Hillview United was a very successful soccer team and operated in the AUL League around 1952/53. Hillview, under the guidance of Paddy Keenan, Jackie Herbert, Billy McKenna and Tommy Kirwan may have been there at this time also.

Hillview in the 1952/53 season had a very young side and were made up of players from Pearse House, with a few more from the surrounding area.

Around this time, the AUL League introduced a new cup called The Smyth Cup and Home Farm met Hillview United in the final at Dalymount Park, with Hillview causing a big upset by beating the Farm, who would have been made up of players from all over Dublin.

But my story is about the jerseys worn by Hillview, as each one is an Irish International jersey of that time. They were the heavy woollen type with a simple shield-like crest with the shamrock on it.
At the time, replica jerseys were not produced and unless an Irish player gave you one they were impossible to get. So how come Hillview had a full set of these very treasured Irish jerseys?

Well, the jerseys came from Eddie Gannon, who was transferred to Sheffield Wednesday from Shelbourne and was considered the best right side half-back playing in England at the time. Eddie was capped for Ireland many times, probably more than the ten jerseys worn by Hillview
Opposition teams would look in wonder when Hillview arrived on the pitch to play them and I often thought Hillview had a ten minute start ahead of other teams in their league who were looking in awe at the jerseys.

As I write this story, I hope Eddie’s family have a jersey of their famous father, who wore them with distinction as I saw him play many games in Shelbourne Park and Dalymount for Ireland.

On one occasion, a team Hillview played in a league match complained to league officials that the Irish jerseys were being belittled by being worn by Hillview. This was not true as Hillview were proud of their Irish strip.

As I watched the game with my pal Seamus Donnelly at Dalymount, I think the jerseys spurred Hillview on to win their game in the Smyth Cup final against Home Farm. This Hillview team was made up of ex-Brugh Phadraigh Boys. The Brugh was in Mount Street and, in later years, in Herbert Street and when you reached eighteen you had to leave. The photograph shows clearly the Irish jerseys worn by Hillview United.

The team, back row: Billy McKenna, Jackie Herbert, Tommy Walsh. Middle row: Jimmy O’Brien, Jimmy Butler, Con Barter, Terry Dillion, Matt Ward, Lar O’Byrne, Paddy Keenan. Front row: Clem Behan, Paddy Donnelly, Paddy Butler, Donal Moroney, Bunny Nealon.