Some of our present clubs had been involved in the old leagues from their start. These clubs are Merrion, YMCA, Terenure (CYM), Leinster, Pembroke, Railway Union and Civil Service. The two clubs missing from that list are Phoenix, who had only one team during the whole period, and Trinity, who first entered Junior League competitions in 1919, but decided against it at the end of the period.

 

UCD were involved from 1917-1925, and there is a database of their players, including, rather surprisingly, a small, colourful contingient from the West Indies, who all studied Medicine at either UCD or RCSI. Meanwhile, Trinity had quite a few southern Africans on their Cricket and Rugby teams. Most of them also studied Medicine, so there is in some way, a parallel, but that's where it stops.

 

What we would like from all the clubs now is a contact who can give us some information about what records they still have in their possession. These could be scorebooks, records of committee meetings, club membership lists, old team photographs (with names) etc. At some stage we would like all of these to be saved for posterity. That means each club should seriously consider scanning all the old documents available, sending the to us at Leinster Cricket and saving them in their own archives. In addition, each club should seriously try to collect all old scorebooks which may be in the possession of former captains. They have no use deteriorating in wet attics and cellars, but WE have use for them. Experience shows that when the person with club records leaves this planet, the club records in his/her possession go with him! They end up in a skip or on a bonfire.

 

Cricket Leinster would love to get as much feedback as possible. The email address for anyone interested is davidpenneymaildk865@gmail.com