[1] Irish was born at Dudley, Worcestershire (now West Midlands), on 23 November 1918.
He was a right-handed middle-order batsman and an occasional right-arm medium pace bowler who played club cricket for Sidmouth and Minor Counties cricket for Devon from the mid-1930s.
[4] Just a few days later, he top-scored for his side with 67 on his County Championship debut against Sussex.
[6] As the season progressed, though, Irish found runs harder to come by and he passed 50 only once more in an innings, making an unbeaten 75 in the return match with Sussex at Worthing.
[8] Irish went back to Minor Counties' cricket with Devon for a few seasons, also playing for the Minor Counties representative side against the 1952 Indian team, a two-day match that was not first-class.