Cricket in Victorian Ireland 1848-1878: a Social History
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University of Huddersfield Repository Reid, Sean Cricket in Victorian Ireland 1848 - 1878: a social history Original Citation Reid, Sean (2014) Cricket in Victorian Ireland 1848 - 1878: a social history. Doctoral thesis, University of Huddersfield. This version is available at http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/25016/ The University Repository is a digital collection of the research output of the University, available on Open Access. Copyright and Moral Rights for the items on this site are retained by the individual author and/or other copyright owners. Users may access full items free of charge; copies of full text items generally can be reproduced, displayed or performed and given to third parties in any format or medium for personal research or study, educational or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge, provided: • The authors, title and full bibliographic details is credited in any copy; • A hyperlink and/or URL is included for the original metadata page; and • The content is not changed in any way. For more information, including our policy and submission procedure, please contact the Repository Team at: [email protected]. http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/ Cricket in Victorian Ireland 1848 - 1878: a social history Sean Reid A thesis submitted to the University of Huddersfield in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy September 2014 Abstract This thesis investigates the playing of cricket in Ireland in the period 1848 – 1878. This work makes an original contribution to knowledge in the Irish sporting, social and wider cricketing history canon as it is the first academic study of the history of cricket in nineteenth-century Ireland nationally. It will suggest cricket to be Ireland’s most popular reported team sport in the mid-nineteenth century. The thesis contains four key central themes examining the rise and then beginning subsequent decline of Irish cricket. These four driving questions examine: who played the game; how it was played in terms of facilitation and encouragement; where the game was played geographically and in terms of formations such as in clubs, schools and workplaces; and why cricket was played in these years. Cricket’s popularity in this investigation peaks in the mid-1870s before beginning to decline, and attention will be paid to examine why cricket rose and then began to fall. Cricket was played by all male socio-economic sections of society, by Protestants and Catholics, Unionists and nationalists. Women were involved in cricket as spectators and as an integral part of festivities, but this participation stayed beyond the boundary. Cricket was played due to the influence and leadership of political leaders, the wealthiest in society, businesses and businessmen, workplaces, leading administrative individuals, Catholic and Protestant churches and transport companies. Patronage was a key part of the rise of the sport metaphorically and through provision. No evidence has been found to support the idea of cricket being a deliberate and overt imperial implantation or enterprise. Cricket was played across the whole of Ireland geographically, in both urban and rural areas and in all four provinces, although the game was more reported in the eastern side of the island than the western. Nonetheless, cricket was played nationally and could even be called the national game. Cricket was played for a mixture of boredom and lack of alternative recreations, concerns about and desires to be healthy, the nobility and manliness of the game that would reflect well on those playing, the chance to establish local pride and the natural diffusion of a popular recreation from the mainland. Cricket established no clearly distinguishing characteristic as being English or British, and thus the game was supported by nationalistic organisations. The beginning decline of cricket was due to internal structural problems in tandem with emerging external threats such as the growth of other sports – problems that had been predicted and forewarned from the mid-1860s, dismissing the idea of the game’s decline being due to the Gaelic revival led by the GAA from the 1880s. Cricket had a broad base but shallow roots that depended on local generosity that was not sustainable in the long term. 2 Copyright statement i. The author of this thesis (including any appendices and/or schedules to this thesis) owns any copyright in it (the “Copyright”) and s/he has given The University of Huddersfield the right to use such Copyright for any administrative, promotional, educational and/or teaching purposes. ii. Copies of this thesis, either in full or in extracts, may be made only in accordance with the regulations of the University Library. Details of these regulations may be obtained from the Librarian. This page must form part of any such copies made. iii. The ownership of any patents, designs, trademarks and any and all other intellectual property rights except for the Copyright (the “Intellectual Property Rights”) and any reproductions of copyright works, for example graphs and tables (“Reproductions”), which may be described in this thesis, may not be owned by the author and may be owned by third parties. Such Intellectual Property Rights and Reproductions cannot and must not be made available for use without the prior written permission of the owner(s) of the relevant Intellectual Property Rights and/or Reproductions. 3 Acknowledgements I would like to publically record my immense gratitude to the University of Huddersfield History department for their facilitating guidance, support and encouragement in the production of this thesis. Duncan Stone extended the initial invitation to contact the University, and from that chance encounter in the summer of 2009 this work grew. Peter Davies was a kind and interested primary supervisor whose enthusiasm for my work made me believe that it was worth pursuing in my early years of research. This work is testament to his enduring legacy in the field of cricketing history. Keith Laybourn then assumed the role of my primary supervisor, and has guided my work with incision, analysis and rigour and has been a calming and reassuring influence. My sincere thanks are offered to both Peter and Keith for all they have done to support my work in their supervisory roles. In addition, many other colleagues demand recognition, including Rob Light, Rob Ellis, Paul Ward, Dennis O’Keefe and Duncan Stone, all of whom have aided and smoothed my work at various stages over the last five years. Collectively, the department’s support and humour has been invaluable and appreciated. Administratively, thanks are offered to all at the University who have allowed me to complete this work seamlessly. In researching this work, the logistical support of the British Library for researchers never ceased to amaze, and I owe gratitude to the MCC library and archive staff for allowing me to kindly access research material a number of years ago. Many colleagues in the wider Irish sporting history fraternity are owed thanks, and in particular Pat Bracken has been a sounding board of both knowledge and sense along the way. I am delighted he has just completed his own doctorate on sport in County Tipperary with De Montfort University. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the countless individuals in Irish cricket clubs, schools, universities and general historical groups who’ve shown kindness in fielding emails, sourcing pieces of use and adding to this work through ideas and suggestions. Many professional colleagues have supported me and I will avoid listing all, but particular thanks is owed to Gareth Parker-Jones, whose enthusiasm for my research encouraged me to pursue this work at times of difficulty and whose perception in reading draft material smoothed a few 4 edges. David Hall’s reading of the text likewise offered incisive commentary on moulding the final piece. In addition to the support noted above, the reassurance, tolerance and support provided by my family and friends has been crucial. Jim Howley prodded away with emails and reminders to keep me on track. Particular thanks are owed to John, Mary, Peter and Kieran Reid and Samantha Gush, without all of whom this work would not have been possible. 5 Contents Lists of diagrams and tables pp. 7-8 List of abbreviations p.9 Map of Ireland 1660 - 1800 p.10 Map of Ireland 1808 p.11 Introduction p.12 Chapter one: factors affecting the playing of cricket p.43 between 1848 – 1866 Chapter two: the people who played cricket in Ireland, p.101 1848 – 1866 Chapter three: reaching the apogee of Irish cricket, 1867 – 1872 p.144 Chapter four: only ever an amateur game, 1873 – 1878 p.188 Conclusion p.241 Epilogue p.250 Appendices Appendix one: a note on methodology p.256 Appendix two: records of newspaper reporting p.260 Appendix three: cricket teams in Ireland in 1874 p.263 Appendix four: geographical details of cricket teams in p.275 Ireland in 1874 Appendix five: businesses found selling cricketing goods p.276 in Ireland 1867 – 1872 Appendix six: details of Irish MPs patronising p.279 cricket between 1867 – 1872 Appendix seven: examples of grounds provision and p.280 support for cricket in Ireland in the early 1860s Appendix eight: examples of schools in Ireland and p.281 Britain using cricket as part of their advertising material in the years 1867 – 1872 Bibliography p.282 Word count: 99,718 6 Lists of diagrams and tables Diagrams Diagram one: a comparative analysis of the different sports reported p.48 in the year 1855 Diagram two: