Irish Exiles

The Irish Exiles were created by Tom Kiernan in 1989 to give Irish-qualified rugby union players in Britain and France the opportunity to play for an Irish representational side and thus potentially strengthen the full Irish team. Many famous Irish players have turned out for the Exiles while they were playing their club rugby abroad.

The Irish Exiles organisation was the brain-child, in 1989, of Tom Kiernan, the former British & Irish Lion and Ireland Captain, and thereafter an influential member of the International Board. Kiernan pulled together a meeting in London of ‘exiled’ rugby personnel in England (predominately), many of whom remain involved in Irish rugby to this day e.g. Noel Traynor (later to become the London Irish President), the former Munster prop Tom Hennessy, and others named herein.

The outcome was that the Exiles were established as a formal Sub-Committee of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The primary intention of the organisation was clear: to strengthen Irish Rugby by the recruitment of first- and second- generation Irish-qualified players from the ranks of those playing in England, Scotland, Wales & France. A secondary function was to act as a conduit for those Irish players who had become ‘voluntary Exiles’, i.e. they had moved from Ireland, to further their career.

Tom Kiernan remained Chair of the Exiles for a number of years of distinguished service. The first ‘local’ Chair of the Sub-Committee was Irish international Dr. Barry O’Driscoll (still with the committee) and the Secretary/Treasurer was the late David Donovan. An Under 21/Student section and committee was also established, the Chair being Walter Jones and the Secretary John Hunter.

The format was thus established in that Exiles representative XVs would be produced at both senior and under 21/student levels. The first two seasons saw friendly fixtures take place, e.g. versus Ulster at Ravenhill and versus the Welsh Exiles senior XV; both the Welsh and Scottish unions saw merit in implementing similar 'Exiles' programmes. The first senior XV Coach was British & Irish Lion Dr. Ken Kennedy.

The Exiles were invited to participate in the IRFU Inter-Provincial Championships for the 1992/93 season. Entry into the Inter-Provincial Championship brought its own problems – and, fortunately, solutions. The need to have the players (from all over the country plus France) together for training was paramount. Financing was found and the Exiles went into that first championship very well prepared.

...
Wikipedia