Late in the fourth quarter of the men’s lacrosse team’s bout against the New Jersey Institute of Technology earlier this year, sophomore attacker Billy Irish held the ball in his stick while approaching the back of the net. He spotted his brother, junior midfielder Jack Irish, in the corner of his eye, delivering a powerful strike that Jack Irish swiftly emptied into the net for the goal.
The connection provided an “energy boost” for the team as they celebrated the exclamation point on a 14-4 victory, according to head coach Patrick Myers.
“Everybody knows how hard they both work and that they’re awesome kids,” Myers said. “So I think seeing them connect on the field was something that was really special.”
However, the first point of Billy Irish’s collegiate career was simply a play that felt all too familiar for the duo.
“That’s honestly what it just felt like, just another rep in the backyard,” Billy Irish said. “It was a cool feeling of connection to finally have what you work for pay a dividend on the field.”
Lacrosse runs deep in the Irish family. The Leopards’ father, Ryan Irish, played for Division III University of Lynchburg. While the pair’s childhood consisted of a wide athletic variety, including lacrosse, football and basketball, they ultimately honed in on following in Ryan’s footsteps at Malvern Preparatory School in Malvern, Pennsylvania.
“Being in that hot bed where everybody played, we just played every single day throughout the entire year,” Jack Irish said. “Having a big support group from the kids in the area and having a dad to play lacrosse with, we kind of just ran with it and made some really good relationships through it.”
After falling behind in the recruitment process due to COVID-19, Jack Irish spent his junior year playing in many showcases and tournaments, reaching out to as many coaches as possible. An impressive performance in the summer leading up to his junior year caught the attention of head coach Patrick Myers.
“We really fell in love with his game,” Myers said. “We saw him play at the Philly Under Armour tryouts and just loved his toughness and his grit.”
The rest was history when Jack Irish committed to Lafayette at the close of his junior season.
“Being able to have that school-life-sports balance was incredibly important,” Jack Irish said. “Lafayette obviously offered that, so that was definitely one of the top options for me.”
He called committing to Lafayette “probably the best decision I’ve made so far in my life.”
Jack Irish ushered in an immediate impact on the field in his freshman season. Making 15 game appearances and starting in 13, he recorded seven goals and assisted three with a shot-on-goal percentage of .576.
“It definitely makes you grow up pretty fast, so I think just having that exposure was awesome,” Jack Irish said.
When it came time for Billy Irish to make his college decision, he had his mind set on joining forces with his older brother.
“Following Jack was pretty easy,” he said. “I kind of got to step ahead by coming on his first visit to the school. It really drew me in, especially the opportunity to continue to play with your brother. Not a lot of people get that.”
Billy Irish has seen limited field time throughout his first two seasons with the Leopards, but has bounced between the second and third midfield line when he checks in. Still, his impact on the team stretched far beyond his play.
“Billy’s led all of our Bible studies this year, and has done a terrific job with that,” Myers said.
Following the 2025 campaign, the Irish brothers will have one final season together to finish what they started.
“It’s really an advantage and a blessing,” Billy Irish said. “If you’re going to be able to play with your brother in college, just take advantage of it.”
