Decorative Arts & History

This cricket coat, made circa 1810, belonged to a member of an early cricket club organised through the Viceregal Lodge, now the Áras an Uachtaráin. It was crafted by E. Jones from Cork Hill, Dublin, as can be seen on the button stamps. The idea of different clothing worn specifically for sport was not introduced to Ireland until the early 19th century. In the beginning, this would usually be a coat, like this one, which would then be removed by the player to reveal their normal clothing. 

Cricket playing in Ireland dates to approximately 1792 and is another example of the military bringing a sport to Ireland. It started when a game between the “Military of Ireland” and the “Gentlemen (Civilians) of Ireland” took place in the Phoenix Park. Notably, the future Duke of Wellington was playing on the Military of Ireland team. The match became an annual affair; soon every major British Army Barracks there was a cricket pitch - the pitch at this Barracks was in Royal Square, now the car park of the National Museum of Ireland. John Parnell, the father of future political leader Charles Stewart Parnell, established the first cricket club in Ireland who played in the same spot in Phoenix Park.  

By the mid-1850s, cricket had spread rapidly, especially in Dublin, and was arguably the most practiced sport in the country. The sport was particularly popular amongst the middle and upper classes. Unlike other perceived class-based sports such as horse racing, teams would consist of landlords, their tenants and labourers, leading to a distinction being formalized in the 19th century between ‘gentlemen’ and ‘players.’ However, with the Celtic Revival and the creation of the Gaelic Athletics Association in 1884, the game began to fall into decline. As the sport was seen as a middle-class and British venture, it was used as a rallying point for the disaffected and disenfranchised working-class tenants of Ireland against their upper class, cricket-playing landlords.  

In 1905, the GAA introduced Rule 27, also known as ‘The Ban.’ This stated that members of the organisation were not allowed to play or watch ‘foreign’ sports and would be removed from the association if caught. Although this initially only included soccer, rugby and hockey, cricket was also added to the list of foreign sports shortly afterwards. The ban lasted more than 70 years, ensuring the game became unknown in much of the country. It would not be removed until 1971.