Since the days in the late 1880s when composite teams from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales first toured in the southern hemisphere, a succession of Irish players and officials have made a huge contribution to touring sides.
In the 1888 and 1891 tours, the teams were comprised of players from Scotland and England only. Then, in 1896, the Irish joined the scene and no fewer than nine Irish players were in the squad that toured South Africa.
These included the great Louis Magee, his brother James, Tom Crean, Andrew Clinch, Cecil Boyd, Lawrence Bulger, Robert Johnston, later to win the Victoria Cross, Arthur Meares, and James Sealy.
The Magees were the first pair of Irish brothers to play for the team later to be become known as the Lions. Those were the men who established the great Irish Lions tradition and that will be carried a stage further in June when the Lions set off for Australia.
That Lions team will be managed by Donal Lenihan, who becomes the latest in the list of Irishmen who have managed and coached the Lions. Lenihan is in the very best traditions of that very distinguished group and there could be no more worthy man to lead the first Lions team of this century.
Speculation on how many Irishmen will be in the Lions squad is something that will be explored here in the near future. Mind you, if some of the "sages" across the water who never see the sky over Irish rugby nor have even seen Ireland play this season, have their way, there won't be too many.
But then there is no variation there on an all too familiar theme. Remember in 1997, when we were told from one of the same sources that the only Irishman of the four who went on the tour who had even a chance of a test place was Keith Wood? History has put that "great" forecast into its right perspective. Lenihan and his fellow Lions selectors and advisers will be infinitely more objective.
Lenihan is one of no fewer than nine Irishmen who have captained the Lions, starting with Tom Smyth in 1910; there followed Sammy Walker (1938), Karl Mullen (1950), Robin Thompson (1955), Ronnie Dawson (1959), Tom Kiernan (1968), Willie John McBride (1974) and Ciaran Fitzgerald (1983).
Lenihan led the Lions in the special match to mark the centenary of the International Board in 1986 and those players gained full Lions status. The Lions, in fact, had been due to go to South Africa, but that tour was cancelled. He is the fifth Irishman to manage the Lions. Jack Siggins was the first in 1955, then came Des O'Brien (1966), Syd Millar (1980) and Willie John McBride (1983).
In addition, Ossie Glasgow was assistant manager on the 1959 Lions tour to Australia and New Zealand, and Harry McKibbin assistant manager in South Africa in 1962. Ronnie Dawson coached the Lions in South Africa in 1968, Syd Millar the greatest Lions side of all, the 1974 team in South Africa and Noel Murphy the Lions in South Africa in 1980. Mick Doyle was coach to the 1986 team.
McBride and Mike Gibson both played on five Lions tours. McBride has played more tests - 17 - for the Lions than any man in history. Ronnie Dawson has captained the Lions in more tests than any other Lions captain - six. Tony O'Reilly is the top Lions try-scorer and Tony Ward is the joint record holder with Gavin Hastings for points in a test for the Lions with 18.
It is a tremendous record and a telling testimony to Ireland's contribution through the years. Now Lenihan enhances the contribution. He will bring to his task an immense wealth of experience.
A member of the Triple Crown and Championship winning teams of 1982 and 1985, he won 52 caps for Ireland and is the most capped of all Munster forwards. He captained Ireland on 17 occasions and went on two Lions tours as a player. He was selected for the tour to New Zealand in 1983, but was sent home from London on the eve of the tour and had to have a hernia operation.
He subsequently joined the tour as a replacement. He was on the squad that toured Australia in 1989 when the Lions won the test series 21. He managed two Ireland teams on overseas tours to South Africa and Australia. He will thus now be returning to familiar pastures.
The disruption to the Six Nations series has obviously had a knock on effect on his plans and on the selection process. "The disruption to the championship has been a bit of a setback," he said.
"But we must get on with the business in hand. We have obviously by this stage done a great deal of work on selection and our plans are well advanced in other areas.
"But the postponements have put some things a bit up in the air. The indications were that the Irish side was set for a very good championship and that would obviously be beneficial to the Irish players. One must have sympathy for players in that situation and it is hard on young players who want to play themselves into contention.
"The more players are involved at the top level the better, but we have seen some very impressive performances and, despite the disruption, we still have a great deal of very concrete information from the internationals and Heineken Cup on which to base our final selection. We are playing against the World Champions. We need the week to acclimatise before we play our first match in Perth."
He has been working on this tour for a year since his appointment. He has made his plans and quite correctly does not want anything to disrupt the Lions' scheduled departure date or preparation. Like the rest of us, he must wait and see what the remainder of the season has to offer in terms of information on those still in contention for squad places not yet pencilled in.
