‘The Jacks Are Back’ – The Dubs in the 1970s
Published on 14th July 2011
'The Jacks are back,
The Jacks are back,
Let the Railway End go barmy,
For Hill 16 has never seen,
The likes of Heffo’s Army.'
Dublin Terrace Chant, 1970s
On 26 May 1974 Dublin played Wexford in the first round of the Leinster Championship as the undercard to the replay of the National League Final between Kerry and Roscommon. The quality of the football that day was such that the Kerry and Roscommon fans started laughing in the Hogan Stand. Five months later the Dublin Captain Sean Doherty lifted the Sam Maguire. The Dubs had arrived and Gaelic Football was changed forever.
Dublin contested six All-Ireland Finals in a row between 1974 and 1979. This feat was matched by Wexford (1913-1918) and Kerry in the past decade (2004-2009) but, unlike the recent Kerry team, Dublin did not have the cushion of the ‘back-door’ on the road to Croker. They also had to contend with Mick O’Dwyer’s Kerry - arguably the greatest football team of all time.
The success of the Dubs made Gaelic Football the most popular sport in the city and the Dublin football team remains one of the best-supported teams in Europe. 'The Dubs' and 'Hill 16' have become as emblematic of the capital city as Molly Malone, James Joyce, and the Ha'penny Bridge.
This image gallery consists of images taken at Civic Receptions for the players between 1974 and 1979. They show the rapport between the team and supporters. ‘Heffo’s Army’ became famous nationwide for their passionate and vocal support.
'The Jacks Are Back' celebrates the greatest sports team this city has produced. Up da Dubs!
Acknowledgements
The Digital Projects Section of Dublin City Public Libraries would like to thank Norman Barnard, Christy 'Buster' Leaney and Bernard Donovan for their invaluable assistance in creating this gallery.
View the Jacks are Back image gallery
About the Photographs
These images were taken from the Dublin City Council Photographic Collection.
Match Programmes
The Reading Room at Dublin City Library and Archive has an extensive collection of GAA match programmes. The images taken from contemporary programmes featured in this gallery are copyright of Cumann Lúthchleas Gael/Gaelic Athletic Association.
Further Resources
In addition to these photographs, Dublin City Libraries also has further sources on the sporting heritage of Dublin, some of which are available online and some through the Dublin City Public Libraries network. Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street, holds a wealth of material on the history of sport in Dublin, including books, programmes, and newspapers.
The following online resources can be accessed free of charge at your local library. Ask library staff for information and assistance.
- DRI - Digital Repository of Ireland is a national digital repository for Ireland’s humanities, social sciences, and cultural heritage data. Here you will find select digital collections of Dublin City Library and Archive including the Fáilte Ireland Photographic Collection.
- Irish Times Digital Archive: This online archive service gives access to contemporary editions of the Irish Times from the mid-nineteenth century until the present.
- Irish Newspaper Archive: This online archive service gives access to contemporary editions of the Irish Independent and a range of other newspapers.
- The Ireland-JSTOR Collection: This online archive of academic articles can also be accessed free of charge at your local library.
For further reading, consult the Library Catalogue.