Sunshine on Leith: The Irish origins of Hibernian FC, as they celebrate 150 years

The 42

9 hours ago

THE BHOYS IN their green and white hoops are on a season-long commemoration of their Irish roots, having been founded by a cleric with the intention of helping the destitute Irish in their Scottish city.
We are talking, of course, not of Glasgow Celtic, but of Hibernian FC.
On 6 August, the Edinburgh club hosted a free exhibition at the St Mary's Street Hall that documented their formation exactly 150 years to the day.
It was one of a series of events to recognise the landmark. A few weeks before, they staged a friendly with Rot-Weiss Essen of the German third tier; the opposition they met back in 1955 when they became the first British club to play in the inaugural European Cup.
A casual look at what was on display in the historical display, however, shows how at one point Hibernian FC were the greatest charitable experiment for the Irish diaspora in the world; one that Celtic would faithfully imitate right down to the small details.
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Take it right back to the start and at the time of their formation, Edinburgh had an Irish problem. Over 100,000 had left Ireland in the years during and immediately after the Great Famine to go to Scotland. While the majority settled in Glasgow, like many other cities, Edinburgh struggled to accommodate the refugees.
Two of whom were John Connolly, a labourer originally from Monaghan, and his wife Mary McGinn of Ballymena, Co Antrim. They lived in Cowgate, nowadays a thriving area of modern city life, but back then a slum known as the unflattering 'Little Ireland.'
Their third born son, James Connolly, would later become an enormous figure in Ireland's political history, but it was with the then seven-year-old James Connolly in mind that Limerick-born Canon Edward Hannan of St Patrick's Church and Michael Whelahan of Kilglass, Co Roscommon, who had just turned 21 and would become the club's first captain, were thinking of.
James Connolly. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo
Together, they imagined a football club that would raise money for the starving Irish and help them integrate successfully into Scottish society.
At this early stage, the Irish influence was absolute, starting with the name itself: Hibernia being the Roman name for Ireland.
The Catholic Young Men's Society was embedded from the outset and it was insisted upon that playing members were teetotallers and practising Catholics. The club motto adopted was 'Erin Go Bragh.'
Naturally, there was opposition from certain elements of the establishment and Hibernian struggled to get opposition for games. Not only was there an anti-Irish feeling, but a class issue also as football was not yet a mass, working-class pursuit.
It was Heart of Midlothian of all teams that helped them out and played a series of games until the stand-off melted away and they were accepted by those that ran Scottish soccer, the Edinburgh and Scottish Football Associations.
A year into their existence, they began wearing green and white hoops, something they did for a decade. They called themselves the 'Bhoys.'
In 1902 when they won the Scottish Cup, they did so with Dubliner Dan McMichael as the club secretary. While teams were effectively run by committee in those days, McMichael was the de facto manager.
The Irish connection has not always been particularly strong, but some notable recent players include Nick Colgan, Daryl Horgan, Anthony Stokes and the late Liam Miller.
Anthony Stokes. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo
Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill had three seasons there in the '90s under Alex Miller, while Ivan Sproule of Tyrone had two spells at Easter Road and hit a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over then champions Rangers.
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No less than George Best fetched up in the 1979-80 season on a 'pay for play' basis. While the gates were quadrupled, he could not save Hibs from relegation.
George Best in the colours of Hibernian. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo
One quirky connection was that of Pat Stanton who was acknowledged as one of Hibernian's greatest servants, a winner of the Scottish Football Writer's player of the year in 1970 and one who fended off interest from Celtic until the very final years of his career because of his connection to Hibs.
He was the great-great nephew of founding member Michael Whelehan. In July of this summer, the club named one of the Easter Road stands, 'The Pat Stanton Stand.'
Pat Stanton at the dedication of a stand in his name. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo
Like any good Irish sporting story, there's also room for a good old gypsy curse saga.
For Hibs, it centred around a Scottish Cup drought that lasted from the Edwardian era and the refurbishment of the south stand in the 1950s, that did not reinstall the Hibs' harp emblem.
The finger of suspicion for such a decision landed on chairman Harry Swan. He was selected by the board as the first non-Irish Catholic to take the role.
Any quick check though would debunk that theory. Swan had presided over a post-war period that had one of Hibs' most successful periods, including three league titles in five years. He himself ordered a hand-crafted mosaic harp for the club's boardroom.
Still, there are grudges that never wither. The New Year's Day match between Celtic and Rangers in 1952 provoked serious violence on the pitch.
The Scottish FA considered a request for the Irish tricolour to be removed from Celtic Park. Celtic refused. Sanctions were threatened. Other clubs had their say with a vote and Hibs – represented by Swan – voted against Celtic.
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Everything changes, everything evolves. Hibernian is like any other club; home to thousands of different philosophies. For a great deal of Hibs fans, the club was about the old dock town of Leith and the local culture.
For some it was a badge of anti-establishment. Others felt they were just as Irish and indeed Republican as Celtic.
It's a theory that has some references in popular culture outside of the terraces. For example, in Irvine Welsh's novel Trainspotting, following the misadventures of a group of heroin addicts and Hibernian fans in Edinburgh, there is a chapter detailing Francis Begbie's New Year's Eve party where the assembled are belting out a selection of Irish Rebel songs, including 'Off to Dublin in the Green.'
Edinburgh author and Hibs fan, Irvine Welsh. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo
And yet, one of the central characters in Mark Renton comes from a family of Hearts supporters with a brother in the British Army serving in Belfast.
The passage of time brings a new generation. When Hibs reached the Scottish Cup final of 2016 and beat Rangers 3-2, their first Cup since 1902, it included a few elements.
The contribution of Anthony Stokes was immense. He scored the first goal, a neat stab to the far post after finding himself in space down the left wing.
Rangers then grabbed two goals before Stokes' equalising header in the 80th minute. But he was a complete menace throughout, hitting the woodwork and having another shot parried, before David Grey's header in added time sealed the 3-2 win.
The big Hollywood moment came as the Cup was presented to Hibs for the first time in 114 years and Hampden Park swayed to the crowd belting out that most gorgeous Hibs anthem, 'Sunshine on Leith' by The Proclaimers.
There were some Irish tricolours among the Hibs end. This was a century on from the Easter Rising and James Connolly's execution.
Just on Connolly; as a child, he acted as a ball-boy on match days for Hibernian.
He had a love-hate relationship with his home town. The love centred mainly around Hibernian but it is striking how monuments and statues commemorating Connolly have been erected in Belfast, Dublin, Chicago and Troy, but not in Edinburgh. There is a small plaque near his birthplace.
Nonetheless, there is a Hibs supporter's club named after him.
It is difficult to think of another example of just how Irish emigration succeeded than Glasgow Celtic.
But it's debateable if it all would have happened without the example of Hibernian FC.
Four years after their establishment, Dundee was a city with a strong Irish identity, a census conducted in 1851 revealing that 19% of the city was Irish. They found their voice with the formation of Dundee Harp in 1879.
Following a suspension by the Scottish Football Association in 1894, Dundee Harp stopped playing, were replaced by Dundee Hibernian, before reverting back to the Harp name prior to going defunct.
It lives on in one way. The area around Lochee was known as 'Little Tipperary.' Having been formed in 1904, Lochee Harp are still on the go at junior level.
Then, there was Dundee Hibernian who formed in 1909. Their first game was in August of that year against Hibernian of Edinburgh and they joined the league the following year.
In 1923, they almost went bust and it was decided to change the name of the club to Dundee United, and the colours from green and white, to white and black. They would later change to orange and black in 1969.
In 1887, Brother Walfrid of Sligo was inspired by the success of Hibernian and wished to achieve the same for the Irish poor in Glasgow.
At the time, Hibernian made donations to the fledging enterprise.
Unbeknownst to the other Celtic board members as football was evolving from amateur to professional, two Celtic board members, Glasgow businessmen John Glass and Pat Welsh, were thinking in terms of running Celtic as a profitable venture.
In time, the best players of Hibernian were tempted west by the Celtic largesse.
Under the management of Willie Maley, born and bred in Newry, Co Down, Celtic developed ideas of producing players from the wider east end of Glasgow and surrounding regions that gave them a strong identity.
Eventually, with the help of Jock Stein, Celtic would capture the European Cup in 1967 with a team of players all from within 30 miles of Celtic Park; a feat never done before, since, or ever with the remotest chance of happening again.
The affections of the Irish were with Celtic and that's how it largely remains.
But it may never have happened without the vision of Hibernian FC.