Hibs and the Irish question

[Keith_M]

My family background is mostly CofS, though the vast majority of my relatives long since stopped attending church. Well over half of my extended family (uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces, etc) support Hibs.


I had one uncle who was RC... and he supported Hearts.



I love telling that to my Weegie mates, as it really messes with their heads.

[stuart-farquhar]

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My earlier posts re Swan are a bit erse fae elbae in terms of timelines/frames.
Of course the height of public hostility to Roman Catholics was in the decade Harry took the helm at Easter Road.

And reading other contributions, it struck me that the year/s Harry was supposedly making all these changes came at the time the Famous Five sides late 40s/early 50s were in decline and Hearts were embarking on the most successful period in their history.

Although in the space of 6 years or so we got to the semi final of the 1st European Cup,"lost" the Scottish Cup v Clyde and beat the mighty Barcelona.... and then..... just avoided relegation in 62/63


By then Harry had all but retired.
But his memory marches on... and rightly so.
(i changed my mind on Harry too, many years ago)

Its a shame there is no autobiography written about Harry. (or was there?)
We might have got the answers we have sought all these years on some of the issues raised here.

GGTTH

I remember going to Stark's Park end of 62- 63. Pretty sure(without checking) we won 4-0 and avoided the drop. Think Raith were already down. 60 yrs ago. Wow!

[Carheenlea]

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Was just a random choice tbh, other than Hibs and Celtic most teams will have a massive majority of fans who have grown up in what would have been “Protestant” families. Maybe Dundee United to an extent as well, but I don’t think religion is a divisive thing up there really? What I was meaning is you’d never describe Ross county or Queen of the South as “orange”, but Rangers, Airdrie and maybe Hearts? Aye.


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Must admit, I’ve never associated Hearts with “Orangeness” or refer to them as such in abuse.

Maybe it’s a lot to do with where I’m from in the Scottish Borders as the whole thing is an alien concept to me, and thankfully the area has been spared from such organisations.

[Mick O'Rourke]

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I remember going to Stark's Park end of 62- 63. Pretty sure(without checking) we won 4-0 and avoided the drop. Think Raith were already down. 60 yrs ago. Wow!

You are correct. Final game. 4-0 win
We also beat QotS away by the same score the week before.
Our final two games of the season and we finished 16th out of 18.
There was stories about our good fortune winning 3 of our final 4 games,
We drew the other one with Hearts,who thrashed us 4 nil at ER in previous league game.
QoS finished one place above us.
Clyde (2pts less than us) and Raith got the drop.

Back to Kirkcaldy
It was Jimmy's first season at ER
Me, my two wee brothers, Billy and John,our mother and dad all in the main stand at Starks Park.
Me and Billy dreeped doon the front of the stand to run on the pitch at the end.

Many years later ,80/81 season,my son Michael would run on the pitch at ER to celebrate promotion back to Premier.
Opponents? Raith Rovers ! 2-0 win

Happy Nervy Days !

The previous season at Starks ,Jimmy me and some cousins/pals were on the terracing.
Jimmy had not yet became a Hibs player of course
On the train home,some of the Hibs players were in first class carriage.
Jimmy had me (the wee yin) go and ask for their autographs !
Tommy Preston did the needful for a shy wee laddie of 9yrs or so.
Had Jimmy been more patient he could have got the lot training at Easter Road
Tommy Preston became his mentor !!

[Kato]

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Must admit, I’ve never associated Hearts with “Orangeness” or referees to them as such in abuse.

The Orange Order, with its ceremonies and peacockery, is way too camp for the average normal, respectable Hearts supporter.

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[stuart-farquhar]

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You are correct. Final game. 4-0 win
We also beat QotS away by the same score the week before.
Our final two games of the season and we finished 16th out of 18.
There was stories about our good fortune winning 3 of our final 4 games,
We drew the other one with Hearts,who thrashed us 4 nil at ER in previous league game.
QoS finished one place above us.
Clyde (2pts less than us) and Raith got the drop.

Back to Kirkcaldy
It was Jimmy's first season at ER
Me, my two wee brothers, Billy and John,our mother and dad all in the main stand at Starks Park.
Me and Billy dreeped doon the front of the stand to run on the pitch at the end.

Many years later ,80/81 season,my son Michael would run on the pitch at ER to celebrate promotion back to Premier.
Opponents? Raith Rovers ! 2-0 win

Happy Nervy Days !

The previous season at Starks ,Jimmy me and some cousins/pals were on the terracing.
Jimmy had not yet became a Hibs player of course
On the train home,some of the Hibs players were in first class carriage.
Jimmy had me (the wee yin) go and ask for their autographs !
Tommy Preston did the needful for a shy wee laddie of 9yrs or so.
Had Jimmy been more patient he could have got the lot training at Easter Road
Tommy Preston became his mentor !!

Happy days, well kind of :)

[McD]

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A 'wee nyaff' would be appropriate as well!

my Dad still cracks one of these out now and again

[One Day]

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I love reading your posts Mick, along with other 'older' posters, and am sure I could listen to your recollections and memories for hours, fascinating, hope you have a lot of this written down so they are not lost. 💚

There's an idea, Write a book Mick

[ErinGoBraghHFC]

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There's an idea, Write a book Mick

I’d buy it


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[Mick O'Rourke]

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I’d buy it


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Goodness me.
Too late for that and too many skeletons crammed in the cupboard !!

You know the truth.I genuinely have recalled most of those stories through being prompted by things written on this board.
Amazing recall of events i had totally forgot. Or though i had,given my age.
Been real therapy for me.Honestly
!
Many years ago a teacher in Mathers suggested i write about my Wembley experiences
He use to crack up at what i got up to on these pilgrimages and few stories were about the football !
I went to 7 wembleys on the bounce and at 5 of them i didnt have a ticket,but got in
One time with the pre match pipe band !

Since covid i was grounded like others my age and ever since i have mostly been housebound with an illness that affects my mobility.
That can be both draining and frustrating,cos i liked getting out and about.
I guess it gives me lots of time to reflect.
However, my grandson Liam looking after me and this forum has kept my gray matter active.... and my sanity ,unlike the team sometimes.
Of Course ,there are far far more important things than football.
However being at Hampden on that day was my favourite Hibs moment since the LC win V Celtic
Although Jimmy's goals against the neighbours 0-4 and 0-7 games and the 3 against Sporting are up there.
And the Napoli game.
Along with the privilege of seeing the football genius that was Willie Hamilton.
The ballet dancer of Scottish football .
In full flow, a sight to behold
I wish you younger fans could have seen him or even if there was more footage of his play.
What a player Willie was .
Jimmy's favourites were Willie, Joe Baker and Bobby Moore.

Jimmy use to say "Michael can talk a glass eye to sleep"

He meant that in a humorous sense.. I hope !!


Message to Lee Johnson.
Lee if you read this. Hibs fans dont expect a lot.
Just a European spot and a major trophy next season will be fine.
Yours faithfully
Michael O'Rourke

PS
Dont forget now !


Well thats the Stella finished
Goodnight brother and sister Hibernians


HGSP
GGTTH
SOL

[ErinGoBraghHFC]

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Goodness me.
Too late for that and too many skeletons crammed in the cupboard !!

You know the truth.. I genuinely have recalled most of those stories through being prompted by things written on this board.
Amazing recall of events i had totally forgot. Or though i had,given my age.
Been real therapy for me.Honest !

Many years ago a teacher in Mathers suggested i write about my Wembley experiences
He use to crack up at what i got up to on these pilgrimages and few stories were about the football !
I went to 7 wembleys on the bounce and at 5 of them i didnt have a ticket. but got in '

Since covid i was grounded like others my age and since i have mostly been housebound with an illness that affects my mobility.
That can be both draining and frustrating, cos i liked getting out and about.
I guess it gives me lots of time to reflect.
However, my grandson Liam looking after me and this forum has kept my gray matter active.... and my sanity ,unlike the team sometimes.
Of Course ,there are far far more important things than football.
However being at Hampden on that day was my favourite Hibs moment since the LC V Celtic
Although Jimmy's goals against the neighbours 0-4 and 0-7 games and the 3 against Sporting are up there.

Jimmy use to say "Michael can talk a glass eye to sleep"

He meant that in a humorous sense.. I hope !!


Message to Lee Johnson
Lee if you read this. Hibs fans dont expect a lot.
Just a European spot and a major trophy next season will be fine.
Yours faithfully
Michael O'Rourke

PS
Dont forget now !


Well thats the Stella finished
Goodnight brother and sister Hibernians


HGSP
GGTTH
SOL

Never too late Mick, I’d be happy to help even. Stories like the ones you tell need to be recorded on paper, eternalised.


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[leith lynx]

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Never too late Mick, I’d be happy to help even. Stories like the ones you tell need to be recorded on paper, eternalised.


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Hear! Hear!...a fanzine style tome would be good, would purchase that, GGTTH!

[ErinGoBraghHFC]

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Hear! Hear!...a fanzine style nova would be good, would purchase that, GGTTH!

We’ll just need to keep annoying him until he agrees


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[Scotty Leither]

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Brilliant. Calling someone ‘a wee snotter’ needs to make a comeback.

He was the bogey(man) my father wouldn’t wear, HB.

[The Harp]

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You are correct. Final game. 4-0 win
We also beat QotS away by the same score the week before.
Our final two games of the season and we finished 16th out of 18.
There was stories about our good fortune winning 3 of our final 4 games,
We drew the other one with Hearts,who thrashed us 4 nil at ER in previous league game.
QoS finished one place above us.
Clyde (2pts less than us) and Raith got the drop.

Back to Kirkcaldy
It was Jimmy's first season at ER
Me, my two wee brothers, Billy and John,our mother and dad all in the main stand at Starks Park.
Me and Billy dreeped doon the front of the stand to run on the pitch at the end.

Many years later ,80/81 season,my son Michael would run on the pitch at ER to celebrate promotion back to Premier.
Opponents? Raith Rovers ! 2-0 win

Happy Nervy Days !

The previous season at Starks ,Jimmy me and some cousins/pals were on the terracing.
Jimmy had not yet became a Hibs player of course
On the train home,some of the Hibs players were in first class carriage.
Jimmy had me (the wee yin) go and ask for their autographs !
Tommy Preston did the needful for a shy wee laddie of 9yrs or so.
Had Jimmy been more patient he could have got the lot training at Easter Road
Tommy Preston became his mentor !!

If you travelled on the St. Giles branch to Kirkcaldy that day Mick, you might remember the amount of folk who turned up at the Grassmarket to go through. There must have been over 80 folk trying to get on a 40 seater bus. We were crammed in like sardines but there were still folk trying to get on. Then Bernie G (our bus convenor) had a brainwave - he went into the pub and borrowed about a dozen chairs and placed them up the aisle, so that everybody who wanted on, got on.


We got as far as Haymarket, where we were stopped by a very young polisman. He looked amazed when he boarded the bus to see such a sea of faces staring up at him - he booked our bus driver, Alex, but let us continue our journey to Starks Park. As soon as the polisman got off the bus, Bernie organised a collection to help pay the drivers fine.

What a day - what a branch.

[connerg]

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Thank you kindly HV

The forum is good therapy for me as sometimes a topic arises that jogs a past memory/incident/story i had forgotten for years.

Then i head for the keyboard !

GGTTH

Your posts are great therapy and a fascinating read for many. Keep it up!!

[One Day]

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Never too late Mick, I’d be happy to help even. Stories like the ones you tell need to be recorded on paper, eternalised.


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They do and its good off you to offer to help

[Hibernian Verse]

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There's an idea, Write a book Mick

At the very least the lads @ Longbangers should get him on the pod for a 2 hour special.

[Green Reaper]

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At the very least the lads @ Longbangers should get him on the pod for a 2 hour special.

Hanlon/Stevenson Foundation event-An Audience with Mick O'Rourke... maybe taken that to far 😂

[Mick O'Rourke]

Behave youse !

Back to the first post by PH
Did/do the club recognise,observe St Patricks Day ?
I dont really know if they ever have in my lifetime.
Would have done back in the early days, of course.
The Catholic players and staff may well have went to St Patrick's church on the day.
Maybe something else Swan got involved in . Just kiddin !!

When i was a child,i recall shamrock in the house and school to remember St Patrick as the patron saint of Ireland and many Catholics would attend Mass that day particularly those either Irish or of Irish descent .
We did at school when March 17 fell on a schoolday and all sing the hymn "Hail Glorious St Patrick"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1USsVnyhWM
which i learnt at a very early age along with the hymn "Faith of our Fathers "
I dont attend Mass now. So i guess i am destined for the burning fire !
But however,those two hymns in my childhood days where important to the Irish and Scottish RC churchgoers .

So,St Patrick was celebrated in the school or chapel and not Biddy Mulligans pub ,where you can buy an expensive pint of Guinness "quickly" poured into a plastic tumbler
Sacrilege !!

Like Christmas Day, it was the Americans who commercialised the 17th of March as the Irish in many cities there celebrate their Irish heritage with parades/pipe bands and wee green men !.
Its has over decades snowballed into the money making machine we see today.


In the UK ,its mostly used as an excuse to go out for a bevvy and most doing that could tell you little or nothing about St Patrick . Maybe that he got rid of the snakes in Ireland! or its a brand of sportswear !

Back in my teenage years, i ended up one Saturday going to Falkirk's Brockville with some Celtic pals.
Cant remember why i missed the Hibs game)
Anyway, it was either on or near March 17th and the Celtic fans,who of course packed the terraces burst into a rendition of HGSP.
So i admit on here i joined in a sing song with Celtic fans !!
Alan Lugton,our great club historian who i knew as a young boy on the St Giles bus would have approved .......

...of me singing the hymn..... Not following Celtic !!

HGSP
GGTTH
Erin go Bragh