Oldest Capped Player

[Superhoops]

Correct!


Not correct.

Billy Lacey is both the oldest (41 years, 7 months, 3 days) and the oldest to win his first cap (37 years, 7 months, 3 days).

In total he won three caps for us:
1927, 1-2 vs Italy B in Lansdowne (our second ever international and first at home under the FAI)
1928 4-2 vs Belgium in Liege (where he scored the second)
1930 3-1 vs Belgium in Brussels

Source: On the Ball by Donal Cullen (sadly banned from this forum I believe)

Of course at the time Billy Lacey was playing, and up to 1950/51 season, players could be picked to play for both Ireland, as we were then, and Northern Ireland. Billy Lacey was first capped by Northern Ireland in 1909 when he was 20.

Donal Cullen in his book refers to the team as the Republic of Ireland from that first game in 1926. In fact, the first game we played as the Republic of Ireland was not until May 1954 against Norway in Dalymount Park.

[fergalr]

Donal Cullen in his book refers to the team as the Republic of Ireland from that first game in 1926.

Good spot. Don't know what was on the program (was there one, Gary?) but at that time the country the team represented was called the Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann).

In fact, the first game we played as the Republic of Ireland was not until May 1954 against Norway in Dalymount Park.

Not sure about his for a couple of reasons.

First of all it was on 18th April 1949 that the Republic of Ireland Act came in to force and this was what provided that the Republic of Ireland should the the official description of the state. Our first game after that date was a week later against Belgium (again!) on the 24th of April - is it not therefore likely that this was the first game for the Republic of Ireland?

Secondly we didn't play Norway in May 1954 according to RSSF: http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/ier-intres.html. You must have been thinking of the game in Nov 1954 or else the game in Oslo in May 1955.

[Superhoops]

Good spot. Don't know what was on the program (was there one, Gary?) but at that time the country the team represented was called the Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann).


Not sure about his for a couple of reasons.

First of all it was on 18th April 1949 that the Republic of Ireland Act came in to force and this was what provided that the Republic of Ireland should the the official description of the state. Our first game after that date was a week later against Belgium (again!) on the 24th of April - is it not therefore likely that this was the first game for the Republic of Ireland?

Secondly we didn't play Norway in May 1954 according to RSSF: http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/ier-intres.html. You must have been thinking of the game in Nov 1954 or else the game in Oslo in May 1955.

You are right about the 1954 game,my mistake, it was the 7th November 1954 in Dalymount (won 2-1).

Using the name 'Republic of Ireland' was not directly to do with the 1949 establishment of the state. it was to do with a FIFA ruling. (From the FAI website: The 1950s Ireland again missed out on World Cup participation in 1950 after losing to Sweden in the qualifiers, but were later asked to compete by FIFA. However, the FAI was forced to decline the invitation because of a lack of time to prepare. 1950 was also the year that the problem of players playing for both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland was finally solved, with FIFA directing both Associations to only pick players from within their own boundaries. FIFA were also to clear up another matter in 1953, when they ruled that the FAI's team would be known as the Republic of Ireland with the IFA's side being called Northern Ireland).

At the time this was decided 'Ireland' were already in a the 1954 World Cup qualifying group with France and Luxembourg and it was agreed that the next game after the qualifying group was completed would be the first game where we would play as the Republic of Ireland. This was the November game against Norway in Dalymount at which the president Sean T O'Kelly attended to mark the occasion.

[fergalr]

Cheers Super - thanks for all those extra details.