American Baseball in Ireland

Beginning in 1874 when Major League Baseball teams toured Ireland and Britain to the games played by US Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen during World Wars I and II and the Cold War, to Baseball re-enactments there has been a long history of American and Canadian Baseball Teams visiting Ireland

aerial view of sports stadium during daytime — Photo by Tim Gouw on Pexels.com

Visiting USA and Canadian Baseball Teams

In 1874, Major League Baseball teams visited Ireland for the earliest recorded Baseball match in Ireland, and, naturally enough, given the links between the countries, Ireland, along with France and Britain got the biggest promotion of Baseball when teams toured Europe during the era leading up to the First World War.

Major League Baseball in Ireland

During the First World War, teams of American and Canadian soldiers and sailors, stationed in Ireland for the duration, or visiting the shores of Ireland, played Baseball matches in aid of War Charities.

World War II Baseball in Northern Ireland

From 1942, when US Soldiers, Navy & Airmen stationed in Northern Ireland during World War II played in the Northern Ireland Baseball League and 8th US Air Corps Baseball Championship, to the Youth Baseball Championships played in Waterford & Dublin in the 1960s (The Irish Baseball Association) and Donegal (The Donegal Baseball & Softball Association) there have been Baseball Leagues in Ireland.

Re-enactments

In addition to the Northern Ireland Baseball League during WWII, there have been exhibition matches played by American and Canadian Soldiers and Sailors stationed in Ireland during WWI or visiting Irish shores. There has also been reenactments of famous Baseball matches, including the Amateur World Series of 1903, which was re-enacted on the 100th anniversary in Drum, Co. Roscommon, featuring relatives of players involved.