by Chris Boucher
Since we’re almost halfway to Saint Patrick’s Day, and the Lowell Irish Festival is only weeks away, it’s a good time to consider another Celtic celebration in the city. Way back in 1888, a troop of the top athletes in Ireland arrived to stage an exhibition of Irish sports in what the October 13 Lowell Sun dubbed a “Gaelic Invasion.”
It was decades before the birth of the Irish Free State, and the twin goals of the Gaelic Athletic Association were to show off their people’s athletic as well as organizational skills. The group also stopped in New York, Philadelphia, Providence, and Boston.
The Sun reporter was clearly impressed: “The athletes, as they walked into the arena, presented a fine sight. Green jerseys, green caps bearing the harp and shamrock, and knee breeches were the uniform. Every man was a rugged specimen of manhood. Brawn, made in the wholesome air of Ireland, on the green hills and vales of the dear old land, was on every man of the party.”
Apparently the fans were too: “Cheers went up as the champions walked to the center of the field. Every step was jaunty and every eye strong as an eagle’s.”
The games were held at the Riverside Grounds, possibly the area behind the Riverside Alternative School on Gorham Street. Events included a variety of jumping competitions, hammer throws, and a hurling match.
The star of the day was the original “Irish Whale,” James Mitchell from County Tipperary. After athletes competed in a series of jumping events, Mitchell stepped up and threw the 10-pound hammer an incredible 142.5 feet and 6 inches, “breaking the record” and drawing “the applause of the great crowd.” While this distance may seem exaggerated, Mitchell was the world record holder at the time, and he would go on to extend it a few years later in New York with a throw of 145 feet and .75 inches.
An exhibition of the ancient Gaelic game of hurling concluded the festivities. A seeming combination of lacrosse, field hockey, and baseball, the game is named after the wooden paddles the players use to bat a ball around the field. “It was a very exciting contest and the spectators cheered again and again as the champions did their clever tricks with their hurleys,” the Sun reported. “The play was very fierce and the hurleys and shins were cracked on all sides.”
Afterward, a banquet was held at the American House on Central Street (whose first floor is now the home of the Lowell Academy Hairstyling Institute). There the hurleys rested and speeches and songs flew.
Representatives from the city as well as Irish-affiliated organizations like Clan na Gaels, the Irish National League, and the Ancient Order of Hibernians took their turn at the podium. The various speakers highlighted the ties between America and Ireland and called for the sovereignty of the Irish people.
One speaker noted how the flags of the two countries flew side-by-side when the Irish fought for the Union in the US Civil War. He said was raised to “love next to the star spangled banner the green flag of Erin.” Another went as far as to call the US the “greater Ireland of the west.”
Morris Davin, the head of the Gaelic Athletic Association, thanked his hosts and underscored the serious side of his mission. He noted that “the association governed itself and when the time came the members of the association would do their part to show that their whole people could govern themselves.”
Not surprisingly then, another speaker promised that “when the glad shout of freedom goes up from Ireland it will reverberate through the hills and valleys of America.” The audience responded with “a strong whirlwind of Irish applause.”
So whether you’re celebrating the Irish, or another one of the many ethnic groups Lowell has extended a Cead Mile Failte (“hundred thousand welcomes”) over the years, why not raise your glass to the role Irish sports played in “winning” their people’s freedom?
Chris Boucher has written several books on Lowell basketball pioneer Harry “Bucky” Lew, which, amongst other things, document the strong support he received from the many Irish in the city. Later this month, Chris will appear on Inside Lowell’s Daily Pulse podcast with Teddy Panos and former Patriots GM Pat Sullivan, whose grandfather and great-uncle partnered with Lew when he was playing on and running several pro teams in the area.
