Yesterday Aberdeen signed the Irish pair Joe Shaughnessy and Patrick Barrett. They join fellow Irishman Anthony Bolger in the Dons U19 squad for season 2009/10.

The Dons also have Northern Ireland pair Dean Jarvis and Sammy Stewart on their books. As Head of Scouting Colin Grant keeps a regular eye on potential signings in the Emerald Isle it is unlikely they will be the last Irish players to arrive at Pittodrie.

However it is not a new thing for the club to look towards Ireland for new signs. AFC Club Historian Kevin Stirling tells how away back in the Dons' early years the club also looked across the Irish Sea for players.

It is a common belief that Willie Lennie was the Dons first capped player for Scotland back in 1908 and although that fact is true enough, the first Aberdeen player to ever be capped for his country was Lennie's teammate Charlie O'Hagan. Born in Buncrana in 1882, O'Hagan began his career in his native Ireland with St Columb's College before moving on to Derry City and old Xavierans. It was during that spell that Everton tempted O'Hagan to try his luck in the English League in 1902, though, for whatever reason, he was never actually selected for the Goodison club and a year later he was transferred to the Southern League and a spell with Tottenham Hotspur. It was only then that O'Hagan produced the kind of form that was to lead to his first cap for Ireland against Scotland on 18th March 1905.

It was following a brief spell with Middlesbrough in 1906, where he played in only six matches, that Aberdeen manager Jimmy Philip took the nomadic O'Hagan to Pittodrie and it is fair to say that his spell with the Dons was his most productive. Almost immediately he struck up a fine partnership with Aberdeen winger Willie Lennie, with O'Hagan operating at inside left. By now he was a regular in the Irish side and was also part of the impressive Aberdeen unit that was now making an impression on the national stage. On 14th March 1908, O'Hagan found himself in opposition to his great friend, as Lennie was in the Scotland side and O'Hagan had the distinction of captaining Ireland. It was Lennie who came through smiling as the Scots went nap in a 5-0 win at Dublin's Dalymount Park.

Charlie O'Hagan eventually left Aberdeen and joined Greenock Morton in 1910. He made 112 appearances for the Dons, scoring 24 goals. Joe O'Reilly joined Aberdeen in 1932 from Irish side Brideville in the immediate aftermath of the 'Great Mystery' that rocked Pittodrie to the core in November 1931. O'Reilly took his chance in the Aberdeen first team and played more than 40 matches for the Dons as well as establishing himself in the Ireland side, going on to win 20 international caps, the first of which came against the Netherlands in a 2-0 win in May 1932. After two years at Pittodrie, O'Reilly moved back to his native Brideville after failing to cement a right-half place in the Aberdeen side, captain Bob Fraser keeping O'Reilly on the sidelines. In 1936 O'Reilly transferred to St James Gate in Dublin and the last of his caps came in a 1-1 draw with Germany in 1939.

The 1930's saw several Irish players in the Scottish League and among them was the prolific Paddy Moore. Moore went down in club history along with Alex Merrie as being the only two Aberdeen players to score six goals for the club in a single game, Moore's incredible feat coming against Falkirk in 1932. Born in Ballybough in 1909, Moore started out with Richmond Rovers and latterly enjoyed a spell with Shamrock Rovers, winning the Irish Free State Cup in 1928 before joining Cardiff City a year later. A disappointing season with Tranmere meant a return to Shamrock Rovers in 1931, winning his first cap in April against Spain, scoring the Irish goal in a 1-1 draw.

Two years later Paddy became another player to play for both Eire and Northern Ireland when he was selected to play against England. After his transfer to Aberdeen he created another piece of history when he scored all four Ireland goals in a 4-4 draw against Belgium in a World Cup tie. In his three seasons at Pittodrie, Moore notched an impressive 47 goals from only 74 appearances before he returned to his beloved Shamrock in July 1935. Before returning to Shamrock for a fourth time, Paddy had spells with Shelbourne and Brideville. Sadly, he died aged just 42 in July 1951.

Belfast born Hugh Mooney made the first of his Aberdeen appearances against St Mirren in February 1932, managing only 15 appearances during his two seasons with the Black & Golds before joining Gillingham. Mooney was another player who found a starting place in the Dons side in the aftermath of the 1931 'Great Mystery' but was soon made second choice to Kenny Thomson. Previously Mooney had started out with Belfast Celtic before joining Second Division Nottingham Forest in 1931