The Irish Government vetoed grants for rugby-playing schools in the wake of the Lions tour to South Africa 30 years ago. The Irish Independent's Marie Crowe reports.
"The Fianna Fáil government feared that making grants available to rugby would be seen as tacit state approval for South Africa's apartheid regime and damage Ireland's chances of becoming a member of the United Nations Security Council.
"The newly-published state papers for 1980 reveal that senior figures within the Fianna Fáil government, including then Minister for Foreign Affairs Brian Lenihan and the minister for state with responsibility for sport Jim Tunney, strongly opposed the tour and also made it known that IRFU plans to tour South Africa in 1981 would be frowned upon.
"The Lions tour, which was a highly controversial one, was opposed by the Irish and British governments and also groups against sporting relations with the apartheid regime in South Africa.
"The Tour manager was Syd Millar, current chairman of the IRB, and coach was Noel Murphy. The Lions lost the series 3-1 in the absence of many of the top players."
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