History of Hibernian F.C. - Formation (up To 1875)

Formation (up To 1875)

There was a substantial migration of Irish people to Scotland during the 19th century, particularly after the Irish Potato Famine. Most settled in the Glasgow area, but a small proportion made their way through to Edinburgh. The Cowgate was known as Little Ireland at the time, due to the concentration of Irish people in the area.

St. Patrick's Church in the Cowgate had founded a Catholic Young Men's Society (CYMS) in 1865. The Irish community was not integrated into the wider Edinburgh community, but Canon Edward Hannon was looking for a way to achieve this. Michael Whelahan suggested to Canon Hannon that the CYMS should form its own football club. In a meeting on 6 August 1875, Hibernian F.C. was founded, with Canon Hannon as its first manager and Whelahan as its first captain. This was done as part of the celebrations to mark the centenary of the birth of Daniel O'Connell.

Hibs players had to be members of the CYMS. Because of this policy, Hibs have been accused of being the first sectarian football club in Scotland, a charge commonly levelled at Rangers. The club was intended to be an organisation for young Catholics to pursue a life of temperance and religious adherence by offering top-class football to them. Hibs played charity matches in benefit of causes other than the Catholic Church, however, and Whelahan once said:

During the first few years of their history, Hibs played their matches on The Meadows of the south side of Edinburgh. Hibs established themselves in Scottish football after overcoming some initial sectarian resistance to an Irish club. A note from the Scottish Football Association stated that:

Ironically, Hibs' future rivals Hearts played a significant role in breaking down this resistance, as they defied rules which stated that no club should play matches against the Irish club. Hearts provided the opposition in Hibs' first match on Christmas Day 1875, which Hearts won 1–0. The persistence of Canon Hannan and Whelahan meant that Hibs were eventually accepted by the governing bodies.