A SPECIAL event is being held in the Carrick Hill this weekend to mark the centenary of one of the area’s finest sporting moments.
On March 17 1923, Alton United won the FAI Cup after a surprise 1-0 victory over Shelbourne at Dalymount Park in Dublin, with the single goal scored by Andy McSherry.
This Saturday, a special event and talk featuring local historian Chris Donnelly and Dr James Curry (Dublin City Council Historian) and Gerard Farrell will be held at Carrick Hill Community Centre in Regent Street at 2.15pm.
Chris Donnelly, who has previously written about Alton United’s famous FAI Cup success, explained more about the history of the club and that infamous cup final.
"The story of Alton United is entwined within the story of how the Belfast pogroms of the early 1920s severely impacted upon working class nationalist communities in the city," he said.
"The descent into communal violence and specific targeting of nationalists led to Belfast Celtic – the sporting team earning the allegiance of nationalists within the city – having to withdraw from competition for a period of years.
"In their absence a Falls League was established that quickly mushroomed to involve teams from throughout the city such as Alton United as well as Lurgan Celtic.
"Thousands of spectators would be drawn to the league games played in Falls Park and Shaun’s Park (known today as MacRory Park.)
"The competitions they played were reflective of the turmoil engulfing the city at the time. The Expelled Workers’ Cup was contested annually, with money raised from gate fees going towards the families of those workers intimidated from the shipyards.
"With the split in Irish football creating distinct northern and southern leagues, the Falls League was invited to nominate a team each year to participate in the FAI Cup.
"In March 1923, history was made when the Carrick Hill-based Alton United upset the odds and defeated the much fancied Shelbourne team at Dalymount Park in Dublin to claim the title."
Alton's players were presented with their medals after the game, but the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) refused them permission to take the trophy back to Belfast with them due to the tense political situation.
Shortly after, Alton affiliated to the Irish Football Association (IFA) and therefore never defended the trophy the following season as the Falls League faded.
Frank Dempsey from Carrick Hill Residents' Association says all are welcome to attend the event.
"Carrick Hill was a small area under pressure from the pogroms at that time," he added. "For the team to go down to Dalymount Park and beat Shelbourne was really a one-off.
"The exhibition and talk on Saturday is an opportunity for us all to reminisce.
"It is an open invitation to anyone interested in local Carrick Hill history or football.
"If you have a relative from Carrick Hill, you may well have a connection to that historic team."
Dr James Curry, Dublin City Council Historian in Residence since 2019, will discuss the 1923 FAI Cup final and explain how Alton Utd and Shelbourne FC made it that far in the competition, putting the match in context. Curry is a native of Dublin and is currently working on a book about Shelbourne’s history in the FAI Cup from 1922-1939.
Gerard Farrell will also be presenting a talk, focusing on the backdrop of the industrial and political unrest in Belfast and the split between the IFA and emerging FAI.
He will explore how, prior to the first season of the League of Ireland commencing, two matches were played in Dublin and Belfast between Bohemian FC and a Falls League selection.
“These games can be seen as representative of the complex set of sporting identities and allegiances emerging at the time of the football split and the lacuna between the War of Independence and the Civil War as well as the power of sport as a force for good and for building friendships,” he said.
