History

The History of Cricket in Leinster

1731

First mention of cricket in Ireland when the Dublin Journal reported that the sons of the lord lieutenant had been seen playing in the Deer (Phoenix) Park

1792

1792

First match, between 'All Ireland' and The Garrison, also in the Phoenix Park

1814

First reported references to cricket being played in schools, as a regular game with local rules is played in Clongowes Wood in County Kildare.

1821

1821

First reference to cricket being played in College Park, but club not founded till 1835

1823

First match in Carlow, first club then founded there in 1831

1829

First reference to cricket in Fingal appears, on the site of Ardgillan Demesne.

1830

1830

First club founded – Phoenix had several homes before settling on current ground in Phoenix Park is still the oldest and longest running cricket club in Ireland.

1852

The Leinster club founded in Rathmines, which also played on several grounds

1855

1855

Ireland play their first international match, in the Phoenix Park against the Gentlemen of England and run out winners by 107 runs.

1861

Malahide CC founded

1863

First North v South fixture; Balbriggan CC and Civil Service CC founded

1868

1868

Pembroke CC founded at Sydney Parade

1873

1873

The great cricketer of the age, WG Grace, plays in Ireland for first time, at Rathmines

1876

1876

Clontarf CC founded

1880

1880

Cricket flourishes in provincial towns across Leinster, Westmeath has records of over 130 different cricket clubs from 1870-1884

1884

Reports of more than 50 clubs playing cricket regularly in County Kilkenny, Gowran is known as 'Essentially a cricket village'.

1890

First interprovincials played in Rathmines, as Leinster beat Ulster and Munster to top the table.

1893

1893

Trinity bowl out Warwickshire for 15 at Edgbaston

1894

Leinster Branch of the Irish Cricket Union founded; organise Intermediate Cup, won by Athy

1901

1901

Leinster Junior League founded as a separate body, organising a championship

1902

Leinster Branch votes to rename itself the Leinster Cricket Union

1907

1907

Sir Henry Cochrane builds a stunning cricket ground in Woodbrook, Co. Dublin and plays host to county and international sides over the coming years including Australia, India and South Africa. An audacious attempt to host a Test Match there in 1912 fails however.

1910

LCU organise Junior Cup, first winners are Royal Hibernian Marine School

1919

1919

Leinster Cricket Union founded, first senior league with eight clubs is won by Leinster CC

1923

Irish Cricket Union founded

1926

1926

Fingal League established with 18 teams entering including Rush, Balbriggan, Skerries, Portrane, Oldtown, Knockbrack, Ballymadun, Naul, Balrothery and Clonard

1928

1928

Ireland beat the West Indies (for the 1st time!) in College Park over 3 days in 1928

1935

Leinster win Senior League for eighth year in a row – not done before or since. Whilst Pembroke are the first winners of Leinster Senior Cup.

1936

1936

First attempts at organising women's cricket

1940

1940

Merrion first club to do League/Cup double

1947

Leinster women's XI play first representative games v Northumberland/Durham

1952

First staging of the limited overs (20) Alan Murray Cup won by Leinster

1953

Malahide become first club from outside central Dublin area to be to achieve senior status

1954

Pembroke become the first club to achieve the Senior League, Senior Cup and Alan Murray Cup treble

1966

Guinness Cup interprovincials commence with North and South Leinster sides

1970

1970

Old Belvedere win their fourth and final Leinster Senior Cup, concluding an era of dominance for the Cabra club that is no more after a hat-trick of titles in 1964, 1965, 1966. All 4 teams featured the great Alec O'Riordan.

1972

Senior cup matches changed from timeless to limited (60) overs. Lower cups also change to limited overs format

1974

Wiggins –Teape League senior competition added to Senior League and Cup

1975

1975

Women's cricket revived after dying out for over a decade, with Clontarf Women winning the double in 1977.

1975

1975

Phoenix become only club to achieve the Senior League, Senior Cup and Wiggins Teape League treble

1978

South Leinster win Guinness Cup for the first time, in all they win five titles

1979

Phoenix win the Senior Cup for the fifth year in a row – not done before or since

1982

1982

The Hills become first club for twenty-five years to achieve senior status in the same year as North Leinster win the Guinness Cup, one of their five wins in the competition.

1985

Ireland host Australia for women’s ODI series

1986

1986

Phoenix become first Leinster club to win Irish Senior Cup

1993

Leinster Senior League is divided into Section A and B based on results over the previous two years

1998

1998

After over seventy years in Leinster cricket - twenty-nine at senior level – falling membership numbers force the Carlisle club to close.

1999

Mayo County club formed – are admitted to Minor Cup and win it – the only case ever of a Leinster trophy crossing the Shannon

2000

2000

Ireland beat Pakistan in two days in first women's Test match at College Park

2002

2002

Malahide defeat Rush in the first ever all Leinster Irish Senior Cup final

2005

2005

Ireland qualify for men's World Cup but lose ICC Trophy final in Clontarf

2007

2007

Ireland play first ODI in Leinster, a rained-off game against West Indies in Clontarf

2008

2008

North County confirm themselves as the dominant side of the new Millennium as they win a record 5th Irish Senior Cup as they beat Donemana by 43 runs in Strabane.

2010

Major league restructuring – terms "senior club" and "junior club" are abolished and league divisions are numbered numerically.

2013

2013

Leinster Lightning are born, winning the relaunched 3-day and 50-over interprovincial titles

2013

2013

Ireland play their first ODI at Malahide, England win in front of 10,000 spectators

2015

2015

Leinster Lightning do the treble for the first time, a feat they repeat in 2016 and 2017

2016

2016

Merrion win the Irish Senior Cup, capping an unprecedented dominance by Leinster clubs making it 13 wins in 16 years since 2001.

2017

LCU incorporated as a limited company with Board structure and rebranded as Cricket Leinster.

2018

First time all major club finals and interprovincial 'live-streamed' to a global digital audience.

2018

2018 Cricket Leinster HQ offices established in Sandyford, Dublin as home for staff and all governance meetings.

2018

2018

Ireland play their first Test match, against Pakistan at Malahide