eL Player capped for North?

**Tenderloins** · 09/04/2008, 11:10 AM

Has anyone been capped by The North whilst playing for an Eircom League team other than Derry?

I know that up until the 50s there were probably a good few as players were often picked by both National teams.so they dont count!

There would be a few under 21s like Chris Turner(Bohs) or Hugh Davey (UCD?)

**harps1954** · 09/04/2008, 11:41 AM

Tony O'Doherty and Ray Gaston of Harps during the 70's both spring to mind. I'm sure there was one or two others as well.

**harps1954** · 09/04/2008, 11:42 AM

Also, Darren Meenan (now with Monaghan United) played for the North's under-21's when he was with Harps.

**seand** · 09/04/2008, 12:03 PM

Amazingly I don't think it's ever happened, a LoI player being capped for the North. From what info I can find it seems that all the players who played for both NI and RoI were capped for NI only when playing across the water or for Irish League clubs.

Bohs, Shels and Derry would have supplied players to the IFA international side when they were in the Irish League, but not since. (Have Derry had anyone capped at full international level for the North since joined the LoI?)

O�Doherty was capped only while at Coleraine, Gaston at Oxford, neither were capped while at Harps.

This does seem to suggest a certain anti-Dublin bias, e.g. Tommy Eglinton and Peter Farrell were capped by the FAI while at Rovers and Everton, then capped by the IFA only after moving to Everton.... the legendary Paddy Moore was capped once by the IFA- during his brief stay at Aberdeen!

**Dazzy** · 09/04/2008, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by seand

Have Derry had anyone capped at full international level for the North since joined the LoI?

Liam Coyle

**Finlay Harp** · 09/04/2008, 12:12 PM

I know Felix Healy was but I am not sure whether he was with Derry or Coleraine.

**Shedender81** · 09/04/2008, 12:23 PM

Not sure about the last few years... but going back to 40s/50s players could play for both Norn Iron and us so a few players played for both... Would need to check if any where playing in the LOI...

Example is Con Martin (played v England in 48 Ahh what a day) also played for Norn Iron... also played Cricket for Ireland

Man I am bored in work to be writing the above

**pineapple stu** · 09/04/2008, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by Shedender81

Example is Con Martin (played v England in 48 Ahh what a day) also played for Norn Iron... also played Cricket for Ireland

Assume you mean '49?

Originally Posted by Tenderloins

There would be a few under 21s like Chris Turner(Bohs) or Hugh Davey (UCD?)

Hugh Davey got as far as U-23s while with us.

**Dodge** · 09/04/2008, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by Finlay Harp

I know Felix Healy was but I am not sure whether he was with Derry or Coleraine.

When Felix was winning international caps, Derry weren't in any league...

**Krstic** · 09/04/2008, 12:38 PM

Felix Healy wasn't capped whilst at Derry, the only player capped at full International level when playing with Derry since 1985 was Liam Coyle.

Although i would expect that to change if someone from the IFA get's a new Sat Nav and finds the Brandywell in order to see Paddy McCourt.

**seand** · 09/04/2008, 1:04 PM

Liam Coyle, 1 sub appearance against Chile!

Fantastic NI football website here

http://nifootball.blogspot.com/2006/...ionalists.html

**dublinred** · 09/04/2008, 1:10 PM

Would chance a guess at Alan Patterson or Felix Healy whist playing with Sligo Rovers.

**Redie** · 09/04/2008, 3:45 PM

Billy Hamilton played a few games for us (Sligo Rovers) not too long after he played in the World Cup but he might have been retired from international football by then.

**Tenderloins** · 09/04/2008, 3:56 PM

I'd presume too that there are no cases of players capped for the Republic whilst playing in the North?

**Redie** · 09/04/2008, 4:21 PM

Actually Sligoman Sean Fallon represented both Northern Ireland and The Republic of Ireland and he played for both Sligo Rovers and a team from Northern Ireland before he joined Celtic - we are talking about the 1950's here I think.

**seand** · 09/04/2008, 4:22 PM

Originally Posted by Tenderloins

I'd presume too that there are no cases of players capped for the Republic whilst playing in the North?

There was certainly a few Belfast Celtic players in the 40s, Con Martin was capped at Glentoran.

**gspain** · 09/04/2008, 4:51 PM

Originally Posted by Redie

Actually Sligoman Sean Fallon represented both Northern Ireland and The Republic of Ireland and he played for both Sligo Rovers and a team from Northern Ireland before he joined Celtic - we are talking about the 1950's here I think.

Sean Fallon received 8 caps for the Republic 1950-1955 all while at Celtic. He never played for Northern Ireland.

He did refuse to play for NI v the British Army in 1950 at the time of the dispute which resulted in the IFA being banned from picking southern born players. No caps were awarded for those Army games however it is fair to say that he probably would have got capped for them if he wanted to.

The last ever official All Ireland team was v Wales in 1950.

**gspain** · 09/04/2008, 5:05 PM

The RoI team that played Spain in Madrid on June 23rd `1946 had 4 Irish League playes - Con Martin Glentoran, Bud Aherne Billy McMillan and Jackie Vernon from Belfast Celtic. Davy Walsh had only just left Linfield for West Brom as well but was technically a west brom player then. 2 Shamrock Rovers and 1 Cork united player in the side too. We won 1-0 as well.