What a glorious year for Hibernian FC

Sad are the homes of Ballingarry

Southwards towards the hill

The shadow of Knockfeirna

A mission to fulfil

He crossed the sea to help the poor

And found Hibernian

Undying fame surrounds your name

Ed Hannan from The Glen

FR NINIAN, Dougie, thanks for inviting me to speak on this auspicious occasion. I will be brief, but nonetheless try to do justice to the history we celebrate today.

It has been quite a 12 months. On August 6 last year, many of you attended the Hibs 150th anniversary celebrations at St Mary's St Hall (SMSH), just around the corner, and subsequently came to the church to buy the book I never intended to write, Canon Hannan's biography, Edinburgh's First Hibernian—a priest here for 30 years. That day, three members of the Gordon family and the then new CEO Dan Barnett were amongst those buying. So many people who have read the book believe it is essential reading for all Hibs fans. We targeted a quarter of season ticket holders and so far have reached around half that number. Unfortunately it is still not on sale in the club store or website, but we are hoping it will be soon. By the way, if you to buy it here at the church, Fr Ninian gets £10 a copy for his building fund. I will stay around for a while after this to sign copies if you wish.

Little did I imagine a year ago that through a combination of Hibs supporters—and this branch in particular—the Church, Ballingarry Association Football Club (AFC), the Hibernian Historical Trust (HHT) and the club itself, we would have promoted our early history from the background to the foreground in such spectacular fashion. 

A year of celebrations

From SMSH, we travelled to Easter Road for the opening of our heritage centre in September, a marvellous display populated by memorabilia from the HHT and a big hit with fans, and just as important, more than a match for the museum that resides in Gorgie. It's something to be proud of—a lasting legacy from our 150th year. Thanks are due here to Gordon Mackay of the HHT for all his hard work.

It was on then to Ballingarry for the Irish book launch in October, attended by the Irish minister for Culture Communications and Sport, Patrick O'Donovan, and the mayor of Limerick, John Moran. Hibs were represented by Scott Souness, Director of Marketing. From there we went to the Scottish Government's St Andrews day celebration in Dublin where I met First Minister John Swinney, who had been given and had skimmed the book as part of his preparation for his meetings in Ireland.

The East Meadows was our next stop to commemorate—with our arch-rivals—the first Edinburgh derby with a plaque mounted at Borough Loch. I was actually interviewed for Sky TV's commemorative broadcast which went out on Christmas Eve. We then went to Mount Vernon for the 100th anniversary of Michael Whelahan's death. Malcolm McPherson—here today—once again represented the club as he so often does. It was across the Irish Sea next to Ballingarry in March for Whelahan's own plaque unveiling—funded by this branch—located on the Hibernian Founders Wall at the Paddocks. St Patrick's Day was celebrated by the branch and by the Irish Consulate, whose social event I was lucky enough to be invited to, as were a number of Hibs management team. In May, I was proud to be able to pay the HHT my first royalties from book sales which, at the time, were around £1600.

Hibs recently visited Ireland for the first time in well over a decade as the men's team played Shamrock Rovers in Dublin while the women's team faced off against Treaty United in Limerick. Dan Barnett and Malky Mackay visited Ballingarry—albeit briefly—to unveil the plaques, paid for by the club, which will shortly be placed on the gateposts of the farm where Canon Hannan was born. They met several members of the Ballingarry AFC committee and discussions are under way as to how ties can be strengthened between our club and theirs—a perfect example being the women's team's use of the Paddocks to train on consecutive days before their match. Our owner, Kit Gordon, attended the civic reception for the women's team, where the Mayor of Limerick presented several scrolls, one of them in posthumous recognition of the Ballingarry man who founded this club—a replica of which will be presented to the church by the Irish Consul General. We also embarked on a walking tour of the South Side places of significance in Hibs early history.

During her visit, Kit also visited the Knockfeirna Famine memorial, the former Hannan farm at The Glen and the grave of the Canon's sister in the local graveyard. She is the first current or former director of the club to have done that. A couple of years ago, I gave her a tour of this area of the Old Town. I think she gets it—our history is important!

Gratitude

Thanks to everyone who has made all this happen and apologies to organisers of events that I may have missed. A case in point being Scott Souness who led the club’s 150th Working Group and against the odds delivered an impressive programme.

In Ireland, the book was given to the current and former presidents, and the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, all of whom sent personal letters of thanks. They see it as particularly relevant in Ireland today as the country struggles with migration from Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Ironic too that a small minority of the Irish have forgotten the part of their history when they were the migrants looking for a home and the struggles they had, here and elsewhere. Mind you, recent events in Scotland remind us that we don't have a lot to be proud of either in that regard.

Looking back, if there is a disappointment, it is that the plaque unveiled a year ago by the Lord Provost has not made it onto wall above the entrance to SMSH. Despite Hibs' best efforts, it is still stuck in the treacle of the council's planning department. So there is still nothing to alert passers-by to the fact that this great club was launched in that building. Get onto your councillors, residents of Edinburgh. Help the club get this sorted. The plaque we are about to unveil will highlight the church, but not the hall.

Future milestones

But the process mustn't stop here. September marks 150 years since Hibs were accepted into the Edinburgh Football Association and the SFA. We played our first competitive match in that year on October 14. In November, we will mark the 150th anniversary of the murder of Andy Hughes—another of the founders—in St Patrick's Square. There is a project headed by one of your number, Allan Hosey, to document brief biographies of all associated with the club in its first quarter of a century. A register of graves is being considered. Digitisation of the early Hibs minute books is complete and was recently offered to the club. We are in contact with Alan Lugton's son as to how to digitise the documents amongst the 80 boxes of notes and memorabilia that he left behind. And in Ireland, having confirmed with some certainty where Hannan went to school in his early years, we have enough landmarks to put together a self guided Canon Hannan tour.

I could go on. We mustn't let this die. Or even lose momentum. Despite the occasional, and temporary, disappointments on the pitch.

But let me end with one note of caution. It is not just Irish or Catholic history we celebrate. Plenty of Scots and Protestants of all denominations built this club and we should not forget that. Like this service, we are for all nationalities, for all colours, all religions or none.

Glory Glory to the Hibees, the Hibs go marching on