Following the team's success in the 2007 Cricket World Cup, the sport's popularity increased in Ireland.

Cricket has been played in Ireland since at least the 17th century, when Oliver Cromwell issued an edict banning it.

[6] In 2007, it announced that it would undergo major structural changes in order to bring it in-line with the main cricket governing bodies.

Ireland was granted ODI status after finishing second in the 2005 ICC Trophy, while also qualifying for the 2007 Cricket World Cup, the first time they had done so.

[17] In the period before and after obtaining ODI status, Ireland lost a number of their most talented players to England.

This was due to Ireland's lack of professional wages and an inability to play Test cricket.

Dublin-born batsman Ed Joyce had played with some success as part of Ireland's ICC Trophy team and became a key member of the Sussex side in England's County Championship; he also previously captained Middlesex in the 2004 season.

Joyce decided to declare to for England in 2005 in order to try to play Test cricket,[18] he was called up in 2006 and made his ODI debut against Ireland.

[18][20] Talented batsman Eoin Morgan who earlier represented Ireland in tournaments including the ICC World Cup and the ICC World Twenty20 qualified and played for England, making no secret of his desire to play Test cricket.

He played 16 Tests for England and captained the ODI team to victory in the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

[22] After the World Cup, Irish cricket experienced a dip in success with poor results in the 2007 Friends Provident Trophy as many players were unavailable.

[12] The reorganised ICU's sought to make closer links with the English counties, encourage the development of age group cricket, and to introduce a professional element into the Irish game.

[12] In an attempt to prevent the game losing players to counties or other commitments such as jobs, it was suggested that central contracts should be introduced.

Since there is no nationality restriction in county cricket, non-Irish players have competed for Ireland in these matches.

For the 2006 tournament, they were bolstered by the signings of Saqlain Mushtaq and Shahid Afridi, the two overseas players they were allowed when competing in English domestic competitions.

In 2008, Ireland played eight games in the Midlands Division, winning one match with one no result and six losses.

[33] The Inter-Provincial Series ('Interpros') was introduced for the first time in 2013 as part of Cricket Ireland's strategy to attain Test status by 2020.

It featured three teams representing their respective provincial unions: Leinster Lightning, North West Warriors, Northern Knights.

In October 2016, the International Cricket Council agreed to award the competition first-class status as part of efforts to elevate Ireland to becoming a Full Member.

[39] In a Cricket Ireland press release, High Performance Director Richard Holdsworth explained the process for the provinces to award contracts for the Interpros.

These contracts would not involve regular salaries for reasons of budget, but they would include match fees and help with expenses such as travel and gym memberships.

Holdsworth said that the Interpros should provide a direct pathway into the Ireland side, but that retired internationals like Nigel Jones and Albert van der Merwe would still be eligible.

[46] The first season of the Twenty20 franchise-based league was scheduled to start in August 2019 but was postponed due to unforeseen reasons.

Cricket Ireland is also committed to the creation of a fifth international ground in Abbotstown, West Dublin.

CEO Warren Deutrom said he expected work on pitches to begin in 2023 in order to be ready to co-host the 2030 T20 World Cup alongside England and Scotland.