MATTHEW HURLEY reflects on his affection for St Mirren after time spent in Paisley

LITTLE did I know when I went over to Scotland for my Erasmus year in January 2023 that I’d return to West Cork talking about a Scottish Premiership club that wasn’t one of the Old Firm giants, Celtic or Rangers.

St Mirren, to many, are a club less familiar to fans who follow the Champions League or the English Premier League, but they mean everything to the people of Paisley – a town in western Scotland, just ten minutes outside Glasgow.

From winter into spring of 2023, my home was the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) campus in Paisley, a spot just an 18-minute walk from St Mirren Park – or the SMISA Stadium, as it’s now known. That closeness mattered. The club was part of the rhythm of the place.

I picked up a jersey, a polo shirt and a windcheater from the club shop as souvenirs of my time across the water. Three years on, they’re still go-to items – reminders of great memories and a period of life that flew by.

Truthfully, I wouldn’t have known much about St Mirren before those few months in Scotland, beyond the fact they played in the Scottish Premiership. That changed quickly.

Now, they’re known as the most recent team to break the Old Firm’s dominance in a cup final. In December, St Mirren lifted the Premier Sports Cup at Hampden Park, beating Celtic 3-1 thanks to goals from Marcus Fraser and Jonah Ayunga. Watching the scenes of celebration brought me straight back to Paisley – the streets, the walks, the sense of pride in the place. It was just their third major trophy since 2000, and it felt enormous.

Nicknamed the Saints – or more affectionately, the Buddies – St Mirren aren’t a giant club, but they are deeply woven into their community.

Matthew Hurley, sporting his Southern Star jacket, and his dad James at St Mirren Park.

I attended two games during my time there. The first was a 2-1 defeat away to Motherwell at Fir Park, a trip I made with my family when they visited during the Irish mid-term break in February. The second, coincidentally, was a 5-1 home loss to Celtic, which I went to with a fellow UWS student – a devoted Saints supporter.

Even that day sticks with me. Knowing I was Irish, he mentioned that St Patrick’s Day, March 17th, is also known as St Mirren’s Day – the date of another famous League Cup triumph, when the Saints beat Hearts 3-2. Those small nuggets of local history are what pull you in.

St Mirren also boast an Irish presence in their squad. Killian Phillips has featured prominently and has earned recent caps under Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson, underlining the quality within the group.

They may not have a bulging trophy cabinet and currently sit tenth in the 12-team Scottish Premiership, but a cup win like this brings joy that league positions can’t measure.

With Aberdeen winning last season’s Scottish Cup and other clubs beginning to challenge, there is a sense that the once-iron grip of Celtic and Rangers may be loosening. That hope matters, to every supporter of a so-called smaller club.

Since 2023, St Mirren have been my Scottish team, and that’s not going to change. The power of a strong local club – one rooted in its community – is something Irish sport can learn from.

Right now, the nearest League of Ireland clubs to West Cork are Cork City and Cobh Ramblers. With the new National League launching this August, perhaps there’s room for ambition closer to home. At present, UCC are the county’s newest representatives.

Hopefully, one day, there will be a club in our part of the world that people can walk to, identify with and rally behind – just like St Mirren in Paisley.