In less than a year’s time Ireland will celebrate the centenary of the birth of a republic. One hundred years since a group of guerrilla soldiers stood up and spoke for us all; we will not be ruled, we will not be beaten. And we all know the story of Easter 1916, we live within its historic, social and political ripples every day.
But how many of us know of the other soldiers who went to battle for us three years before any bullets penetrated the pillars of the post office? They held no rifles and buried no dead, but they did the one thing every Irish man and woman dreamed about in 1913; they beat the English at their own game. And even if that just happened to be football, victory would be welcome no matter what the guise.
Irish football team 1913-1914: Source Wikipedia.org
Back(l-r):Val Harris, Fred McKee, Davy Rollo, Patrick O'Connell Front(l-r): EH Seymour, Sam Young, Billy Gillespie,Alex Craig, Bill Lacey, Louis Bookman, Bill McConnel
Since becoming England’s first overseas colony in the 12th century, Ireland had waged numerous fruitless rebellions and bids for independence. As a subject nation to the crown, Ireland was to all intents and purposes tillage land for the empire. The food produced by our rural population provided the fuel for industrial Britain while little or no development emerged on the island, with the exception of Belfast. And while Ulster continued to thrive as a valued cog in the machine, the simmering threat of a home ruling nationalist movement would prove a spoke in the wheel at the dawn of 1913.
Dublin lockout 1913: Source Wikipedia.org
On the third day of the year, Irish Unionist leader Sir Edward Carson founded the Ulster Volunteer Force by unifying several existing loyalist militias. The 500,000 strong members threatened to resist by physical force the Act of Home Rule that had been set in motion two years previously by the British Liberal Party. It would be ten months later before the Nationalists responded to the UVF with their establishment of the Irish Volunteers and set in motion a series of events that shaped our nation, physically and politically. But there was an Irish victory to be had that year; and perhaps one that provided the much needed surge of national pride and identity that only triumph over one’s greatest foes can foster.
Edward Carson signing the Solemn League and Covenant in 1912, declaring opposition to Home Rule "using all means which may be found necessary" Source: Wikipedia.org
As a nation under British rule, a united Ireland soccer team lined up in Windsor Park, Belfast on February 15th as part of the 1913 British Home Championship. It would be the 32nd match played between Ireland and England but the first of its kind - an Irish win. On his debut outing for Ireland, Billy Gillespie scored his first two international goals.
Billy Gillespie. Source; Wikipedia.org
Billy’s contributions came 43 minutes into the game and eight minutes after England’s winger Charlie Buchan opened the scoring. After drawing level Gillespie followed up seventeen minutes later with his second goal, securing a 2-1 victory.
Charlie Buchan. Source: Wikipedia.org
The Sheffield United inside forward would go on to become Ireland’s most capped player with 25 appearances and a total of thirteen goals. His record remained unmatched until 1992 by Colin Clarke and unbeaten until 2004 by David Healy. And even though success at the 1913 championship ended there for the Irish, the following year saw Gillespie lead the now emerging green army to the top of the leader board, claiming the BHC title and the first outright title won by Ireland.
Although presented as a united nation on the pitch, the two sides of modern Ireland were beginning to form under the strain of Home Rule. The warring years that followed ensured that a cross border team of Ulster Unionist supporters and burgeoning republicans would soon be a thing of the past. And that any future Irish victory over the British would be won without our Ulster brothers.
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