Some of Irish cricket's greatest moments have been sparked by men who came from the land Down Under. Who could forget Ireland's first-ever World Cup game, and Jeremy Bray's brilliant century against Zimbabwe? And who still gets a tingle when they recall Trent Johnston's thrilling six to seal the win over Pakistan two days later?
That those men were wearing green was, for Irish cricket, just the reaping of a harvest sowed almost 150 years ago.
Back in the 1850s the Horan family from Midleton, Co Cork, emigrated to Melbourne where their son Tom grew into a fine cricketer. He played for his adopted country in the first ever Test: going in first drop he made 12 and 20. Horan played 15 tests before going on to be Australia's leading cricket journalist, under the pen-name 'Felix'. Tom Kelly from Waterford played alongside Horan in the first of his two tests.
So while those Irishmen were in at the birth of Australian cricket, their new countrymen returned many times over the following decades. They even visited on four occasions before they got around to playing Ireland.
The 1880 Australians drew with Dublin University at College Park, with 'the Demon' Spofforth, taking 10-46 in first innings. Twenty-five years later the colonials returned to Trinity who, despite calling up some former players, lost by 231 runs.
In September 1909 Monty Noble's Australians came to Woodbrook, a private estate just north of Bray, where they took on Sir Stanley Cochrane's XI in a three-day game. Cochrane, heir to the C&C drinks fortune, hired several county stars, including Jack Hobbs and Sydney Barnes. The Aussies returned three years later to play CB Fry's XI, which included Hobbs, Wilfred Rhodes and Frank Woolley. The eight wicket defeat was the only time an Australian side lost here in 15 matches.
It took until 1938 for Australia to play Ireland, and a further thirty years to cross the Liffey to play in Clontarf.
That first game at Castle Avenue saw the debut of Robin Waters, then playing with Clontarf, while Ivan Anderson was captaining for the first time.
On a damp, windy day, Bill Lawry won the toss and stuck Ireland in. Eric Freeman (12.5-5-15-6) and Alan Connolly (13-7-12-3) revelled in the conditions and Ireland found batting a struggle. After 33 overs, Ireland were 37-5, but Ivan Anderson (26) and Gerry Duffy (23) saw them to 106 all out in the 70th over. Australia passed the target with almost an hour to spare, but batted on to entertain the crowd. Ian Chappell hit the first ball he faced, from Dermott Monteith, for six, but Monty snapped him up two balls later.
There were more sixes on the Aussies' second visit to Dublin 3 - in 1993 -including five off Angus Dunlop's only over. Allan Border took a fancy to the young YMCA off-spinner and his perfect over was only ruined by a mishit off the sixth ball, which went for two. Border's century came off 46 balls, with the second fifty off 12.
Matt Hayden also made a century in a total of 361-3 declared in 49 overs, and Ireland were well and truly battered when they came to bat, all out for 89. Insult was added when reserve keeper Tim Zoehrer took off the pads to bowl ten overs, taking 3-23.
And now the Aussies are here again, back to the land that has given them McGrath, O'Donnell, O'Reilly and McCabe, and to which it sent Bray, Johnston, Cusack and Langford-Smith. It hasn't been a bad bit of trade - for both parties.
Ireland's previous games against Australia
1938
Ormeau, Belfast: AUSTRALIA 145 all out (J Macdonald 5-24) IRELAND 84 all out (F Ward 5-22) Australia won by 61 runs
College Park, Dublin: IRELAND 100 all out & 106 all out (D Shearer 56, B O'Reilly 5-39) AUSTRALIA 239 all out (S McCabe 62, S Barnes 53, C Badcock 52, E Ingram 7-83) Australia won by an innings and 33 runs
1961
Ormeau, Belfast: AUSTRALIA 209 all out (N O'Neill 85, G Duffy 6-29) & 155-7 dec (A Davidson 50) IRELAND 126 all out (L Kline 5-35) & 138-6 (H Martin 57) Match drawn
College Park, Dublin: AUSTRALIA 291 all out (B Booth 79, P Burge 60, A O'Riordan 5-85) & 233-6 dec (B Booth 67, A Davidson 59) IRELAND 76 all out & 166 all out (R Hunter 50) Australia won by 282 runs
1968
Castle Avenue, Dublin: IRELAND 106 all out (E Freeman 6-15) AUSTRALIA 190-7 (E Freeman 75) Australia won by six wickets (and batted on)
Ormeau, Belfast: AUSTRALIA 213 all out (E Freeman 70, I Redpath 57, D Goodwin 5-68) IRELAND 92 all out (J Gleeson 6-24) Australia won by 121 runs
1977
Rathmines, Dublin: AUSTRALIA 291 all out (C Serjeant 63, D Hookes 58, D Monteith 6-97) & 96-5 dec, IRELAND 200-4 dec (J Short 80no, B O'Brien 51) & 104-3. Match drawn
1985
Strangford Road, Downpatrick: AUSTRALIA 151-4 (A Border 91) v IRELAND. Match abandoned
1993
Castle Avenue, Dublin: AUSTRALIA 361-3 dec (M Hayden 133, A Border 111, M Slater 56) IRELAND 89 all out. Australia won by 272 runs
1997
Woodvale Road, Eglinton: AUSTRALIA 303-7 dec (R Ponting 117no, J Langer 57) IRELAND 164 all out (K McCallan 64no) Australia won by 139 runs
2001
Ormeau, Belfast: AUSTRALIA 86-1 (M Hayden 52no) v IRELAND. Match abandoned
2007
Bridgetown, Barbados: IRELAND 91 all out AUSTRALIA 92-1 . Australia won by 9 wickets
