Ireland Vs Wales Five Nations Rugby, Ravenhill, Belfast 1950

Wales pip Ireland to win the Triple Crown in Belfast.

There was a long line of traffic at the border as rugby supporters headed north to see Ireland play Wales at Ravenhill. Norman Hodgson was among them with his film camera. In notes accompanying the film, Norman Hodgson remarks,

No doubt can exist where we were bound for. Cars are lined up in a never ending stream.

At the Grand Central Hotel on Royal Avenue in Belfast Ireland and Wales supporters mingled.

The ground at Ravenhill was packed to see Ireland attempt to prevent Wales winning the Triple Crown for the first time since 1911.

Norman Hodgson captures some of the match action including the winning try for Wales scored by Malcolm Thomas.

Ireland played Wales at Ravenhill Belfast on 11 March 1950.

The final score was Ireland 3 Wales 6.

Joy in Wales turned to sorrow when news emerged that supporters returning from the game were among the 80 people who died in a plane crash at Llandow Airport on 12 March 1950.

The film shown here was shot by Norman Hodgson (1905-1974). Born in Lenzie in Scotland, Norman married Marjorie Towers in 1932 and came to live in Skerries county Dublin in the late 1930s. He was an avid amateur filmmaker who recorded many sporting and social highlights of Irish life in the late 1940s and 1950s. Norman's films were deposited with the RTÉ Archives by his family and are known as the Hodgson Collection.