The former Ulster and Irish winger Andrew Trimble had a great show on RTE this week about the North of Ireland and rugby and politics.
One thing a lot of viewers didn’t know was before there was a few internationals that were held up in Belfast and God Save the Queen was played before them.
Trimble said the following while talking to his buddy Barry Murphy in Croke Park;
“Up until the 1950s, they used to play alternate Ireland internationals in Belfast and Dublin and, when they played in Belfast [at Ravenhill], they used to play God Save the Queen… that was the IRFU protocol, at the time. It was an all-Ireland rugby team. There was partition in 1921 and that was the compromise.”
“That is an incredible compromise,” declared Murphy. “I could never imagine that happening.”
That would be a hard no from Barry Murphy 😉
Former Rugby player #AndrewTrimble and former team-mate Barry talk national anthems at games.
Andrew Trimble: For Ulster and Ireland | Monday | 9.35pm@barrymurphyhg @Andrew_trimble pic.twitter.com/BvwqjIQc1k
— RTÉ One (@RTEOne) February 12, 2024