Ireland's Triple Crowns / The 1940s: John O'Sullivan looks back on 'our' one and only Grand Slam, and the 1948 and 1949 title victories
1948. Alone it stands in the pantheon of Irish rugby, the year in which the Ireland rugby team managed its first and only Grand Slam. It also marked the third time the country managed to claim the Triple Crown and the first since 1899.
Ireland opened with a superb win in Paris and then travelled to London where they narrowly edged past England at Twickenham, 11-10. The Irish Times of Monday, February 16th, 1948, through the celebrated pen of rugby writer PD (Paul) MacWeeney recorded that triumph. The heading read, "Thrilling win for Irish XV," the strapline suggesting, "Brilliant Display by Forwards." It seems the great Jack Kyle was not invulnerable to error as MacWeeney chronicled: "The defenders attempt to find touch was short, and Kyle fielded and cut into the centre. Without any necessity for doing so, he flung out a long high pass to his left and R. H. Guest, on England's right wing spotted his chance.
"Like a flash he went for the interception, gathered the ball at top speed, and was clear through the Irish team from inside his own 25. Facing Mattsson in midfield, he did his favourite sidestep, left the fullback sprawling a couple of feet away from him, and gathered top speed again."
Guest went on to score under the posts and as The Irish Times correspondent lamented, "What a swing - instead of being 14-5, the scoreboard read 11-10."
Ireland accounted for Scotland at Lansdowne Road with tries from Barney Mullan and Kyle. On the Monday following the Scottish game, The Irish Times main headline on page one contained the rather non-PC headline, "28 British Soldiers Killed by Jews in Palestine." An advertisement at the bottom of the page extolled the virtues of Pond's Creams as attested to by Mrs Cyril McCormack "daughter-in-law of the world-famous Irish tenor, John Count McCormack".
The Grand Slam/Triple Crown match against Wales was played at Ravenhill on March 13th and again MacWeeney was in attendance, noting in his introduction following the Irish team's 6-3 success that "Souvenir-hunters removed J.C. Daly's jersey, and altogether everyone was in a happy frame of mind." Indeed.
The following year, 1949, Ireland claimed another Triple Crown and this on the back of losing their opening game against France 16-9 at Lansdowne Road.
Once again hooker Karl Mullen led Ireland, atoning for the French loss with a 14-5 victory over England, full back George Norton, who had made his debut in the first game, taking his points tally to 17 after two matches.
Scotland were the next side to roll up to Dublin and were sent packing 13-3. The Irish Times front page lead on the Monday referred to "Partition Issue Now On An International Plane," a reference to comments made by the then Taoiseach, John A Costello in addressing the Fine Gael ard fheis. He poignantly noted: "We want no bitterness, no strife."
The headline that adorned the Scottish match report was altogether more sedentary: "Ireland's Victory Increases Triple Crown Hopes." MacWeeney singled out several players for especially praise notably flanker Jim McCarthy who grabbed a brace of tries, Norton, but also a young Queen's University centre called Noel Henderson. Note the reference to "us".
"He (Henderson) played a vital role in the early stages, when Scotland's shock tactics were causing us a lot of worry, by the severity of his tackling, and all through the afternoon he took his man down in a manner which brought the passing movement to an abrupt end."
Wales stood between Ireland and a Triple Crown once again, although this time the game would be played at St Helen's, Swansea, a venue at which the Irish had not won for 60 years.
On Monday's front page of The Irish Times, there is a photograph of Norton kicking the conversion to McCarthy's try. The caption included the following note: "The members of the Irish team will arrive at Dun Laoghaire this morning and a great welcome awaits them.
"Mr P.L. McEvoy, Chairman of Dun Laoghaire Borough Council; officials of the Irish Rugby Union, old Irish internationals and representatives of the Dublin rugby clubs will be there to greet the players."
The picture sat nestled beside a report on the recuperative powers of King George of England following an operation to restore the blood supply to his right foot. A bulletin from Buckingham Palace intoned: "During the night the King has had periods of sleep. Temperature, pulse and respiration are normal."
By all accounts he probably had a more restful night than Ireland's Triple Crown heroes of 1949.
