Having lost the national political focus the IDL clubs became localised and responsible for their own agenda. The Huddersfield club like the others concentrated on the social side and became similar to a working men’s club. In 1913 it raised money for those caught up in the Dublin lockout and later for the families of those members involved in the war. It continued this tradition with collections for those distressed by the Belfast pogroms in 1920. Of particular interest was its Benevolent Fund which over the next thirty years was used to support members and their families in hard times especially periods of unemployment and sickness.
The League was a member of the Yorkshire Federation of IDL clubs. There was a similar Federation in Lancashire. Both provided a structure to encourage inter club sports that were very popular, but these organisations lacked the vision, direction or agenda that could identify and address the local needs of the Irish community. Compared with the previous generations it became customary for Irish people to adopt a low profile - ‘keep your heads down’, ‘don’t draw attention to yourselves’. There were nine clubs in the Yorkshire Federation in the 1940’s - The Home Rule, Halifax; the Central, the Dillon and the Michael Davitt in Bradford; the J Dillon in Batley; the Shamrock in Morley; the Dan O’Connell in Birstall; the Irish National in Dewsbury and the Irish League in Huddersfield. As well as the Federation games there were other leagues involving local clubs and St Patrick’s CYMS club. The League teams had many successes especially their snooker team of 1949 known as ‘the untouchables’.
The League enjoyed great moments from its association with the success of the St Joseph’s Rugby League team dating back to the 1880’s, the St Patrick’s Rugby League team of the 1920’s, the prodigious success of the GAA teams from the foundation of their club in 1954 as does the present Centre from the current GAA teams and the Irish Centre Soccer team.
There is no serious research into the Irish in Huddersfield in the twentieth century, but in terms of the Irish League mention must be made of:

· John Rattigan who was secretary of the Irish League continuously from 1924 to 1976. (52 years) There is a Federation games snooker trophy dedicated to his memory.
· Tom Joyce, who helped to negotiate the lease for Zetland St in 1912, was for many years an elected member of the Board of Guardians and when he died in 1960 was reported in the Examiner as the ‘richest man in Fartown’.
· John Cantwell and Cllr J J Brown elected members for many years of the Board of Guardians and Huddersfield Council respectively.
· Tom Mullarkey, while President of the League, was killed in an explosion at British Dyes on 16th July 1928. He was presented with a specially inscribed gold watch on 1st May 1928 along with Joe Quinn and Tom Dempsey in recognition of their services in purchasing the Zetland St premises.
· The main book recording OHMS during the 2nd World War is missing but from the records available in 1944/5 it was at least 20% of the membership.

The history of the huge influx of Irish people as part of the rebuilding programme after the war is too recent and concerned with living people to be referred to here. Brendan Behan in his Irish sketch-book published in1962 writes that, “The largest annual spiritual retreat conducted in the Irish language is given at St Patrick’s Church in Huddersfield”.
The Irish League club was compulsorily liquidated in 1994 thus ending an 82 year link with Zetland Street. The Huddersfield Irish Association was formed to manage the liquidation process on behalf of the membership and to find new premises. This ‘journey of hope’ was successfully completed when the Association took possession of 86 Fitzwilliam Street on 9th February 1999 under the new name of the Huddersfield Irish Centre. The loss of Zetland Street was a knock-out blow for the local Irish community. Now, however, it is almost universally seen as a blessing in disguise!

Background

The Early Days - 1880 to 1923