Time for Fighting Irish History

Like many people out there, i was confused as to how Notre Dame got their nicknme, the Fighting Irish. Ever wonder what the real scoop is? Well, lucky for you, I’ll let you in on it. Here goes:

There are actually several different theories about why the Fighting Irish are so named. The term may have come from the Irish immigrant army brigade during the Civil War. Joyce Kilmer is thought to have bestowed the name upon the university, as he was the chaplain of the Irish Brigade in WWI. However, some accounts of the nickname predate the first World War. Apparently in 1909 Notre Dame was losing to Michigan when a team member yelled at his fellow ND football players, who were named Dolan, Kelly, Glynn, Duffy, and Ryan, “What’s the matter with you guys? You’re all Irish and you’re not fighting worth a lick.” Still, there are other theories.
For all of you who have loyally purchased Notre Dame Fighting Irish tickets without stopping to ponder the origin of that name, we offer to you an easy and quick way to purchase tickets, StubHub.com. With all the time you saved getting tickets online, you can now go out and learn more about the interesting tradition of the Fighting Irish.

Permalink - Posted in General on April 24, 2007 - Post a comment