North of Ireland Football Club is a former Irish rugby union club that was based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was the first rugby club formed in what is now Northern Ireland and only two other clubs - Dublin University and Wanderers - were formed earlier anywhere else in all Ireland.[1][2] It was founded in 1868 by members of North of Ireland Cricket Club.[3] NIFC also played in the first recorded rugby game in Ulster when they played a 20-a-side match against Queen's University RFC.
The club left its historic home on the Ormeau Road (one of the earliest international rugby venues in Ireland[5]) after a series of sectarian arson attacks, including the burning of its pavilion. The club, with a mainly Protestant membership, was perceived as being "isolated in a zone of working-class nationalism".[6][7]
^Hassan, David (2003). "Rugby Union, Irish Nationalism and National Identity in Northern Ireland" (PDF). Football Studies. 6 (1). University of Ulster, Jordanstown.
^See references to Ireland's matches against Scotland from 1877 to 1889: Ireland v Scotland - Head to Head Statistics Archived 2012-09-04 at archive.today
^D. Sharrock, ‘Goodbye to all that, as the Belfast sporting club where W.G. Grace swung his bat uproots for Protestant sanctuary’, The Guardian, 13 August 1997, p. 6.
^Cronin, Mike (200o). ""Catholics and Sport in Northern Ireland: Exclusiveness or Inclusiveness?"" (PDF). International Sports Studies. 2 (1). Logos Verlag Berlin GmbH.
^O'Sullivan, John (3 May 2010). "Planet rugby". Irish Times.
^Cole, Brendan. . RTÉ. Archived from the original on 19 September 2007.
^. www.ulsterbiography.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 July 2008. Retrieved 6 October 2008.
January 01, 1970
north, ireland, north, ireland, football, club, former, irish, rugby, union, club, that, based, belfast, northern, ireland, first, rugby, club, formed, what, northern, ireland, only, other, clubs, dublin, university, wanderers, were, formed, earlier, anywhere,. North of Ireland Football Club is a former Irish rugby union club that was based in Belfast Northern Ireland It was the first rugby club formed in what is now Northern Ireland and only two other clubs Dublin University and Wanderers were formed earlier anywhere else in all Ireland 1 2 It was founded in 1868 by members of North of Ireland Cricket Club 3 NIFC also played in the first recorded rugby game in Ulster when they played a 20 a side match against Queen s University RFC North of Ireland FCFull nameNorth of Ireland Football ClubUnionIRFUUlsterFounded1868 156 years ago 1868 Ground s Ormeau RoadBelfastLeague s Ulster Senior LeagueAIB League Throughout its history NIFC was one of the most successful clubs in Ulster rugby winning eighteen Ulster Senior League titles and eighteen Ulster Senior Cup titles They also played several seasons in the AIB League before merging with Collegians in 1999 to form Belfast Harlequins 4 The club left its historic home on the Ormeau Road one of the earliest international rugby venues in Ireland 5 after a series of sectarian arson attacks including the burning of its pavilion The club with a mainly Protestant membership was perceived as being isolated in a zone of working class nationalism 6 7 Contents 1 Notable players 1 1 Ireland 1 2 British and Irish Lions 1 3 Ireland cricket team 2 Honours 3 ReferencesNotable players editSee also Category North of Ireland F C players Ireland edit The following NIFC players represented Ireland at full international level Stephen Blake Knox Robert Alexander Norman Brann Ian Davidson Thomas Gisborne Gordon the only one handed player in international rugby 8 Gordon Hamilton 9 David Hewitt R D Scott Jack Kyle Mike Gibson Arthur Norman McClinton Harry Neill 10 Albert Stewart Dolway Walkington Hugh Cunningham Kelly Captain British and Irish Lions edit The following NIFC players also represented the British and Irish Lions 2 Tom McGown 1899 Ian Davidson 1903 Arthur Norman McClinton 1910 Norman Brann 1924 Robert Alexander 1938 Jack Kyle 1950 David Hewitt 1959 1962 Mike Gibson 1966 1968 1971 1974 1977 Ireland cricket team edit The following NIFC players also represented Ireland at cricket Robert Alexander Neil DoakHonours editAll Ireland Cup 1 1934 35 Ulster Senior Cup 18 1884 85 1892 93 1893 94 1894 95 1895 96 1896 97 1897 98 1898 99 1900 01 1901 02 1907 08 1919 20 1929 30 1934 35 1938 39 1954 55 1968 69 1972 73 Ulster Senior League 18 1 shared 1891 92 1892 93 1893 94 1894 95 1895 96 1896 97 1897 98 1898 99 1900 01 1901 02 1908 09 1920 21 1926 27 shared 1945 46 1954 55 1958 59 1965 66 1991 92 Ulster Junior Cup 9 1894 95 1906 07 1907 08 1908 09 1935 36 1953 54 1956 57 1962 63 1984 85 Won by 2nd XVReferences edit www irishrugby ie Archived 2013 12 12 at the Wayback Machine a b The Ireland Rugby Miscellany 2007 Ciaran Cronin Hassan David 2003 Rugby Union Irish Nationalism and National Identity in Northern Ireland PDF Football Studies 6 1 University of Ulster Jordanstown www irishrugby ie permanent dead link See references to Ireland s matches against Scotland from 1877 to 1889 Ireland v Scotland Head to Head Statistics Archived 2012 09 04 at archive today D Sharrock Goodbye to all that as the Belfast sporting club where W G Grace swung his bat uproots for Protestant sanctuary The Guardian 13 August 1997 p 6 Cronin Mike 200o Catholics and Sport in Northern Ireland Exclusiveness or Inclusiveness PDF International Sports Studies 2 1 Logos Verlag Berlin GmbH O Sullivan John 3 May 2010 Planet rugby Irish Times Cole Brendan RTE Sport 1991 Gordon Hamilton Scores RTE Archived from the original on 19 September 2007 ulsterbiography co uk www ulsterbiography co uk Archived from the original on 5 July 2008 Retrieved 6 October 2008 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title North of Ireland F C amp oldid 1183552491, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
