Have any Irish born people played for a foreign country?

[sligobhoy67]

Willie Maley played for Scotland.

Any others

[jmurphyc]

Anyone who's ever played for Northern Ireland. :p

[Razors left peg]

Anyone who's ever played for Northern Ireland. :p
brilliant:D:D

[Qwerty]

Kyran Bracken in rugby.
Thomas Mitchell in cricket.
Also I think there is a current Australian international rugby player/swimmer who was born in Ireland but emigrated when he wavs very young.


No soccer player that I know of. O'Brien in the MLS would have been the closest call recently.

[sligobhoy67]

Anyone who's ever played for Northern Ireland. :p

I said foreign! back on topic please

[sligobhoy67]

Kyran Bracken in rugby.
Thomas Mitchell in cricket.
Also I think there is a current Australian international rugby player/swimmer who was born in Ireland but emigrated when he wavs very young.


No soccer player that I know of. O'Brien in the MLS would have been the closest call recently.

Football only - I'm not interested in joke sports

[SkStu]

i represented Laos in a soccer world cup tournament here.
does that count? i think me and Willie could be the only irish born soccer players to ever represent another country.

nice wan.

[sligobhoy67]

Jack Reynolds played for Ireland and then later played for England after he said he was actually born in Blackburn, although brought up in Antrim

[jmurphyc]

I can't think of any myself off the top of my head, but we start seeing a few in about 10 years.

[theworm2345]

Owen Nolan (ice hockey) is from Northern Ireland but represents Canada I think

[tetsujin1979]

Wasn't there a goalkeeper who played under 16 for Ireland, and then changed allegiance to England? Think he played in a tournament as well for them.

[boovidge]

I can't think of any myself off the top of my head, but we start seeing a few in about 10 years.

i wonder what the reaction will be if/when a Nigerian/polish lad declares for his parents' country?

"yer plastic polish traitor!" :p

[Hibs4Ever]

Some guy played in goal for someone in Carribean, think it was Turks & Coco Islands. Played in their world cup qualifirers a few years back, against USA.

He was from Dublin, moved there with his work, banking or something. So maybe it was Caymen Islands even.

Will try look it up

[ifk101]

I remember reading a newspaper article where Alan Lee was considering declaring for the US of A prior to his first cap for us.

[Shedender81]

i represented Laos in a soccer world cup tournament here.
does that count? i think me and Willie could be the only irish born soccer players to ever represent another country.

nice wan.

Did you mean Laios ?

[shedite]

Ed Joyce was born and raised in BRay before declaring for England for the Cricket World Cup last year.

[pineapple stu]

I know a lad who's played international football for the Turks and Caicos Islands.

He was asked to head back one weekend to play in the World Cup on the Saturday, and for the rugby team on the Sunday, but he had repeats on, so had to give it a miss.

But I'd say fairly few overall. Laurence Roche (cycling) is one that springs to mind - he races for France, and is Stephen's son.

[SaucyJack]

I know a lad who's played international football for the Turks and Caicos Islands.

He was asked to head back one weekend to play in the World Cup on the Saturday, and for the rugby team on the Sunday, but he had repeats on, so had to give it a miss.

But I'd say fairly few overall. Laurence Roche (cycling) is one that springs to mind - he races for France, and is Stephen's son.


I'm pretty sure Roche Jr. switched back to Ireland.

[geysir]

In the 1960´s there was a top class marathon runner (from Limerick?) called Jim Hogan who competed for Britain. He had an Irish accent, so heavy that they needed an interpreter to translate it. He won a Euro gold medal but failed to deliver on expectations in the Olympics.

[Torn-Ado]

I seen a setanta documentary on an Irish lad playing for Kazakhstan in rugby WC qualifiers.

[ifk101]

I seen a setanta documentary on an Irish lad playing for Kazakhstan in rugby WC qualifiers.

I'm sure there must be one or two Irish born lads playing rugby for Sweden.

[SkStu]

Did you mean Laios ?

id never represent Laois.

http://geology.com/world/laos-map.gif

[Traps Cat]

Sean Sullivan - a Goalkeeper who got 3 caps for malta

http://www.maltafootball.com/national/players.shtml

[pineapple stu]

I'm pretty sure Roche Jr. switched back to Ireland.
Just checked wikipedia there - Lawrence is Stephen's brother; Nicholas is his son and was born in France, and does seem to have redeclared for Ireland.

[Snoop Drog]

Brian Carney is Cork born and was capped a dozen times or so for the Great Britain rugby league side.

[padjoe]

Kyran Bracken in rugby.
Thomas Mitchell in cricket.
Also I think there is a current Australian international rugby player/swimmer who was born in Ireland but emigrated when he wavs very young.


No soccer player that I know of. O'Brien in the MLS would have been the closest call recently.


any idea who the australian is?

[Aberdonian Stu]

I know a lad who's played international football for the Turks and Caicos Islands.

He was asked to head back one weekend to play in the World Cup on the Saturday, and for the rugby team on the Sunday, but he had repeats on, so had to give it a miss.


Assuming this is the same lad I know then he hasn't played for them yet. Also he wasn't Irish born, was born in T&C.

[Dodge]

Just checked wikipedia there - Lawrence is Stephen's brother; Nicholas is his son and was born in France, and does seem to have redeclared for Ireland.

He raced in the world Championships for Ireland and never actually represented France.

[Jerry The Saint]

Brian Carney is Cork born and was capped a dozen times or so for the Great Britain rugby league side.

GB&I at the time surely?

Played League (and Union) for Ireland when there was an Ireland team available, i.e. it was impossible for him to play against Ireland.

[Dodge]

GB&I at the time surely?

Played League (and Union) for Ireland when there was an Ireland team available, i.e. it was impossible for him to play against Ireland.
Correct

[endabob1]

GB&I at the time surely?

Played League (and Union) for Ireland when there was an Ireland team available, i.e. it was impossible for him to play against Ireland.

Exactly, same as playing for the Lions in Union

[pineapple stu]

Assuming this is the same lad I know then he hasn't played for them yet. Also he wasn't Irish born, was born in T&C.
No, we know two different people from the T&C. ;)

Don't spoil my fun.

[BobtheDrog]

kyran bracken was born in dublin

[Dodge]

...and mentioned in the 4th post

[Sheridan]

Don't think Sean Sullivan was born in Ireland, so still looking for a footballer.

Lots of cricketers; nine Irish-born players have played Test cricket for a total of three countries (England, Australia, South Africa) and Sir Tim O'Brien even captained England in Tests. Most recent was Larne's Martin McCague who played a few Ashes Tests for England in the early nineties. Obviously Ed Joyce has played ODIs for England since. At a lower level, former Irish international Jack Short from Cork emigrated to France and captained the national team there, notably to victory over MCC in the conclusion of a game that suffered the longest delay in history (revolution stopped play for 200 years.)

[Snoop Drog]

any idea who the australian is?

Owen Finnegan, former Wallaby, has Irish heritage but is Australian born.

Eamon Sullivan, the Aussie swimmer and 50m world record holder, certainly has a very Irish name but was born in W.A.

[Stevo Da Gull]

Owen Nolan (ice hockey) is from Northern Ireland but represents Canada I think

Yip. One of Six NHL players born in Ireland or Northern Ireland to play in the NHL, not sure if any of the others represented a nation though.

[Raheen]

I seen a setanta documentary on an Irish lad playing for Kazakhstan in rugby WC qualifiers.

He's in today's Irish Times!

Did Gordon Brett ex-Galway Utd and Athlone Town play a few games for the Norn Irn U21's?? I could be very wrong on this.

[paudie]

Didn't Jim Stynes play for Australia in "International Rules" against Ireland ....obviously?

[paudie]

He raced in the world Championships for Ireland and never actually represented France.

Nicholas Roche was very prominent in the World Championship race last year IIRC. Saw it on Eurosport.

[Wangball]

Owne Finnegan (The Aussie Rugby Player) was the only member of his family not born in Ireland, his parents, brothers & sisters all were....afaik!

[rambler14]

Sonia O'Sullivan represented Austrailia at the Commonwealth games.

Luke O'Callaghan is the Irish fella playing rugby for Kazakhstan.

[Dodge]

Sonia O'Sullivan represented Austrailia at the Commonwealth games.
No she didn't

[rambler14]

No she didn't

It mightn't have been the Commonwealth games but she definetley applied for representation with Austrailia because the Irish Olympic Council refused to fund her competing anymore.

[Dodge]

It mightn't have been the Commonwealth games but she definetley applied for representation with Austrailia because the Irish Olympic Council refused to fund her competing anymore.

Jaysus, you're way off.

She lives in Australia with her Aussie husband and had retired from full time athletics. The Aussies asked her to compete at the Ciommonwelath games and she thought about it but decided against it. In an interview before the Aussie trials she said she'd never compete in a championship against Irish athletes. It had nothing to do with funding.

She's now a coach with the Aussie team

[Snoop Drog]

Jaysus, you're way off.

She lives in Australia with her Aussie husband and had retired from full time athletics. The Aussies asked her to compete at the Ciommonwelath games and she thought about it but decided against it. In an interview before the Aussie trials she said she'd never compete in a championship against Irish athletes. It had nothing to do with funding.

She's now a coach with the Aussie team

I seem to recall she decided to compete but failed to qualify.

[Dodge]

actually i think she got injured...

[rambler14]

In an interview before the Aussie trials she said she'd never compete in a championship against Irish athletes. It had nothing to do with funding.


Ireland arn't represented at the Commonwealth games so the above isn't a problem. She defo got injured otherwise she'd have represented the Aussie team.

[Dodge]

I know...

But you're way off with the funding thing.

[old git]

In the 1960´s there was a top class marathon runner (from Limerick?) called Jim Hogan who competed for Britain. He had an Irish accent, so heavy that they needed an interpreter to translate it. He won a Euro gold medal but failed to deliver on expectations in the Olympics.

yes your right story on him last night in the limerick post paper .. he moved to england but changed his second name by deed poll and was honoured to stand for god save the queen as his national anthem ... !!!!!!!!!