HISTORY OF IRELAND CRICKET TEAM

Early in the 19^th century Ireland introduced in Cricket by English in Kilkenny and Ballinasloe towns. The cricket began to extend among many club within 30 years. In the 1855 Irish national team first played in Dublin against the English Gentlemen. The English man Charles Lawrence appointed as a coach and took the responsibilities to develop their cricket. With the professional touring team Ireland first visited in 1850  and played against Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC)

The Cricket achieved popularity between 1880 in Ireland. Spreading of cricket began set back by Gaelic Athletic Association due to land war. Cricket playing was banned in Irish and began popular in Hurling and Gaelic football. l Ireland visited top play in Canada, and USA in 1879, 1888, 1892 and 1909, the best performance of Irish was defeated South Africa in 1904. On 19 May 1902 they played their first class status of first match against London. Sir Tim O’Brien was the captain and convincingly won by 238 runs.

After England tour of Irish four match yielded won, two match draw and lost one match, There was a restriction on Irish to play first class cricket for five years. They played a first class match against Scotland in 1909. Ireland began to play annual match against MCC from 1924.

The Irish continued played first class match during the world war period only break until 1999, Ireland played a three day test match against West Indies in Dublin they won by 60 runs in 1928 and that was the first match against West Indies. Another match played in 1969 against West Indiajn side at Sion Mills in Country Tyrone and the result was lost to West Indians side. And that was the last touring lost  until 2003 in the same year they beat Zimbabwe by 10 wickets. Ireland became an Associate member of ICC in 1993, one year before of Scotland.

Ireland were permitted to participated in ICC Trophy in 1994 for the first, Ireland won three among seven game and finished the seventh place of the tournament. After three years they show their best effort by appear in the same final in Malaysia  but lost to Kenya by 7 runs. They lost the first match in Canada by six wicket and to Denmark also lost by 12 runs. 

In the ICC Trophy of 2005 hosted in Ireland , the final stage lost to  England .In 2004 ICC Intercontinental Cup on a regard basis Ireland got a chance for play first class, the competition divided into four division, while Netherlands defeated by Ireland and Ireland lost to the group match in 2004 against Scotland. Ireland played the ICC Intercontinental Cup in 2007 in the final against Canada ,there won by an innings and 115 runs.