We’re pretty blasé about Triple Crowns these days, especially in rugby. They don’t even compete for them at hockey anymore, but at one stage they packed the crowds in, were keenly contested – and Ireland were pretty good at winning them.Hitler got in the way – and one irritating draw – but from 1937 to 1949 Ireland’s were unbeaten in what was called the Home International Championship. In that time, they collected five Triple Crowns, winning 17 out of 18 games against England, Scotland and Wales.The pre–war team was probably the best Ireland fielded – three crowns were won without conceding a goal – featuring Denis Coulson, one of the best centre–halves ever, and George McVeagh, who represented Ireland at four sports: squash, badminton, hockey and cricket, scoring a century against the West Indies as a 19–year–old Trinity student. The team was full of characters, notably Paddy Neville, another of those mentioned when people talk about the great Irish sporting all–rounders.Neville won seven hockey caps between 1947 and 1949, and seven more at cricket from 1956 to 1960. Elena Tice, left, and Kathryn Mullan of Ireland react after their side’s defeat in the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup 2026 Pool C match between Belgium During that time he played in goal for the strong Drumcondra football team and was capped at interleague level. A gentle giant, Neville played hockey for Portrane and was a warden in the asylum there. His early death in 1977 was a great shock and cause of mourning for his many friends and followers.Seventy–seven years ago this week, Ireland claimed that fifth triple crown and tenth in all. It was their last win and, as it hasn’t been competed for since the 1980s, is unlikely ever to be claimed again.The first leg of the 1949 treble was played at Limerick on March 12, the day Ireland’s rugby team completed their second consecutive triple crown with a 5–0 win in Swansea. After a trial at Londonbridge Road which the probables won 6–3, Ireland lined up: goalkeeper Eddie O’Connor (Catholic Institute), full backs George O’Hara (Southgate) and Wilf Matheson (Spencer), half backs Tommy Lonergan (Railway Union), Harry Russell (Portarlington) and David Minihan (British Army), forwards Stan De Lacy (Limerick PYMA), Ralph Walker (Dublin YMCA), Paddy Neville (Portrane), Stanley Green (RAF) and Jack Bowden (Lisnagarvey). O’Connor, Russell and Minihan were debutants. It rained in Limerick on the Friday and the pitch was soft but Bowden had an excellent game on the left wing and Ireland beat Wales 5–1.After three minutes Walker, recalled after two years out of the team, beat the full back to score Ireland’s first, which was added to by De Lacy a few minutes later. Green got the third before halftime and Neville followed up his own shot from a corner to score the fourth midway through the second half. Although Wales netted from a short corner. Ireland replied immediately through Neville.Limerick supporters turned out in force to see their local hero, Stan de Lacy who played right wing with the Protestant Young Men’s Association. De Lacy was a top sprinter, Irish champion at 100 yards three times in the late 1930s. He was the only man to play on all six title winning teams 1937–39 and 1947–49, and the only one to win five Triple Crowns.In a 2020 Limerick Leader article, Johnny Conn argued that de Lacy was Ireland’s greatest player: ‘Up until 1950, Stan had never played on a losing side and was never dropped. In 1950, in his 21st game, England defeated Ireland 3–2. It would take Ireland until 2002 to beat England again.’ De Lacy – whose brother Hugh played scrum–half on the 1948 rugby Grand Slam XV – was inducted into the Texaco Hall of Fame in 1995. Ireland v Scotland, East Myreside, Edinburgh. 26th March 1949: Back: A T Cutter (Umpire), D Minihan, D Goggin, E O’Connor, W A McCabe, W S Green, C P Park–Jones (Umpire). Front: G O’Hara, T Lonergan, W Matheson, J Bowden, S de Lacy, R Walker.There were two changes for the Scottish game. Russell was dropped and O’Hara moved up to replace him. McCabe (Banbridge) came in at right full back. Unfortunately, Neville was unable to travel to Scotland as he was required by Drums for their FAI Cup semi–final against Dundalk, and Donie Goggin (Munster and Essex County) came in.Ireland won 4–0 in Edinburgh with goals from Bowden, Goggin, Walker and Matheson, with the veteran De Lacy showing all the skills of his pre–war days. The team was unchanged for the final leg of the treble, against England in Dublin. Neville was still unavailable, required to help Drumcondra defend their place at the top of the League of Ireland, but a bout of lumbago before the game ruled out McCabe, which meant a debut for Fred McNulty of Pembroke Wanderers.Seven thousand spectators, a record for Irish hockey, crammed into Londonbridge Road, including the Taoiseach (and local TD) John A Costello. The Irish Times promised that the Garda band (or the Civic Guards as it insisted on calling them) would play the teams into the arena. Wilf Matheson, the Irish captain, was a towering presence as they took the game to the English. A goal from Stanley Green ensured a halftime lead, but England equalised shortly after the breakthrough, via Borrett’s first–time shot from the edge of the circle. Stan de Lacy v England, Londonbridge Road in 1949. It was the last time Ireland beat England until 2002Ireland replied immediately when Ralph Walker found De Lacy, whose weaving run ended with a successful shot from a wide angle. The England team piled onto the attack but a breakaway enabled Goggin to drive the ball home for a 3–1 lead. As play swept down the field again, Fletcher beat O’Connor at the post to narrow the margin to one.A tense finish saw the Limerick goalkeeper save several shots from the desperate forwards but the Irish defence held out and preserved the unbeaten record that had stood for 13 years.It is many years since the Londonbridge Road grounds echoed with the sound of ball on backboard. Local youths – I was one – used the grounds for ad hoc soccer games when it was vacated by the tenant club Three Rock Rovers in the late ‘70s before, some years later, it was dug up and ‘developed’. The old ground where 7,000 people crammed in to watch Ireland’s men’s hockey team win its last triple crown is now a drab housing estate.