quote:
From 1874 to 1879 there were two Unions. The Irish Football Union had jurisdiction over Clubs in Leinster, Munster and parts of Ulster; the Northern Football Union of Ireland controlled the Belfast area. When the first International was played against England in February 1875, the teams were twenty a side and the Irish team included 12 players from Leinster and eight from Ulster. The first fifteen a side match was in 1877 and the first Munster players were chosen in 1879.
In 1879 the two Unions agreed to amalgamate on the following terms:

A Union to be known as the Irish Rugby Football Union was to be formed for the whole country.
(ii) Branches were to be formed in Leinster, Munster and Ulster.
(iii) The Union was to be run by a Council of eighteen, made up of six from each province.
Bron:
http://www.irishrugby.ie/300_285.phpIerland heeft dus altijd als een land gespeeld. De IRFU is gevormd in een tijd dat Ierland nog onderdeel uitmaakte van Groot Brittannië, en de scheiding Republiek-Noord-Ierland dus ook nog niet bestond. Dat hebben ze zo gelaten toen de Republiek onafhankelijk is geworden.
Wallace, Trimble en Best zijn inderdaad Noord-Ieren, net als Tommy Bowe en Court.