FAI formally recognise 1924 pathfinders

THE feats of Irish football’s pathfinders 100 years ago have been recognised by the FAI. Following a detailed submission by Irish football historians, the FAI have reclassified four games played in 1924 as the first official internationals. Up to now, it was widely accepted that Ireland entered the international arena against Italy in a friendly in Turin in March 1926. Now, the games in the Paris Olympics against Bulgaria and the Netherlands, and friendlies that followed against Estonia and the USA, have been formally added to the list of Irish internationals. The fledgling Irish Free State Football Association selected the squad to travel to Paris where the tricolour was raised for the first time. On Wednesday May 28, 1924, Ireland, wearing jerseys in St Patrick’s blue, beat Bulgaria 1-0 in the Stade De Colombes with a goal from St James’s Gate’s Jack Duncan. Ireland lost 2-1 to the Dutch on June 2 in the quarter-finals before beating Estonia 3-1 on June 3 in a friendly, in Paris. On their return to Dublin, Ireland beat the USA 3-1 at Dalymount Park on June 14 where Ned Brooks of Bohemians became the first player to score a hat-trick. The matches will be formally recognised at an event on Monday next and at the Ireland-Hungary friendly on Tuesday, June 4 along with the relatives of the 1924 players. The FAI are still trying to track down any family members related to Farrell, Collins and Harris to invite them to the Hungary friendly. The 1924 trailblazers were - ATHLONE TOWN: John Joe Dykes, Frank Ghent, Dinny Hannon, Tommy Muldoon, Paddy O’Reilly; BOHEMIANS: Ned Brooks, Bertie Kerr, Jack McCarthy, Johnny Murray, Christy Robinson, John Thomas; BROOKLYN: Joe Kendrick, Tony Hunston; JACOBS: Frank Collins; ST JAMES’S GATE: Charlie Dowdall, Paddy Duncan, Mick Farrell, Ernie MacKay, Tommy Murphy. TRAINER: Charlie Harris (Bohemians).