On Saturday, January 26th 1895, exactly 130 years ago today, the first-ever international field hockey match took place marking a historic moment for the sport. The match was played between Ireland and Wales in the town of Rhyl, located in North Wales. This pioneering encounter laid the foundation for the global development of field hockey as an organized sport.
Ireland emerged victorious, winning 3-0 in an encounter that saw the sides battered by a snowstorm. Despite the conditions, T. Beckett found the net twice and A. Carroll add the third to give Ireland a historic win.
Ireland Squad:
GK: J Birmingham [Palmerston]
Backs: WB Dobbs (C) – [Dundrum], B Ramsay [King’s Hospital]
Half Backs: JE Mills [Palmerston], T Walsh [Palmerston], W Butler [King’s Hospital]
Forwards: P Carton [Trinity], H Birmingham [Palmerston], T Beckett [King’s Hospital], H Rutherford [Trinity], A Carroll [Dundrum]
Reserves: D Gordon, Clifford, WD Hamilton, TC Devlin, B Hamilton.
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