Ireland V England

[RebelBhoy]

The English side captained by Irishman Eoin Morgan saw off the challenge of his native country as The Irishman hit a century.

The England attack was spearheaded by Irishman Boyd Rankin who took 4 wickets.

One wonders what the scores might have been had the imperialists not taken these men as slaves.

 

[stopmeandslapme]

I don't know why we bother playing games like this, still, at least we made it fairly competitive by sending a b-team.

 

[RebelBhoy]

You didn't have to "send" a couple of them... Just steal a couple of locals.

 

[stopmeandslapme]

And give you one of ours, Tim Murtagh.

How come God Save The Queen isn't played before your games? I'm sure the British players in your team would prefer it to that other song.

 

[RebelBhoy]

Isn't Jerusalem played before all England and Wales matches?

 

[stopmeandslapme]

So the national anthem of the Republic of Ireland is also the cricket anthem of the island of Ireland?

 

[RebelBhoy]

Unfortunately not.

Ireland's call is the cricket anthem.

 

[stopmeandslapme]

Oh. So why was the national anthem of the Republic of Ireland played before the game?

 

[RebelBhoy]

It is one of the odd vagaries of Irish sport.

They'll play Ireland's call for matches played outside the Republic, including the occupied six counties but Amhran na bhFiann for matches played in the Republic.

Rugby play both. Thought the cricketers did too. Amhran na bhFiann is played at all GAA Championship & League matches regardless of venue, be it the North, London or New York.

 

[stopmeandslapme]

I think, I'm by no means certain, that going back a few years, Irish cricket internationals were mostly/all played in Ulster. Would God Save The Queen have been played in those days? If not, what was?

 

[RebelBhoy]

Ireland's call was commissioned in 95 and Ireland was only recognised by the ICC in 93, so there was only those 2 years where there would have been a need for one.

I don't know what they did then. I'd suggest they dispensed with it altogether. The Irish teams before that who hosted touring sides may have had something...

Cricket and rugby would have a different class of supporter...very generally speaking. The unionists that follow those sports don't have the same hang ups and insecureties about being identified as Irish. The anthem was a sticking point which is why Ireland's call was introduced.