The second installment of our three part series addresses the golden years of Irish cricket.
This chapter will begin by looking at the makeup of cricket in Ireland in the 1870s, focusing on how it differs from the modern day game. A few clear examples of this include the absence of boundaries and the low scoring nature of games at the time, which was mainly due to poor pitches.
It will also endeavor to explain the economic and social factors that contributed to the mushrooming growth of Irish cricket during this period. Factors such as the Great Irish Famine’s affect on the growth of Irish living standards during the late 1860s and early 1870s. As well as the monopoly that cricket held over sport in Ireland at the time for those outside of the elite classes.
The crux of this chapter however surrounds the vital role that the Irish Lord Lieutenants played in the rise of Irish cricket. Starting with the groundwork put in place by the 7th Earl of Carlisle in the 1860s; before moving onto the colossal force that drove the growth of Irish cricket in the early 1870s, namely Lord Spencer who can be seen as one of, if not the most influential factors contributing to Irish crickets bounding popularity.
Lord Spencer’s tenure as Lord Lieutenant brought with it a variety of positive initiatives for Irish cricket. It was these initiatives alongside the prevalence of English touring teams and the ever popular tour matches that helped to bring the game to the masses.
The positive affects of these various factors on the growth of Irish cricket in the early 1870s are measured in the final part of the chapter. As Lawrence’s Handbooks and the Irish newspapers of the era are used to supply evidence demonstrating the unsurpassed level of popularity that cricket had reached in Ireland at the time.