ireland
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Irish Football Association
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Dates
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Games
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Dates
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Games
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Alex Stevenson
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1932-48
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7
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1934-48
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17
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Inside left. Dolphin, Glasgow Rangers, Everton
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Harry Duggan
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1927-37
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5
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1929-35
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8
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Outside right. Richmond United, Leeds United, Newport County.
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Patrick Moore
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1931-36
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9
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1932
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1
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Forward. Shamrock Rovers, Merthyr Town, Cardiff City, Tranmere
Rovers, Aberdeen, Shelbourne, Brideville.
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Tom Davis
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1936-38
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4
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1938
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1
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Centre forward. Torquay United, New Brighton, FC Metz, Oldham
Athletic, Tranmere Rovers, Cork City.
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Owen Madden
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1936
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1
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1937
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1
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Forward. Cork, Norwich City, Birmingham, Cork United.
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