CORK FOOTBALL CLUB OFFICIAL CLUB RECORDS 1880 - 1885

This booklet forms the original notes of the club secretary William Evans and possibly others from September 1880 to February 1885. It contains team line up and notes relating to matches played by the Cork team and Munster. Included in the booklet are newspaper cutting relating mainly to matches played by Munster.

Included amongst the newspaper cuttings is the great Munster victory by one try to nil over Leinster on 4th December 1880. This allowed the Munstermen 6 committee members on the IRFU main committee. It is interesting to note that the booklet contradicts recorded Irish history. Charles Mulqueen in his 1983 Munster history states after the 1880 victory over Leinster that.......

"the Munstermen, flushed with success, sent a team under William Goulding to Wales. Edmund van Esbeck records in One Hundred Years of Irish Rugby. 'They played three matches, one against Newport, which they lost, one against a South Wales XV, which they also lost, and they ended their campaign on a successful note by defeating Neath"

The booklet records that the Irish Wanderers lost to Newport, however it states that they beat the South Wales XV by a try and and touch in goal to nothing. It then states that they beat a Cardiff XV (not Neath) by a try. This last result is confirmed by C. S. Arthur in his 1907 Cardiff history.

There are some great observations on the style of play and matches, there looks to have been a change of author in 1883-84 as a different hand records a visit by the Yorkshire giants Wakefield Trinity.

"Thursday 22nd (November 1883) Cork v Wakefield trinity in the Park. Backs of W T was magnificent, Bartram dropping two goals from the field"

The booklet has two roles, to the front are the club secretary's accounts, mainly stationary purchases, while the notes are recorded when the at the back when the booklet is reversed. In total 35 pages have either notes or cutting attached.